TI Korea Launches 12V, 10A, 10MHz DC/DC Converter IC
Ultra-compact SWIFT™ step-down converter with unique topology

As regulations on energy ratings and demands to reduce power consumption intensify, semiconductor companies are facing increasing concerns. Developers are racking their brains over how to create highly efficient designs and how to achieve high power density within increasingly smaller design spaces.

The DC/DC converter IC released by TI (CEO Kent Tran) appears to be a solution that can significantly resolve the 'headaches' of these developers.


▲ TI Korea Director Cha Young-gil

TI Korea announced the release of the industry's first 12V, 10A, 10MHz series capacitor buck converter IC that provides a current density of over 50A/cm³.

Director Cha Young-gil of the company stated, “The Chinese government is paying such close attention to energy efficiency that it supports companies based on their products’ energy efficiency ratings,” adding, “As such, energy efficiency, integration, high voltage, and power density are becoming essential requirements for the power conversion trends desired by customers.”

First, Director Cha emphasized that TI's newly released TPS54A20 SWIFT™ synchronous DC/DC converter achieves four times higher power density performance compared to other currently available 12V power management devices or solutions.



In addition, the TPS54A20 features a switched capacitor circuit and a multi-phase buck It is equipped with a unique series capacitor DC/DC buck topology that integrates a converter. By applying this capacitive conversion technology, efficient high-frequency operation is possible, and it boasts a size that is seven times smaller than conventional converters.

This converter is available in a compact HotRod™ QFN (quad flat no-lead) package and can achieve a solution size of 131 mm² using small, cost-effective 2 MHz to 5 MHz inductors. Director Cha explained that this occupies 50% less area than a 500 kHz DC/DC converter design with similar specifications. With a height of less than 2 mm, a small 10 A voltage regulator can be mounted on the back of the PCB. This ultra-compact size offers significant advantages for devices in fields such as telecommunications, medical, and test, where designing becomes increasingly challenging due to space constraints.


▲ 2-phase, series capacitor buck converter circuit diagram.

High-frequency characteristics are also a notable feature of this product. The company applied a unique topology to this converter to enable high-speed switching operation of up to 5 MHz per phase, required for 8 V to 14 V input and 10 A output applications. It added that it did not use special magnetic components or compound semiconductors. It provides a 1.2 V output voltage for DDR (double-data-rate) 4 memory applications and is also targeting the SSD SoC market.

This synchronous DC/DC converter also offers the convenience of being able to use TI's WEBENCH® power design tool. In response to this, Director Cha stated, “Previously, engineers focused heavily on efficiency, size, and price, but nowadays, overseas engineers frequently request reports containing actual operational data. They are curious about factors such as frequency and current levels at the input and output terminals. TI’s WEBENCH can provide this data through simulation.”

For any further questions, you can ask on the TI E2E Community Power Management Forum. TI provides the 4MHz, 10A TPS54A20EVM-770 synchronous dual-phase converter evaluation module.