Increased power density for POL converters with smallest buck regulator modules

New Yorker Electronics has released Vishay’s new 6A, 20A, and 25A microBRICK synchronous buck regulator modules designed to increase power density and efficiency for POL converters. Provided in a 10.6mm x 6.5mm x 3mm package, the Vishay Siliconix SiC931, SiC951 and SiC967 are the smallest of these devices on the market – with the lowest height – and feature wide input voltage ranges from 4.5V to 60V.

Up to 69% smaller than other solutions, the regulator modules each offer two high-performance MOSFETs, an inductor, and a controller, with minimal external components required for configuration and loop compensation. The devices’ compact size greatly increases power density, while their high level of integration decreases design complexity and time to market. The regulators’ controllers consume minimum quiescent current, allowing peak efficiencies of up to 97%. In data centres, the telecom infrastructure, and industrial applications, microBRICK regulators help lower energy consumption by more efficiently supplying power to FPGAs, ASICs, and SoC core power supplies.

Highly configurable, the regulators combine their wide input voltage ranges with adjustable output voltages down to 0.3V. In addition, the SiC931 features four programmable switching frequencies at 600kHz, 1MHz, 1.5MHz and 2MHz, while the SiC967 and SiC951 provide adjustable switching ranges from 100kHz to 2MHz and 300kHz to 1.5MHz, respectively. All three devices deliver an adjustable current limit, while the SiC931 features an adjustable soft start and the PMBus 1.3 compliant SiC951 supports sequential, tracking and simultaneous operation.

The regulator modules supply versatile solutions for various applications, including POL converters in servers, cloud computing, high-performance computing, and desktop computers; industrial automation, motor drives, and tools; surveillance systems; consumer electronics; and 5G telecom equipment. For these applications, the SiC951 and SiC967 present three operating modes: forced continuous conduction, ultrasonic, and power save. The SiC931 provides forced continuous conduction and power save modes. When the inductor current crosses zero in power-saving mode, the control scheme turns off the low-side MOSFET to deploy a diode emulation mode. The switching frequency reduces in proportion to load conditions. No minimum switching frequency limitation allows for the best possible efficiency at light loads.

The devices’ COT architecture delivers ultrafast transient response with minimum output capacitance and tight ripple regulation at very light loads. It also enables loop stability regardless of the type of output capacitor used, including low ESR ceramic capacitors. The regulators feature a robust protection feature set for reliable operation, output OVP and UVP, cycle by cycle OCP, SCP with auto retry, OTP, and a power good flag.