Abstract
The last decade’s studies show that the PoL (point-of-load) converter’s output capacitor is an important component for reliability, implying that its careful selection may determine the overall converter’s failure rate and lifetime. PoL converters are commonly found in many electronic systems, usually as part of the Intermediate Bus Architecture (IBA). Their important requirements are a stable output voltage at load current variation, good temperature stability, a low output ripple voltage, high efficiency, and reliability. If the electronic system is portable, a small footprint and low volume are also important considerations. These were recently well accomplished with eGaN (enhancement gallium nitride) transistor technology, whose VUFoM (vertical unipolar figure of merit) is 1.48 compared to 1.00 for silicon. This ensures a higher converter power density (watts/area). This paper reviews the most-used capacitor technologies, highlighting the reliability of these components as part of the converter’s output filter by presenting original data related to their best performance. The test was set up with EPC’s eGaN FET transistor, which was enclosed within a 9059/30 V evaluation board with a 12 V input and 1.2 V output. Different output capacitor technologies were evaluated, and reliability was calculated based on measurements of the ripple of the output voltage and thermal scanning.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.