A Nonlinear Average-Current-Controlled Multiphase Boost Converter With Monolithically Integrated Control and Low-Side Power Switches in 0.35- $\mu $ m HV CMOS for the Automotive Sector

This paper reports the first multiphase implementation based on the recently proposed nonlinear average current control (NACC) for power-factor-correction and dc-dc converters. A multiphase boost dc-dc converter with control and low-side power switches integrated on the same die using the 0.35-μm HV CMOS process is designed and introduced. The converter benefits from using analog current controllers that are very simple, insensitive to noise, and independent of converter and control design parameters. Multiphase operation effectively enables higher operating frequency (seen from the converter input and output), which in turn enables smaller reactive components to be selected. The converter is dedicated to supplying the electric vehicle auxiliary board net (12 V) from the photovoltaic cell stack input, allowing a maximum power of 40 W to be transferred at 500-kHz switching frequency of each phase (effectively at 1.5 MHz). Maximum power point tracking is performed as the converter global control at $\sim $ 7.5 kHz, while the inner control loops are based on NACC. Suitability of such hybrid converters for integration with active solar cells makes them favorable to be used as a solar range extender for electric/hybrid vehicles, making this a step forward toward a complete system miniaturization of solar regenerative energy solutions in automotive applications-solar-module-integrated dc-dc converters. Experimental measurements performed with a converter prototype including a chip based on 0.35-μm HV triple-well CMOS technology verify the proposed multiphase operation and NACC control method.