Low footprint, high efficiency (>90%) DC-DC convertors on GaN technology

using novel high Q metamaterial-based on-chip inductors

UCLA Electrical Engineering Goutham Ezhilarasu, Premsagar Kittur, S.S. Iyer
Annual Research Review Centre for Heterogeneous Integration and Performance Scaling (CHIPS), UCLA
April 21, 2017

Motivation Power-Distribution for large scale SOWs Novel metamaterial based On-chip inductor
Need for high efficiency low footprint POV power
convertors
Ultra large scale SOWs (system on wafer) requiring multiple voltage
domains increases the complexity of power management.
Due to the large physical scale of such systems, ohmic losses in
transmitted power would be significant.
Hence it is necessary to transmit power at high voltages (48 V) and step
down the voltage at the point of load using dedicated buck convertors.
To reduce the power management overhead, it is hence necessary to
perform single stage conversion (48V to core voltages) at high switching
frequencies (>100MHz). To handle such challenging specs we go for
GaN.
The magnetic meta-material consists of ferromagnetic laminations
Need for better On-chip inductors embedded in an insulating matrix.
Our SOW consists of several die-lets (1mm x 1mm) bonded onto a passive Si
Air core inductors have very poor Q and L-density (<100nH/mm2).They interconnect fabric (IF). By using thin laminations, the phenomenon of uniaxial magnetic
are the major bottle neck in developing compact power convertors. anisotropy an be exploited to push the operating frequencies to >1GHz.
The buck convertor will be fabricated on a power die-let. The inductor could Such thin laminations would also reduce the eddy current losses hence
Using a novel magnetic metamaterial and 3D inductor structure, the Q be fabricated on the power die or on the Si-IF
and L-density can be significantly enhanced (x10). improving Q.

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Magnetization dynamics in thin films
LLG equation
Exhibits Ferro-magnetic resonance
(cutoff freq. for magnetic property)
Simulation results (HFSS) of 3D inductor Current standing and future performance
goals
The figure shows tradeoffs
in performance metric (L-
density, Q) for different
inductor tech-nologies.

The simulation result is

indicated along with the
final performance goal to
The magnetization dynamics in the thin films is dominated by domain be achieved.
rotation governed by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation.
Simulation of the inductor was done in HFSS using magnetic material
Beyond the resonance frequency, the magnetic property (real permeability) data for CoZrTa from literature.
decays rapidly. The inductor structure (2um laminate thickness) exhibited a quality
In order to increase the cut-off frequency of operation, the film needs to be factor Q>6 and inductance density > 1uH/mm2 at a frequency of
made very thin (<1um) so as to have a higher in-plane anisotropy field (Ha 400MHz.
or Hk) These values can be further improved through design optimization.
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Why GaN technology for our buck Buck converter topology

Building the structure (process flow) convertor?
High mobility ( = 2000 cm2/Vs) when compared to silicon MOSFETS
( ~ 1200 cm2/Vs), results in higher Fq of operation.
Low Rds(ON) ,compared to Silicon MOSFETs (decreases the I2R loss
comp)
Low CGD, which allows it to switch hundreds of volts in nS
Low CGS compared to silicon MOSFETs, resulting in shorter delays &
good control over the duty cycle
Lower Threshold voltage compared to Silicon MOSFETs
Lower gate caps results in lower Switching Losses

Current mode control is used

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Future Work References

Internal power supply
Fabrication and testing of the 3D inductor structure [1] Alex Lidow PhD, CEO and Johan Strydom, PhD, Vice President Applications Engineering,
Efficient Power Conversion Corporation, White Paper: WP001.
incorporating different magnetic materials [2] Microsemi-Gallium Nitride (GaN) versus Silicon Carbide (SiC)
Designing the power distribution network for the entire [3] Donald S. Gardner et al., Integrated On-Chip Inductors With Magnetic Films, IEEE
TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL. 43, NO. 6, JUNE 2007.
SOW (system on wafer). [4] Liangliang Li at al., High-frequency responses of granular CoFeHfO and amorphous CoZrTa
Output to Realizing the ultimate goal of a low footprint, high magnetic materials, Journal of Applied Physics 101, June 2007.
Si die-let [5] Sergey P. Gubin, Magnetic Nanoparticles, Wiley-VCH.
efficiency (>90%) single stage (48V to core voltage) [6] Ranajit Sai, CMOS-Compatible and Scalable Deposition of Nanocrystalline Zinc Ferrite Thin
buck convertor experimentally. Film to Improve Inductance Density of Integrated RF Inductor, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON
MAGNETICS, VOL. 49, NO. 7, JULY 2013.
[7] Subramanian S. Iyer, Heterogeneous Integration for Performance and Scaling, IEEE
TRANSACTIONS ON COMPONENTS, PACKAGING AND MANUFACTURING
TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 6, NO. 7, JULY 2016.
[8] Zhen Li, Goutham Ezhilarasu et al. Indirect Band Gap Emission by Hot Electron Injection in
Metal/MoS2 and Metal/WSe2 Heterojunctions, Nano Lett., 2015.
[9] M. Lakshmanan, The Fascinating World of Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert Equation: An Overview,
Internal, self regulating LDO with PowerFET stacked or can be arXiv:1101.1005.
integrated with GaN tech.

Increases PSRR!

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