On-die switching power converter with stepped switch drivers and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A switching power converter comprising:
- a driver portion to generate stepped switching signals, each stepped switching signal including at least one interim step between an initial state and a final state of a step; and
a switching portion to generate an output voltage in response to the stepped switching signals.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A DC-to-DC switching power converter includes switching elements having capacitive gate control inputs, an energy storage element and driver circuitry. Improved efficiency is achieved using adiabatic buffers to drive MOSFET switching elements with stepped switching signals. Substantially equal rise and fall times are achieved. In one embodiment, the switching power converter is fabricated on a semiconductor die to generate an output voltage to one or more functional unit blocks on the die.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A switching power converter comprising:
-
a driver portion to generate stepped switching signals, each stepped switching signal including at least one interim step between an initial state and a final state of a step; and
a switching portion to generate an output voltage in response to the stepped switching signals.
-
-
2. A switching power converter comprising:
-
a driver portion to generate stepped switching signals; and
a switching portion to generate an output voltage in response to the stepped switching signals, wherein the driver portion has at least one step driver stage comprised of step driver switching elements sequentially activated by control signals to generate one of the stepped switching signals. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A switching power converter comprising:
-
a driver portion to generate stepped switching signals, each stepped switching signal including at least one interim step between an initial state and a final state of a step; and
a switching portion to generate an output voltage in response to the stepped switching signals, wherein the switching portion is comprised of a plurality of switching elements and the driver portion is comprised of a plurality of step driver stages, wherein each switching element receives one of the stepped switching signals from a corresponding step driver stage. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A switching power converter comprising:
-
a driver portion to generate stepped switching signals; and
a switching portion to generate an output voltage in response to the stepped switching signals, wherein the switching portion is comprised of a plurality of switching elements and the driver portion is comprised of a plurality of step driver stages, wherein each switching element receives one of the stepped switching signals from a corresponding step driver stage, and wherein at least one of the step driver stages includes MOSFET switches to sequentially couple stepped voltages to generate one of the stepped switching signals for one of the switching elements of the switching portion.
-
-
14. A semiconductor die comprising:
-
an on-die power converter; and
at least one functional unit block to receive power from the on-die power converter, wherein the on-die power converter includes a driver portion to generate stepped switching signals, each stepped switching signal including at least one interim step between an initial state and a final state of a step, and a switching portion to generate an output voltage for the at least one functional unit block in response to the stepped switching signals.
-
-
15. A semiconductor die comprising:
-
an on-die power converter; and
at least one functional unit block to receive power from the on-die power converter, wherein the on-die power converter includes a driver portion to generate stepped switching signals, and a switching portion to generate an output voltage for the at least one functional unit block in response to the stepped switching signals, wherein the driver portion has at least one step driver stage comprised of step driver switching elements sequentially activated by control signals to generate one of the stepped switching signals. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A buffer to generate a stepped switching signal comprising:
-
a first switching element to couple a lowest voltage of the stepped switching signal to an output;
second and third switching elements coupled back-to-back; and
a fourth switching element to couple a highest voltage of the stepped switching signal to the output, wherein the second switching element turns on during a downward transition of the stepped switching signal to couple an interim voltage to the output, and the third switching element turns on during an upward transition of the stepped switching signal to couple the interim voltage to the output. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
Specification