A sub-ns response on-chip switched-capacitor DC-DC voltage regulator delivering 3.7W/mm² at 90% efficiency using deep-trench capacitors in 32nm SOI CMOS

Abstract

For an on-chip or fully integrated microprocessor power-delivery system, the on-chip power converter must 1) be designed using the same technology as the microprocessor, 2) deliver high power density to supply a microprocessor core with small area overhead, 3) achieve high efficiency, and 4) perform fast regulation over a wide voltage range for dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS). On-chip switched-capacitor (SC) converters have gained increasing popularity for this application due to their ease of integration using only transistors and capacitors readily available in the chosen technologies [1-6]. © 2014 IEEE.