Reconfigurable Dickson Star Switched Capacitor Voltage Regulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional buck regulators are inefficient and bulky due to their reliance on large inductors, making them unsuitable for highly integrated electronic systems, especially in mobile SoCs that require multiple voltage domains, leading to increased size and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable Dickson Star switched capacitor voltage regulator is developed, utilizing a capacitor matrix and switch matrix to achieve multiple conversion ratios by reconfiguring the switch arrangement and duty-cycling, reducing the need for bulky inductors and enabling efficient voltage regulation across various voltage domains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a buck regulator uses a large inductor to achieve high power conversion ratio and high current output, then the power delivery capability is improved, but the size and area occupied by the regulator increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the inductor component from the voltage regulator system by using a switched-capacitor architecture. The inductorless design removes the bulky magnetic component that occupies large area, replacing it with capacitors and switches that can be integrated on-chip with minimal area while maintaining the power delivery function through capacitive energy transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the magnetic field-based inductive energy transfer mechanism with an electric field-based capacitive energy transfer mechanism. Instead of using an inductor to store and transfer energy magnetically, the invention uses capacitors to store and transfer energy electrically, eliminating the need for bulky magnetic components and enabling compact integration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a buck regulator uses multiple off-chip inductor components to serve multiple voltage domains, then the power conversion capability is improved, but the overall system size and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal voltage regulator architecture that can serve multiple voltage domains using a single integrated circuit. The switched-capacitor matrix can be reconfigured to provide different voltage conversion ratios, enabling one device to replace multiple dedicated regulators and inductors, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining multi-voltage domain adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic reconfiguration of the capacitor matrix through switch control to adapt the voltage conversion ratio in real-time. The regulator can dynamically switch between different conversion ratios (e.g., 4:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1) to serve different voltage domains, providing adaptability without requiring multiple fixed-function regulators.
3Ease of manufacture
If a buck regulator integrates the inductor on-die or on-package, then the number of off-chip components is reduced, but the inductor still occupies large area and the integration becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the inductor function entirely from the system by using a switched-capacitor architecture. Instead of attempting to integrate a physical inductor on-die or on-package (which would still occupy significant area), the invention eliminates the inductor component completely and uses capacitors and switches to achieve voltage conversion, enabling true compact integration without bulky magnetic components.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A voltage regulator provides a final voltage signal based on a first received voltage signal. The voltage regulator comprises a switched-inductor regulator (2702) consisting of an inductor. A first inductor terminal comprises an input terminal of the switched-inductor regulator configured to receive the first voltage signal (202). A second inductor terminal comprises an output terminal of the switched-inductor regulator configured to provide an intermediate voltage signal. The voltage regulator further comprises a step-down regulator (2704) configured to receive the intermediate voltage signal from the output terminal of the switched-inductor regulator, a switch matrix, a plurality of capacitors, and an output terminal, configured to provide the final voltage signal (208). The voltage regulator further comprises a control module configured to cause the switch matrix in the step-down regulator to alternate between first/second configurations to arrange the plurality of capacitors in first and second arrangements with a predetermined duty cycle, thereby duty-cycling the inductor.