Ripamonti, GiacomoMichelis, StefanoFaccio, FedericoSaggini, StefanoKoukab, AdilKayal, Maher2019-06-182019-06-182019-06-182018-01-0110.1109/NEWCAS.2018.8585694https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/157428WOS:000458806300037The Large Hadron Collider experiments at CERN will use power distribution schemes relying on integrated buck DC/DC converters. Due to the radiation-hardness requirements, the devices used for the development of such converters will have a voltage rating which is close to the converters' input voltage. The voltage spikes generated during the hard-switching operation can affect the reliability of such low-voltage MOSFETs. A fixed and sufficiently small gate driver current for the high-side switch could be used to guarantee the reliable operation even in the worst-case conditions in terms of input voltage, output current, temperature and process variations. Nevertheless, this would result in a suboptimal efficiency in all the other working conditions. This work presents an integrated system than monitors in real-time the, voltage stress, and adjusts the gate driver current to achieve maximum efficiency in all conditions, while ensuring compliance with the reliability specifications. A buck converter including the, voltage peak detector and an adjustable gate driver current has been designed in a 130 nm technology, demonstrating the functionality of the voltage stress monitoring system.Engineering, Electrical & ElectronicEngineeringdc-dc power conversionintegrated circuit reliabilityhot-carrier degradationmodeltext::conference output::conference proceedings::conference paper