A Distributed Filter Within a Switching Converter for Application to 3-D Integrated Circuits

Abstract

Abstract-A design methodology for distributing a buck converter filter for application to 3-D circuits is described. The 3-D filter exploits transmission line properties, permitting the generation and distribution of power supplies to different planes. As compared to a conventional LC filter, the proposed filter only requires on-chip capacitors without the use of on-chip inductors. Additionally, the physical structure of the filter simultaneously enables the distribution of the current to the load while filtering the switching signal at the input. A case study in a 0.18-m CMOS 3-D technology demonstrates the generation of a 1.2 V power supply delivering 700 mA peak current.

Linear and Switch-Mode Conversion in 3-D Circuits

“…As evident from curve e, the associated filter losses significantly reduce the converter power efficiency. The efficiency of a switching converter employing the distributed 3-D filter [15], [16] is also shown in Fig. 4 (curve d).…”

“…This behavior occurs since the signal at the input of a distributed filter is degraded by the resistance and the input impedance of the filter , forming a voltage divider. To produce the duty cycle required for a specific DC voltage, consider the input impedance of the filter at DC (24) where , and are defined in (16), and is the DC component of the current load (6). The DC component of the signal at the input of the filter (including in Fig.…”

Electrical analysis of TSV step change in radius with compensation structure

“…With the rapid development of integrated circuit technologies, conventional integrated circuits (2-D ICs) have reached limits that are difficult to surpass [1]. 3-D ICs are becoming a good solution to continue Moore's law.…”

Closed-form expression for capacitance of tapered through-silicon-vias considering MOS effect

“…Recently, the performance and reliability of integrated circuits (ICs) have reached limits that are difficult to surpass, because of the rapid technology scaling [1]. Three-dimensional (3D) ICs provide a promising option to build high-performance compact SoCs by stacking one or more chips vertically.…”

“…Through-siliconvia (TSV) is the core technology that provides a vertical interconnection with greatly reduced interconnection length among the stacked dies [2]- [4]. Therefore, 3D ICs have advantage of continuous increase in functionality, performance, and integration density, offering an exciting alternative to traditional scaling [1]- [9]. Due to the much higher integration density, 3D ICs are influenced more significantly by the parasitics than the ordinary monolithic ICs.…”