Fully integrated power conversion and the enablers

This paper presents the needs and enablers for an emerging trend in power electronics: fully integrated power conversion. Prime emphasis is placed on discussing the key enablers for this power supply miniaturization trend, comprising high switching frequency, advanced process and packaging, system co-design and circuit innovation. Industry product and research design examples are used to assist the discussion. A comparison among different regulator types, including linear regulator, switched-inductor, switched-capacitor, and hybrid regulators serves as a guideline for choosing a regulator type to meet a certain set of requirements in the context of fully integrated implementation.