Programme:

Session 1: System Architectures compatible with PwrSoC
Organisers: Ed Stanford, Dragan Maksimovic, José Cobos
Potential application areas for on-chip or highly integrated power supplies include mobile/battery powered devices, microprocessor power supplies, power management for RF transmitters, energy harvesting, etc. This session addresses the key system-level issues brought out by power supply on chip and other power integration techniques. The session will also discuss the requirements, constraints and trade-offs (i.e. performance, cost, complexity) in such systems with a view to defining the potential benefits of power supply integration. Other issues to be discussed will include: suitable input voltages, single or 2-stage conversion, point of load, integration with load.

Session 2: Technologies and Devices to Enable PwrSoC
Organisers: John Shen, Ming Xu, John Blake, Bruno Allard
This session discusses active switching power devices suitable to facilitate various PwrSoC concepts, ranging from traditional BCDMOS to vertical/lateral hybrid devices and SOI RESURF devices. The focus will be on multi-MHz and RF operation, process compatibility, and special power electronics requirements such as SOA and energy capability of different CMOS-based device technologies.

Session 3: Open Forum Discussion – Power Supply on Chip Vs Power Supply in Package
Organisers: Francesco Carobolante, Jeff Shepard, Cian Ó Mathúna, Joe O’Callaghan
PwrSoC and PwrSiP offer various levels of freedom and constraints, but complexity and cost as well as thermal and EMC issues are formidable challenges. This open-forum discussion will discuss if true "Power Supply on a Chip" is ever going to succeed or whether the constraints of the PwrSoC concept are so great that "System in Package" is the only solution. Forum speakers will provide brief opening statements for discussion by the workshop participants.

Session 4: Integrated Passives – A) Magnetics and B) Capacitors
Organisers: Saibal Roy, Terence O’Donnell, Fred Roozeboom, Charles Sullivan, Masahiro Yamaguchi
Inductors and capacitors are key elements for any DC-DC converter. For power supply on chip, these passive components require novel and improved materials and integration techniques. In particular, multiMHz, soft magnetic materials and high dielectric constant (K) materials are needed to be deposited in a CMOS-compatible technique.

The issues to be addressed in this session include:

• Magnetic and capacitor integration - opportunities and challenges.
• Multi-MHz magnetics - thin film magnetics versus sintered ferrite vs air-core.
• Silicon compatible capacitor materials and technologies.
• Material compatibility issues for integration of passives on top of active silicon.

Session 5: Converter topologies and control systems for PwrSoC
Organisers: Dragan Maksimovic, Seth Sanders, Dave Perreault
This session addresses power train circuits and controller design for on-chip and other power supplies targeting miniaturization or integration with loads. The session will present the latest advances in converter circuit topologies, including high-frequency, multi-phase or multi-level configurations, resonant power converters operating at RF frequencies, switched-capacitor circuits, topologies that enable ultra-high density miniaturization etc., as well as control systems enabling efficient operation at high frequencies. Light load efficiency issues will also be considered in the context of battery performance in mobile applications.

Session 6: Monolithic Integration vs System in Package
Organisers: Francesco Carobolante, Paul McCloskey, Braham Ferreira
This session will discuss power supply integration in the context of the trade-offs between an "all-silicon" solution and a "discrete in a package" solution. The benefits and the limitations of the two solutions will be explored. Figures of merit will be considered to allow an objective characterisation of the two integration routes for specific applications. The session will also address issues of performance, efficiency, thermal management, EMC, reliability, cost and flexibility afforded by both implementations.

Session 7: Poster Session
Organisers: Saibal Roy, Maeve Duffy, Terence O’Donnell, Paul McCloskey, Ningning Wang, Fernando Rhen,Cian O’Mathuna  

• Open call for posters on topics covered in sessions 1-6
• Poster session also open to Invited speakers
• Contributed works will go through a screening process for selection in poster session
• Poster session will run through all Tea/Coffee breaks