Work

High-Efficiency Wide-Bandwidth Boost Converter IC with Pulse-Skipped Switching and Gm-Boosted Compensation for Battery-Powered Portable Systems

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: High-efficiency power management is essential for silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based sensing systems, especially in portable radiation detectors that demand long battery life and stable operation. Conventional fixed-frequency, voltage-mode boost converters face two critical issues: efficiency degradation at light load due to dominant switching losses, and narrow loop bandwidth in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), which limits transient response. This work proposes a boost converter IC that integrates a pulse-skipped switching (PSS) scheme with a Gm-boosted compensator to address these challenges. The PSS method adaptively suppresses unnecessary switching events, significantly improving light-load efficiency, while the Gm-boosted compensator enhances loop gain, expanding the bandwidth and enabling faster recovery under dynamic conditions. Implemented in a 250 nm BCD process, the converter provides up to 30 V output from a 3.3–5 V supply with load currents up to 10 mA. Simulation results show a peak efficiency of 86.3% at 1 mA and a loop bandwidth increase of more than 14 times compared with a conventional fixed-frequency, voltage-mode design. Beyond radiation applications, the proposed converter is broadly applicable to battery-powered IoT, medical monitoring, and portable energy systems requiring efficient high-voltage generation.

Source: Energies

DOI: 10.3390/en18215575

Authors: Woojin Kim, Haejun Noh, Se-Un Shin, Hyuntak Jeon

Institutions: Chungbuk National University, Pohang University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Advanced DC-DC Converters

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137