Modular Voltage Regulators With Selective Phase Disabling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Voltage regulators face low yield in manufacturing due to defects in inductor elements, and existing designs require separate products for varying voltage and current requirements, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular voltage regulator design that allows for multiple configurations on a single wafer, enabling the creation of different voltage regulators from identical modules, with the ability to disable defective phases and reconfigure control logic to maximize yield and adapt to various system requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a specific voltage regulator is designed for a small range of systems based on input current requirements, then the regulated voltage level and current draw are optimized for that specific application, but the design complexity increases and manufacturing efficiency decreases due to needing separate products for varying requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage regulator is designed with multiple phases that can be selectively enabled or disabled based on the specific application requirements. This allows a single regulator design to serve multiple voltage and current requirements, eliminating the need for separate products for different applications while maintaining optimized performance for each configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The regulator incorporates dynamic phase enabling/disabling capability that allows the system to adapt its configuration based on real-time current requirements. The control logic can selectively activate specific phases to match the input current characteristics, providing adaptability without requiring multiple fixed designs.
2Reliability
If inductor elements are used in voltage regulators, then the voltage regulation function is achieved, but manufacturing yield decreases due to manufacturing defects in these large real estate-consuming elements
Solution Approach 1:
The regulator is designed with redundant phases that serve as backup capabilities. During manufacturing testing, if defects are detected in certain inductor elements or phases, the system can pre-configure to disable those defective phases and rely on the remaining functional phases, thereby salvaging the component and improving manufacturing yield while maintaining voltage regulation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a defect detection and phase disconnection mechanism that identifies faulty inductor elements during or after manufacturing. By disconnecting only the defective phases and maintaining operation with functional phases, the system recovers the usable value of components that would otherwise be scrapped, significantly improving manufacturing yield.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple voltage regulators are manufactured to meet different system needs, then each regulator is optimized for its specific application, but the manufacturing cost and time increase due to separate production processes
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage regulator is segmented into multiple independent phases, each capable of operating autonomously or in combination with others. This segmentation allows a single manufactured unit to be configured for different applications by enabling or disabling specific phases, eliminating the need to manufacture separate regulators for different voltage and current requirements and significantly reducing manufacturing time.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal regulator design incorporating multiple phases can be manufactured once and then configured for various applications through selective phase activation. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for multiple separate production processes, reducing manufacturing time and cost while maintaining application-specific optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a semiconductor die. The semiconductor die has formed thereon a plurality of multi-phase voltage regulator modules of the same design formed on a common semiconductor substrate.