Challenges and future development trends of power module design

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Challenges and future development trends of power module design [Copy link]

　The power module is a development trend of the switching power supply. With the development of power supply technology, it is possible to realize modularization of the switching power supply. The power supply is very important in system design, because if the power supply is not good, it will lead to instability of the electronic equipment system. Let's discuss the design of the power module and briefly analyze the future development trend.

　　In recent years, the demand for power modules has continued to develop in the direction of high power density, high efficiency, high current and low voltage. The design of isolation modules mainly adopts traditional circuit topologies such as single-ended flyback, single-ended forward, forward-flyback combination, push-pull, bridge conversion, etc., and non-isolated modules use BUCK, BOOST, etc. Regarding high efficiency, in order to improve efficiency, various soft switching technologies can be combined, including passive lossless soft switching technology, active soft switching technology, such as ZVS/ZCS resonance, quasi-resonance, constant frequency zero switching technology, zero voltage, zero current conversion technology and synchronous rectification technology. Regarding high current, multi-phase conversion can be used to increase the output current.

　　In addition to developing new components and technologies, how to combine and optimize existing technologies to achieve high power density and high efficiency is also a major challenge in module power design. Taking brick power modules as an example, the current mainstream is 1/8 brick power modules. To further optimize 1/16 brick power module products, efficiency must be further improved.

　　In addition, the change of power supply products from 1/8 brick to 1/16 brick is not just a matter of volume. The change of a product involves many aspects. High power density puts forward higher requirements for R&D, production process, quality assurance, etc. How to reduce the volume of the product while maintaining high power output is a very difficult challenge.

　　At present, power modules have been miniaturized, but whether they can be made smaller is a great challenge to process and system design. In some system designs, there are restrictions on module height, and traditional power modules obviously cannot meet the requirements. Therefore, making the product thinner and having a thin power supply for each parameter is also a major challenge.

　　In the past, it was difficult to achieve high current because the product was too small and the current was too large. However, with the development of technology, many manufacturers have launched high current products, and the size is getting smaller and smaller. In terms of EMI, because electronic equipment is widely used and interference is becoming more and more serious, in order to reduce system noise and interference, high EMI must be improved.

　　In terms of improving efficiency and saving energy, from a circuit point of view, there are two aspects of loss that need to be considered: one is the MOS tube switch loss, and the other is the efficiency of battery conversion of the inductor as an energy storage device. These two parts of loss make it impossible for you to overcome the disadvantages of traditional power supplies, and it is difficult to achieve an efficiency of more than 94%. Because your MOS tube is not an ideal switch, and the inductor is not an ideal inductor, there will definitely be losses. In the future, product size, shape, efficiency, and EMI will be the primary challenges facing power supply development.

　　As electronic devices develop towards miniaturization, the space left for module power supplies is usually very limited, and some systems are even closed. Therefore, heat dissipation becomes the first issue to be considered. Improving power efficiency and reducing heat loss are related to the stable operation of the power module and affect the reliable operation of the entire system.

　　In the fields of railways, medical treatment, military industry, etc., the demand is increasing. Because of issues such as public transportation and personal safety, the first consideration is the high reliability and work safety of the module. The power module must be able to work normally for a long time under severe vibration or harsh environment, and no mistakes are allowed. This is a challenge for the technical development and production process of domestic power module manufacturers. Both development and production lines must be very reliable.

　　Power sequencing and tracking technology, designers have traditionally built separate on-board circuits to handle voltage sequencing issues, using many components and taking up a lot of space. Now some power supply manufacturers have integrated this technology into chips or modules to make it easier for system designers to complete the design.

　　With the continuous advancement of semiconductor process technology, the chips and components on PCB boards have higher functions, faster operation speeds, and smaller sizes, driving power management ICs to provide lower and more accurate voltages, larger currents, stricter voltage feedback accuracy, and higher efficiency performance. On the other hand, the application areas of power management ICs continue to expand and deepen, achieving better control functions, smarter control loops, faster dynamic response characteristics, and simpler peripheral layout designs. Therefore, simplified design, digital, modular, and intelligent power ICs are an inevitable development trend.

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