Triple-Mode Switched-Inductor-Capacitor DC-DC Buck Converter with Reusable Flying Capacitor and Bang-Bang Zero-Current Detector for Wide Load Current Range

• Main Authors: Jongbeom Baek, Hyung-Min Lee, Se-Un Shin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-07-01
• Series: Electronics
• Subjects: buck converter; discontinuous conduction mode; flying capacitor; power management integrated circuits; zero-current detector
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/9/8/1202

Although the capacity of a battery with a small form factor is extremely low, demand for long usage time of Internet of Things (IoT) products is increasing. Owing to this limitation of the battery, power management integrated circuits (PMICs) are used for extending the battery usage time with high efficiency. In particular, since IoT devices are mostly in the sleep mode in the idle state, PMICs should achieve high efficiency for ultralight loads in the sleep mode as well as for heavy loads in the active mode. In this paper, an accurate bang-bang zero-current detector (to prevent a reverse inductor current) and a triple-mode switched inductor-capacitor dc-dc buck converter with a reusable flying capacitor are presented; these techniques can maintain high efficiency over a wide load current range. The proposed buck converter was fabricated in a 0.18-μm 1P4M CMOS process. A power conversion efficiency exceeding 85% was achieved in the load range of 100 µA to 300 mA.