Hybrid DC/DC power converter with charge-pump and buck converter

• US 8,854,019 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levesque, Chris, Zimlich, David, Berchtold, Jean-Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): STERRETT, JEFFREY L
• Application Number:
  US12/567,318
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 323/266, 323/282, 363/59, 363/60
• US Class Current: 323/266
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/14 Arrangements for reducing ripples from dc input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load

Abstract

A hybrid Direct Current (DC) to DC converter is disclosed for efficiently converting an input voltage from one level to another. In a preferred embodiment, a dual phase charge pump is combined with a buck converter and a switch controller to provide a converted voltage that is useable to cellular handset circuits based on power amplifier (PA) technology.

Claims

1. Charge pump circuitry comprising:

a first switch coupling an input node and a first node;

a second switch coupling the first node and a charge transfer node;

a third switch coupling the input node and a second node;

a fourth switch coupling the second node and a fixed voltage node;

a fifth switch coupling the input node and a third node;

a sixth switch coupling the third node to the charge transfer node;

a seventh switch coupling the input node to a fourth node;

an eighth switch coupling the fourth node to the fixed voltage node;

a first flying capacitor coupling the first node and the second node;

a second flying capacitor coupling the third node to the fourth node, and

wherein the first switch and the second switch are configured to be directly controlled by a third node voltage from the third node.

2. The charge pump circuitry of claim 1, wherein the fifth switch and the sixth switch are configured to be directly controlled by a first node voltage from the first node.

3. The charge pump circuitry of claim 2, wherein the third switch, the fourth switch, the seventh switch, and the eighth switch are configured to be controlled by control circuitry.

4. The charge pump circuitry of claim 2, wherein the third switch, the fourth switch, the seventh switch, and the eight switch are each independently controlled by the control circuitry.

5. The charge pump circuitry of claim 2, further comprising:

a buck circuit coupling the charge transfer node to an output node.

6. Charge pump circuitry comprising:

a first switch coupling an input node and a first node;

a second switch coupling the first node and a charge transfer node;

a third switch coupling the input node and a second node;

a fourth switch coupling the second node and a fixed voltage node;

a fifth switch coupling the input node and a third node;

a sixth switch coupling the third node to the charge transfer node;

a seventh switch coupling the input node to a fourth node;

an eighth switch coupling the fourth node to the fixed voltage node;

a first flying capacitor coupling the first node and the second node;

a second flying capacitor coupling the third node to the fourth node, and

wherein the fifth switch and the sixth switch are configured to be directly controlled by a first node voltage from the first node.

7. Charge pump circuitry comprising:

a first switch coupling an input node and a first node;

a second switch coupling the first node and a charge transfer node;

a third switch coupling the input node and a second node;

a fourth switch coupling the second node and a fixed voltage node;

a fifth switch coupling the input node and a third node;

a sixth switch coupling the third node to the charge transfer node;

a seventh switch coupling the input node to a fourth node;

an eighth switch coupling the fourth node to the fixed voltage node;

a first flying capacitor coupling the first node and the second node;

a second flying capacitor coupling the third node to the fourth node, and

wherein at least one of the switches is configured to be directly controlled by one of the nodes coupled to one of the flying capacitors.