Power Management
Power management focuses on designing circuits that manage, process, and monitor the status of supplies and the transfer of power from a source to a load. Circuits that process power include linear regulators, switching converters, and charge pumps, while circuits that monitor power include undervoltage lockouts (UVLOs), power-on reset (POR), and brown-out detectors (BORs). These circuits can function as standalone blocks or be integrated into larger systems, for example, an LDO can be used independently or as part of a processing system such as a microcontroller.
Research in this field aims to improve the efficiency of power conversion systems and reduce their size by employing advanced topologies and emerging technologies. The work carried out by the Ampliph team covers both high-voltage BCD CMOS technologies and wide-bandgap materials like Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicone Carbide (SiC), with a focus on monolithic integration.
GaN
Contact person: Paul-Catalin MEDINCEANU
Overview: GaN is a wide-bandgap semiconductor that offers superior physical properties compared to Si and SiC. These advantages enable the design of power devices that can withstand high voltages while occupying a smaller die area than their Si counterparts. As a result, GaN devices exhibit lower parasitance, particularly gate and output capacitance. This reduction in capacitance allows for high-frequency switching, typically in the 500 kHz to 3 MHz range. However, at such frequencies, parasitic inductances (especially in packaging and PCB traces) can cause voltage overshoots that degrade device reliability. To address this, monolithic integration of the power switch and the driver circuitry is being researched by our team.
Published papers:
- Analysis of the Bootstrapped GaN Logic Gate Family
- An Overview of GaN Technology for Power Conversion Applications
- GaN Bootstrapped Logic Gates Analytical Modeling and Design Insights
Supporting research projects:
- Platforma Națională pentru Tehnologiile Semiconductorilor (National Platform for Semiconductor Technologies) – Development of a family of circuits based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices
SiC
Contact person: Andrei-Tudor GHEORGHE
Overview: SiC is a wide-bandgap semiconductor known for its exceptional thermal conductivity, high breakdown voltage, and fast switching capabilities compared to traditional silicon. These characteristics have enabled the development of discrete power devices that operate efficiently at higher voltages, currents, and switching frequencies. SiC devices typically exhibit lower conduction and switching losses, making them ideal for high-power, high-efficiency applications such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. The need for integrated control circuits and power switching has been identified and our team exploits the extended range of operation in temperature of this material with the outlook of creating monolithic solutions for specific harsh-environment applications like automotive, aerospace and drilling industries.
Published papers: –
Supporting research projects:
- Platforma Națională pentru Tehnologiile Semiconductorilor (National Platform for Semiconductor Technologies) – Development of a family of circuits based on Silicone Carbide (SiC) devices
Si CMOS
Contact person: Florin-Silviu DUMITRU
Overview:
Published papers: Power management in Si CMOS technologies referes not only to dedicated regulators and monitoring circuits, but also to SoC-level power management, where supply monitoring and regulation circuits play an important role in ensuring reliable system startup. CMOS remains the cost-effective option for general-purpose power applications, covering a wide range: from battery management in portable devices to motor control, LED lighting, and on-board chargers for automotive systems. While SOI, BCD and HV CMOS technologies cover the applications mentioned above, power management circuits must be designed in advanced nodes (FinFET, GAAFET technologies), where the analog performance of the devices is limited.
Supporting research projects: –
