Trench capacitor power supply system and method

• US 7,239,194 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integran Technologies Incorporated (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Integran Technologies Incorporated (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Azrai, Firas, Nelms, David, Yates, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US11/068,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 361/15, 327/535, 327/536, 323/282, 307/110, 320/166, 257/286, 257/298, 257/300, 257/301, 257/306
• US Class Current: 327/536
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05001 Internal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05009 Bonding area integrally formed with a via connection of the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05026 the internal layer being disposed in a recess of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/051 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05571 the external layer being disposed in a recess of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/056 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13025 the bump connector being disposed on a via connection of the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3128 the substrate having spherical bumps for external connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49575 Assemblies of semiconductor devices on lead frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/50 for integrated circuit devices, e.g. power bus, number of leadsH01L23/482 - H01L23/498 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5223 Capacitor integral with wiring layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/18 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subgroups of the same main group of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/09701 : Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 : Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19015 : including thin film passive components
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/009 : having two or more independently controlled outputs for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 : using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps

Abstract

A plurality of trenched capacitors are grouped in phases. A control circuit switches each phase between charging and discharging states devised to supply one or more loads with controlled power.

Claims

1. A power converter system comprising:

(a) a plurality of trench capacitors, each having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, arranged in one or more phases with one or more charging switches electrically between respective pairs of the capacitors in each phase;

(b) one or more voltage supply switches connecting the positive terminal of a respective one or more of the plurality of capacitors to a voltage input terminal;

(c) one or more first discharging switches connecting the positive terminal of a respective one or more of the plurality of capacitors to an output terminal for that phase;

(d) one or more second discharging switches connecting the negative terminals of respective ones of the plurality of capacitors to a selected reference potential;

(e) a control stage operatively connected to all of the switches, the control stage operative to activate and de-activate selected ones of the switches of a selected phase to change between a first charging mode and a second discharging mode, the control stage operative to activate selected ones of the voltage-shifting switches of the selected phase prior to activating selected ones of the second discharging switches.

2. The power converter system of claim 1 in which the plurality of trench capacitors are formed on an integrated circuit with the switches.

3. The power converter system of claim 2 in which the plurality of trench capacitors are formed in the trenches above a level at which the switches are formed.

4. The power converter system of claim 3 in which the trenches are formed in a layer of low dielectric constant insulator.

5. The power converter system of claim 1 in which the trench capacitors are metal-insulator-metal capacitors.

6. The power converter system of claim 5 in which an insulator layer of the trench capacitors comprises a ferroelectric dielectric material.

7. The power converter system of claim 5 in which an insulator layer of the trench capacitors comprises a paraelectric dielectric material.

8. The power converter system of claim 1 in which the trench capacitors are stacked trench capacitors.

9. The power converter system of claim 1 in which the charging and discharging switches are formed with a triple-well process.

10. The power converter system of claim 1 in which the one or more of the plurality of trench capacitors is formed in trenches through a silicon layer at which the charging and discharging switches are formed.

11. The power converter system of claim 10 in which the trenches are formed at least partially in semiconductor wells associated with respective ones of the charging and discharging switches.

12. The power converter system of claim 10 in which the trenches are formed entirely in semiconductor wells associated with respective ones of the charging and discharging switches.

13. The power converter system of claim 1 in which the number of phases is more than one and the control stage is operative to activate the first charging and second discharging modes for selected phases in an interleaved order.

14. The power converter system of claim 1 further comprising one or more voltage-shifting switches connected in parallel with the one or more second discharging switches.

15. The power converter system of claim 1 in which the trench capacitors are metal-insulator-silicon capacitors.

16. A switched-capacitor power supply comprising:

a plurality of capacitors formed in trenches, each of the plurality of capacitors comprising a first terminal layer, an insulative layer disposed atop the first terminal layer, and a second terminal layer disposed atop the insulative layer;

a plurality of charging transistors formed on an integrated circuit, the charging transistors operative to charge the plurality of capacitors;

a plurality of discharging transistors formed on the integrated circuit, the discharging transistors operative to discharge the plurality of capacitors.

17. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which the trenches are formed on a discrete substrate, the plurality of capacitors having terminal contacts arranged along a surface of the substrate, the terminal contacts operatively connecting the plurality of capacitors to the plurality of charging transistors and the plurality of discharging transistors.

18. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which the insulative layer comprises a ferroelectric dielectric material.

19. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which the insulative layer comprises a paraelectric dielectric material.

20. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which the trenches are formed in a low dielectric constant insulating layer.

21. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which the trenches are formed in the integrated circuit.

22. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which the first terminal layer comprises metal.

23. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which one or more of the capacitors are connected to a respective one of the charging or discharging transistors through a conductive structure disposed beneath the trench.

24. The switched-capacitor power supply of claim 16 in which one or more of the capacitors are formed in semiconductor wells associated with a selected one of the charging transistors.