A switching linear regulator based on a fast-self-clocked comparator with very low probability of meta-stability and a parallel analog ripple control module
Point of load regulators, with fast response to load transients, are becoming critical components in low power systems. Linear regulators are an area-efficient way to implement fast-response regulation as they require only the transistors and capacitors available in any standard CMOS process. This p...
Saved in:
Published in | 2018 IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC) pp. 1 - 4 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Conference Proceeding |
Language | English |
Published |
IEEE
01.04.2018
|
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | Point of load regulators, with fast response to load transients, are becoming critical components in low power systems. Linear regulators are an area-efficient way to implement fast-response regulation as they require only the transistors and capacitors available in any standard CMOS process. This paper presents a switching linear regulator with a comparator that samples the difference between the regulated voltage and the reference (error) at 4GHz. The comparator uses a novel self-clocking scheme to achieve extremely low probability of meta-stability, even at very high clock frequency. In fast transient mode, the regulator achieves zero droop when the load current steps from < 1mA to 170mA in 100ps. A digital ripple control mechanism, and an analog ripple control module work together to reduce the ripple on the regulated output. The regulator, fabricated in TSMC's 16nm finFET technology, achieves a peak current efficiency of 97.6% when operating at 4GHz. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 2152-3630 |
DOI: | 10.1109/CICC.2018.8357021 |