High-and Low-Sides Asymmetric Deadtimes Generator for High-Efficiency Buck Converter Design

In this work, we present the design of an energy-efficient buck converter leveraging a new custom integrated reconfigurable Asymmetric Deadtime Generator (ADG). This design addresses the need for energy-efficient and high-power density power converter. The circuit features a programmable delay element providing a wide range of deadtime delays for different power conversion applications with various loads. Three main tunable parts are used in the circuit: a capacitive bank, a current source, and a Schmitt trigger. A complete buck converter is implemented using the fabricated custom integrated deadtime generator and off-the-shelf electronic components, such as GaN power switches. The performance of the chip and the buck converter are measured and reported. Experimental results show that the presented asymmetric deadtime generator can improve the converter's efficiency by as much as 12% for an input voltage of 12-V, an output voltage of 2.0-V, a load of 80-Omega, and an output current of 25-mA compared with a fixed deadtime controller.

Automated summary

This work presents the design of an energy-efficient buck converter using a custom integrated reconfigurable Asymmetric Deadtime Generator (ADG). The design addresses the need for energy-efficient and high-power density power converters, providing a wide range of deadtime delays for different power conversion applications with various loads. Experimental results show that the presented ADG can significantly improve the converter's efficiency.