A sub-ns response fully integrated battery-connected switched-capacitor voltage regulator delivering 0.19W/mm2 at 73% efficiency

Lithium-ion batteries are the dominant power source in mobile devices. However, while the supply voltage required for processors and SoCs has scaled down to ~1V, the voltage range of this popular battery remains ~2.9V-4.2V (nominally ~3.6V). To bridge this voltage difference, off-chip power management ICs are typically required. Despite their high efficiency, supporting many independent, high-current supplies to e.g. a multi-core SoC is extremely challenging due to cost, area, and supply impedance concerns associated with board and package level parasitics. There is hence strong motivation for efficient, fully integrated voltage regulators (IVRs) that interface directly with the battery while supporting multiple separate on-chip supply.