MAXIM MAX8791GTA+

19-0628; Rev 1; 11/06
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
The MAX8791 is a single-phase synchronous noninverting MOSFET driver. The MAX8791 is intended to
work with controller ICs like the MAX8736 or MAX8786,
in multiphase notebook CPU core regulators.
The regulators can either step down directly from the
battery voltage to create the core voltage, or step down
from the main system supply. The single-stage conversion method allows the highest possible efficiency, while
the 2-stage conversion at higher switching frequency
provides the minimum possible physical size.
The low-side driver is optimized to drive 3nF capacitive
loads with 4ns/8ns typical fall/rise times, and the highside driver with 8ns/10ns typical fall/rise times. Adaptive
dead-time control prevents shoot-through currents and
maximizes converter efficiency.
The MAX8791 is available in a small, lead-free, 8-pin,
3mm x 3mm TQFN package.
Features
♦ Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
♦ 0.5Ω Low-Side On-Resistance
♦ 0.7Ω High-Side On-Resistance
♦ 8ns Propagation Delay
♦ 15ns Minimum Guaranteed Dead Time
♦ Integrated Boost “Diode”
♦ 2V to 24V Input Voltage Range
♦ Selectable Pulse-Skipping Mode
♦ Low-Profile TQFN Package
Ordering Information
Applications
Notebooks/Desktops/Servers
CPU Core Power Supplies
Multiphase Step-Down Converters
PART
TEMP
RANGE
PINPACKAGE
PKG
CODE
MAX8791GTA+
-40oC to
+105oC
8 TQFN
3mm x 3mm
TQ833+1
+Denotes lead-free package.
Typical Operating Circuit
Pin Configuration
DH
MAX8791
BST
LX
5
LX 7
VOUT (1.45V
AT 20A)
4 DL
MAX8791
DH 8
3 GND
+
VDD
DL
GND
PAD
1
2
PWM
+5V BIAS
SUPPLY
6
BST
PWM SKIP
SKIP
VDD
TOP VIEW
PWM
SKIP
INPUT (VIN)*
5V TO 24V
TQFN
3mm × 3mm
________________________________________________________________ Maxim Integrated Products
For pricing, delivery, and ordering information, please contact Maxim/Dallas Direct! at
1-888-629-4642, or visit Maxim’s website at www.maxim-ic.com.
1
MAX8791
General Description
MAX8791
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS
VDD to GND...............…………………….………….. -0.3V to +6V
SKIP to GND..................………………………………-0.3V to +6V
PWM to GND ................……………………………….-0.3V to +6V
DL to GND ..................................................-0.3V to (VDD + 0.3V)
BST to GND ............................................................-0.3V to +36V
DH to LX ....................................................-0.3V to (VBST + 0.3V)
BST to VDD .............................................................-0.3V to +30V
BST to LX ................…………………………………...-0.3V to +6V
Continuous Power Dissipation
8-Pin 3mm x 3mm TQFN
(derate 23.8mW/°C above +70°C) .............................1904mW
Operating Temperature Range .........................-40°C to +105°C
Junction Temperature ......................................................+150°C
Storage Temperature Range .............................-65°C to +150°C
Lead Temperature (soldering 10s) ..................................+300°C
Stresses beyond those listed under “Absolute Maximum Ratings” may cause permanent damage to the device. These are stress ratings only, and functional
operation of the device at these or any other conditions beyond those indicated in the operational sections of the specifications is not implied. Exposure to
absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect device reliability.
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
(Circuit of Figure 1, VDD = SKIP = 5V, TA = -40°C to +105°C, unless otherwise noted. Typical values are at TA = +25°C.) (Note 1)
PARAMETER
Input Voltage Range
VDD Undervoltage
Lockout Threshold
Quiescent Supply
Current (VDD)
SYMBOL
CONDITIONS
VDD
VUVLO(VDD)
IDD
MIN
TYP
4.20
Rising edge, PWM disabled below this level
Falling edge, PWM disabled below this level
MAX
UNITS
5.50
V
3.7
3.0
3.5
4.0
PWM = open; after the shutdown hold time has expired
0.08
0.2
SKIP = GND, PWM = GND,
LX = GND (after zero crossing)
0.25
0.5
SKIP = GND or VDD, PWM = VDD, VBST = 5V
0.6
1.5
V
mA
DRIVERS
tON(MIN)
Minimum on-time
50
tOFF(MIN)
Minimum off-time
300
DL Propagation Delay
tPWM-DL
PWM high to DL low
10
ns
DH Propagation Delay
tPWM-DH
PWM low to DH low
14
ns
PWM Pulse Width
DL-to-DH Dead Time
tDL-DH
DL falling to DH rising
DH-to-DL Dead Time
tDH-DL
DH falling to DL rising
DL Transition Time
DH Transition Time
TA = -40°C to +105°C
15
TA = 0°C to +85°C
15
TA = -40°C to +105°C
15
12
Rising, 3.0nF load
14
tF_DH
Falling, 3.0nF load
8
tR_DH
Rising, 3.0nF load
10
RON(DL)
Boost On-Resistance
2
IDL_SINK
VZX
RON(BST)
ns
ns
DH, high state (pullup)
0.9
2.5
0.7
2.3
DL, high state (pullup)
0.7
1.8
DL, low state (pulldown)
0.5
1.2
DH forced to 2.5V, BST - LX forced to 5V
DL Driver Source Current IDL_SOURCE DL forced to 2.5V
Zero-Crossing Threshold
ns
DH, low state (pulldown)
BST-LX forced to 5V
IDH_SOURCE DH forced to 2.5V, BST - LX forced to 5V
IDH_SINK
ns
30
Falling, 3.0nF load
DL Driver On-Resistance
DL Driver Sink Current
30
tF_DL
RON(DH)
DH Driver Sink Current
15
tR_DL
DH Driver On-Resistance
DH Driver Source Current
TA = 0°C to +85°C
ns
2.2
Ω
Ω
A
2.7
A
2.7
A
DL forced to 2.5V
8
A
GND - LX, SKIP = GND
3
mV
VDD = 5V, DH = LX = GND (pulldown state), IBST = 10mA
5
_______________________________________________________________________________________
12
Ω
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
(Circuit of Figure 1, VDD = SKIP = 5V, TA = -40°C to +105°C, unless otherwise noted. Typical values are at TA = +25°C.) (Note 1)
PARAMETER
SYMBOL
CONDITIONS
PWM Input Levels
MIN
TYP
High (DH = high; DL = low)
VDD 0.4
Midlevel
VDD / 2
- 0.4
Low (DH = low; DL = high)
PWM Input Current
IPWM
Midlevel Shutdown Hold
Time
tMID
ISKIP
Thermal-Shutdown
Threshold
TSHDN
VDD / 2
+ 0.4
V
Source; PWM forced to GND
-400
-200
-80
80
+200
400
120
300
600
1.7
2.4
Rising edge
SKIP Input Current
UNITS
0.4
Sink; PWM forced to VDD
SKIP Input Threshold
MAX
Falling edge
0.8
1.5
Sink; SKIP forced to 0.8V to VDD, TA = +25°C
-4
-2
Hysteresis = 20°C
µA
ns
V
-0.5
µA
+160
°C
Note 1: Limits are 100% production tested at TA = +25°C. Maximum and minimum limits over temperature are guaranteed through
correlation using statistical-quality-control (SQC) methods.
Typical Operating Characteristics
(Circuit of Figure 1, VDD = 5V, CDH = 3nF, CDL = 3nF, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
PACKAGE-POWER DISSIPATION
vs. CAPACITIVE LOAD ON DH AND DL
350
A
150
100
PD (mW)
200
PD (mW)
C
400
B
300
B
250
200
150
A
100
50
A: CDH = 3.3nF; CDL = 3.3nF
B: CDH = 1.5nF; CDL = 6.8nF
0
0
200
400
600
800 1000
PWM FREQUENCY (kHz)
A: 300kHz
B: 600kHz
C: 1MHz
50
0
1200
1000
2500
4000 5500 7000
CAPACITANCE (pF)
30
8500 10,000
MAX8791 toc03
250
450
25
RISE AND FALL TIME (ns)
500
MAX8791 toc01
300
DL RISE AND FALL TIMES
vs. CAPACITIVE LOAD
MAX8791 toc02
PACKAGE-POWER DISSIPATION
vs. PWM FREQUENCY
RISE TIME
20
15
10
FALL TIME
5
CDL = CDH
0
1000
2500
4000 5500 7000
CAPACITANCE (pF)
8500 10,000
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3
MAX8791
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
(Circuit of Figure 1, VDD = 5V, CDH = 3nF, CDL = 3nF, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
DH AND DL RISE AND FALL TIMES
vs. TEMPERATURE
25
20
FALL TIME
15
10
35
A
30
40
DH RISE
25
DH FALL
20
20
DL IS DRIVING 2 SI7336ADP
DH IS DRIVING 1 SI7892ADP
CDL = CDH
10
0
1000
2500
4000 5500 7000
CAPACITANCE (pF)
-40
8500 10,000
-15
A: CDH = 3.3nF; CDL = 3.3nF
B: CDH = 1.5nF; CDL = 6.8nF
10
35
60
TEMPERATURE (°C)
85
110
0
200
400
600
800 1000
PWM FREQUENCY (kHz)
TYPICAL APPLICATION CIRCUIT
SWITCHING WAVEFORMS
MAX8791 toc07
16
PROPOGATION DELAY TIME (ns)
10
0
PROPAGATION DELAY TIME
vs. TEMPERATURE
PWM FALL TO DH FALL
15
30
DL FALL
15
5
B
50
IDD (mW)
RISE TIME
30
DL RISE
RISE AND FALL TIME (ns)
35
60
MAX8791 toc05
40
MAX8791 toc04
40
PACKAGE-POWER DISSIPATION
vs. PWM FREQUENCY
14
MAX8791 toc08
5V/div
VPWM
13
12
VLX
10V/div
VDL
5V/div
VDH
20V/div
11
PWM RISE TO DL FALL
10
9
8
-40
-15
10
35
60
TEMPERATURE (°C)
85
110
100ns/div
DH RISE AND DL FALL WAVEFORMS
DH FALL AND DL RISE WAVEFORMS
MAX8791 toc10
MAX8791 toc09
5V/div
VPWM
VLX
VDL
20ns/div
4
5V/div
VPWM
10V/div
VLX
5V/div
VDL
10V/div
VDH
MAX8791 toc06
DH RISE AND FALL TIMES
vs. CAPACITIVE LOAD
RISE AND FALL TIME (ns)
MAX8791
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
10V/div
5V/div
10V/div
VDH
20ns/div
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1200
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
(Circuit of Figure 1, VDD = 5V, CDH = 3nF, CDL = 3nF, TA = +25°C, unless otherwise noted.)
SWITCHING WAVEFORMS
(PWM = HIGH TO MID TO HIGH)
SWITCHING WAVEFORMS
(PWM = MID TO LOW TO MID)
MAX8791 toc12
MAX8791 toc11
VPWM
5V
5V/div
0
VDL
5V
5V/div
0
VLX
0
10V/div
VDH
0
10V/div
5V
5V/div
0
VPWM
VDL
0
5V/div
10V
10V/div
0
VLX
15V
VDH
10V/div
0
Pin Description
PIN
NAME
FUNCTION
1
BST
Boost Flying-Capacitor Connection. Gate-drive power supply for DH high-side gate driver. Connect a 0.1µF or
0.22µF capacitor between BST and LX.
2
PWM
PWM Input Pin. Noninverting DH control input from the controller IC:
Logic high: DH = high (BST), DL = low (PGND).
Midlevel: After the midlevel hold time expires, the controller enters standby mode. DH and DL pulled low.
Logic low: DH = low (LX), DL = high (VDD) when SKIP = high.
Internal pullup and pulldown resistors create the midlevel and prevent the controller from triggering an on-time if
this input is left unconnected (not soldered properly) or driven by a high impedance.
3
GND
Power Ground for the DL Gate Drivers and Analog Ground. Connect exposed pad to GND.
4
DL
PWM Low-Side Gate-Driver Output. Swings between GND and VDD. DL forced high in shutdown.
5
VDD
Supply Voltage Input for the DL Gate Drivers. Connect to 4.2V to 5.5V supply and bypass to GND with a 1µF
ceramic capacitor.
6
SKIP
Pulse-Skipping Mode Pin. Enable pulse-skipping mode (zero-crossing comparator enabled) when the driver is
operating in SKIP mode:
SKIP = VDD PWM mode
SKIP = GND SKIP mode
An internal pulldown current pulls the controller into the low-power pulse-skipping state if this input is left
unconnected (not soldered properly) or driven by a high impedance.
7
LX
Switching Node and Inductor Connection. Low-power supply for the DH high-side gate driver. LX connects to
the skip-mode zero-crossing comparator.
8
DH
External High-Side nMOSFET Gate-Driver Output. Swings between LX and BST.
—
EP
Exposed Pad. Connect to ground through multiple vias to reduce the thermal impedance.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5
MAX8791
Typical Operating Characteristics (continued)
MAX8791
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
PWM
DH
BST
PWM
SKIP
SKIP
MAX8791
LX
DL
+5V BIAS
SUPPLY
VDD
CDH
3nF
CBST
0.1μF
CDL
3nF
GND
C1
1.0μF
PAD
Figure 1. Test Circuit
tPWM-DH
tPWM-DL
tMID
tPWM-DL
tMID
PWM
tF_DL
tR_DL
tF_DL
tR_DL
DL
tDH-DL
tDL-DH
DH
tR_DH
tR_DH
tR_DH
tR_DH
tPWM-DH
Figure 2. Timing Diagram
6
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
MAX8791
INPUT (VIN)
PWM
SKIP
PWM
DH
SKIP
BST
MAX8791
+5V BIAS
SUPPLY
CIN
2x 10μF
NH
L1
0.36μH
CBST
0.22μF
LX
OUTPUT (VOUT)
COUT
2x 330μF
6mΩ
VDD
CVDD
1.0μF
DL
NL
DL
GND
PAD
Figure 3. Typical MOSFET-Driver Application Circuit
Table 1. Typical Components
DESIGNATION
QTY
COMPONENT SUPPLIERS
NH
1 per phase
Siliconix Si4860DY
NL
1–2 per phase
Siliconix Si4336DY
BST Capacitor (CBST)
Schottky Diode
1 per phase
Optional
Inductor (L1)
1 per phase
0.1µF or 0.22µF ceramic capacitor
3A, 40V Schottky diode
0.36µH, 26A, 0.9mΩ power inductor
Output Capacitors (COUT)
1–2 per phase
330µF, 6mΩ per phase
Input Capacitors (CIN)
1–2 per phase
10µF, 25V X5R ceramic capacitors
Detail Description
The MAX8791 single-phase gate driver, along with the
MAX8736 or MAX8786 multiphase controllers, provide
flexible multiphase CPU core-voltage supplies. The low
driver resistance allows up to 7A output peak current.
Each MOSFET driver in the MAX8791 is capable of driving 3nF capacitive loads with only 9ns propagation
delay and 4ns/8ns (typ) fall/rise times, allowing operation up to 3MHz per phase. Larger capacitive loads are
allowable but result in longer propagation and transition
times. Adaptive dead-time control prevents shootthrough currents and maximizes converter efficiency
while allowing operation with a variety of MOSFETs and
PWM controllers. An input undervoltage lockout (UVLO)
circuit allows proper power-on sequencing.
PWM Input
The drivers for the MAX8791 are disabled—DH and DL
pulled low—if the PWM input remains in the midlevel
window for at least 300ns (typ). Once the PWM signal is
driven high or low, the MAX8791 immediately exits the
low-current shutdown state and resumes active operation. Outside the shutdown state, the drivers are
enabled based on the rising and falling thresholds
specified in the Electrical Characteristics.
MOSFET Gate Drivers (DH, DL)
The high-side driver (DH) has a 0.9Ω sourcing resistance and 0.7Ω sinking resistance, resulting in 2.2A
peak sourcing current and 2.7A peak sinking current
with a 5V supply voltage. The low-side driver (DL) has a
typical 0.7Ω sourcing resistance and 0.3Ω sinking
resistance, yielding 2.7A peak sourcing current and 8A
peak sinking current. This reduces switching losses,
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7
MAX8791
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
VDD
BST
PWM
DRV
DH
DRIVER LOGIC
AND
DEAD-TIME
CONTROL
THERMAL SHUTDOWN
LX
UVLO
DRV#
VDD
SKIP
DL
LX
GND
ZX DETECTION
PAD
Figure 4. Overview Block Diagram
making the MAX8791 ideal for both high-frequency and
high output-current applications.
Adaptive Shoot-Through Protection
The DH and DL drivers are optimized for driving moderately sized high-side and larger low-side power
MOSFETs. This is consistent with the low duty factor
seen in the notebook CPU environment, where a large
VIN - VOUT differential exists. Two adaptive dead-time
circuits monitor the DH and DL outputs and prevent the
opposite-side FET from turning on until the other is fully
off. The MAX8791 constantly monitors the low-side driver output (DL) voltage, and only allows the high-side
driver to turn on only when DL drops below the adaptive threshold. Similarly, the controller monitors the
high-side driver output (DH), and prevents the low side
from turning on until DH falls below the adaptive threshold before allowing DL to turn on.
The adaptive driver dead time allows operation without
shoot-through with a wide range of MOSFETs, minimizing delays and maintaining efficiency. There must be a
low-resistance, low-inductance path from the DL and
DH drivers to the MOSFET gates for the adaptive dead8
time circuits to work properly; otherwise, the sense circuitry in the MAX8791 interprets the MOSFET gates as
off while charge actually remains. Use very short, wide
traces (50 mils to 100 mils wide if the MOSFET is 1in
from the driver).
Internal Boost Switch
The MAX8791 uses a bootstrap circuit to generate the
necessary drive voltage to fully enhance the high-side
n-channel MOSFET. The internal p-channel MOSFET
creates an ideal diode, providing a low voltage drop
between VDD and BST.
The selected high-side MOSFET determines appropriate
boost capacitance values (CBST in Figure 1), according
to the following equation:
CBST = QGATE / ΔVBST
where QGATE is the total gate charge of the high-side
MOSFET and ΔVBST is the voltage variation allowed on
the high-side MOSFET driver. Choose ΔVBST = 0.1V to
0.2V when determining CBST. The boost flying capacitor
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
5V Bias Supply (VDD)
VDD provides the supply voltage for the internal logic circuits. Bypass VDD with a 1µF or larger ceramic capacitor to GND to limit noise to the internal circuitry. Connect
these bypass capacitors as close as possible to the IC.
Input Undervoltage Lockout
When VDD is below the UVLO threshold, DH and DL
are held low. Once VDD is above the UVLO threshold
and while PWM is low, DL is driven high and DH is
driven low. This prevents the output of the converter
from rising before a valid PWM signal is applied.
Low-Power Pulse Skipping
The MAX8791 enters into low-power pulse-skipping
mode when SKIP is pulled low. In skip mode, an inherent
automatic switchover to pulse-frequency modulation
(PFM) takes place at light loads. A zero-crossing comparator truncates the low-side switch on-time at the
inductor current’s zero crossing. The comparator senses
the voltage across LX and GND. Once V LX - V GND
drops below the zero-crossing comparator threshold
(see the Electrical Characteristics ), the comparator
forces DL low. This mechanism causes the threshold
between pulse-skipping PFM and nonskipping PWM
operation to coincide with the boundary between continuous and discontinuous inductor-current operation.
The PFM/PWM crossover occurs when the load current
of each phase is equal to 1/2 the peak-to-peak ripple
current, which is a function of the inductor value. For a
battery input range of 7V to 20V, this threshold is relatively constant, with only a minor dependence on the
input voltage due to the typically low duty cycles. The
switching waveforms may appear noisy and asynchronous when light loading activates the pulse-skipping
operation, but this is a normal operating condition that
results in high light-load efficiency.
Applications Information
Power-MOSFET Selection
Most of the following MOSFET guidelines focus on the
challenge of obtaining high load-current capability
when using high-voltage (> 20V) AC adapters. Lowcurrent applications usually require less attention. The
high-side MOSFET (NH) must be able to dissipate the
resistive losses plus the switching losses at both
V IN(MIN) and V IN(MAX) . Calculate both these sums.
Ideally, the losses at VIN(MIN) should be roughly equal
to losses at VIN(MAX), with lower losses in between. If
the losses at VIN(MIN) are significantly higher than the
losses at VIN(MAX), consider increasing the size of NH
(reducing RDS(ON) but increasing CGATE). Conversely,
if the losses at VIN(MAX) are significantly higher than the
losses at VIN(MIN), consider reducing the size of NH
(increasing RDS(ON) but reducing CGATE). If VIN does
not vary over a wide range, the minimum power dissipation occurs where the resistive losses equal the
switching losses. Choose a low-side MOSFET that has
the lowest possible on-resistance (RDS(ON)), comes in
a moderate-sized package (i.e., one or two 8-pin SOs,
DPAK, or D2PAK), and is reasonably priced. Ensure
that the DL gate driver can supply sufficient current to
support the gate charge and the current injected into
the parasitic gate-to-drain capacitor caused by the
high-side MOSFET turning on; otherwise, cross-conduction problems can occur.
MOSFET Power Dissipation
Worst-case conduction losses occur at the duty factor
extremes. For the high-side MOSFET (NH), the worstcase power dissipation due to resistance occurs at the
minimum input voltage:
2
⎛V
⎞⎛ I
⎞
PD (NH RESISTIVE) = ⎜ OUT ⎟ ⎜ LOAD ⎟ RDS(ON)
V
η
⎝ IN ⎠ ⎝ TOTAL ⎠
where ηTOTAL is the total number of phases. Generally,
a small high-side MOSFET is desired to reduce switching losses at high input voltages. However, the RDS(ON)
required to stay within package-power dissipation often
limits how small the MOSFETs can be. Again, the optimum occurs when the switching losses equal the conduction (RDS(ON)) losses. High-side switching losses
do not usually become an issue until the input is
greater than approximately 15V.
Calculating the power dissipation in high-side
MOSFETs (NH) due to switching losses is difficult since
it must allow for difficult quantifying factors that influence the turn-on and turn-off times. These factors
include the internal gate resistance, gate charge,
threshold voltage, source inductance, and PCB layout
characteristics.
The following switching-loss calculation provides only a
very rough estimate and is no substitute for prototype
evaluation, preferably including verification using a
thermocouple mounted on NH:
⎛ VIN(MAX)ILOADfSW ⎞ ⎛ QG(SW) ⎞
PD (NH SWITCHING) = ⎜
⎟⎜
⎟+
nTOTAL
⎝
⎠ ⎝ IGATE ⎠
COSSVIN2fSW
2
_______________________________________________________________________________________
9
MAX8791
should be a low equivalent-series resistance (ESR)
ceramic capacitor.
MAX8791
Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
where COSS is the NH MOSFET’s output capacitance,
QG(SW) is the charge needed to turn on the high-side
MOSFET, and IGATE is the peak gate-drive source/sink
current (5A typ).
where PD(IC) is the power dissipated by the device,
and ΘJA is the package’s thermal resistance. The typical thermal resistance is 42°C/W for the 3mm x 3mm
TQFN package.
Switching losses in the high-side MOSFET can become
an insidious heat problem when maximum AC adapter
voltages are applied due to the squared term in the
switching-loss equation above. If the high-side MOSFET
chosen for adequate RDS(ON) at low battery voltages
becomes extraordinarily hot when biased from VIN(MAX),
consider choosing another MOSFET with lower parasitic
capacitance.
For the low-side MOSFET (NL), the worst-case power
dissipation always occurs at the maximum input voltage:
Avoiding dV/dt Turning on the
Low-Side MOSFET
2
⎡ ⎛ V
⎞⎤ ⎛ I
⎞
PD (NL RESISTIVE) = ⎢1 − ⎜ OUT ⎟ ⎥ ⎜ LOAD ⎟ RDS(ON)
⎢⎣ ⎝ VIN(MAX) ⎠ ⎥⎦ ⎝ ηTOTAL ⎠
The worst case for MOSFET power dissipation occurs
under heavy load conditions that are greater than
ILOAD(MAX), but are not quite high enough to exceed
the current limit and cause the fault latch to trip. The
MOSFETs must have a good-sized heatsink to handle
the overload power dissipation. The heat sink can be a
large copper field on the PCB or an externally mounted
device.
An optional Schottky diode only conducts during the
dead time when both the high-side and low-side
MOSFETs are off. Choose a Schottky diode with a
forward voltage low enough to prevent the low-side
MOSFET body diode from turning on during the dead
time, and a peak current rating higher than the peak
inductor current. The Schottky diode must be rated to
handle the average power dissipation per switching
cycle. This diode is optional and can be removed if efficiency is not critical.
IC Power Dissipation and
Thermal Considerations
Power dissipation in the IC package comes mainly from
driving the MOSFETs. Therefore, it is a function of both
switching frequency and the total gate charge of the
selected MOSFETs. The total power dissipation when
both drivers are switching is given by:
At high input voltages, fast turn-on of the high-side
MOSFET can momentarily turn on the low-side MOSFET
due to the high dV/dt appearing at the drain of the lowside MOSFET. The high dV/dt causes a current flow
through the Miller capacitance (CRSS) and the input
capacitance (CISS) of the low-side MOSFET. Improper
selection of the low-side MOSFET that results in a high
ratio of CRSS/CISS makes the problem more severe. To
avoid this problem, minimize the ratio of CRSS/CISS
when selecting the low-side MOSFET. Adding a 1Ω to
4.7Ω resistor between BST and C BST can slow the
high-side MOSFET turn-on. Similarly, adding a small
capacitor from the gate to the source of the high-side
MOSFET has the same effect. However, both methods
work at the expense of increased switching losses.
Layout Guidelines
The MAX8791 MOSFET driver sources and sinks large
currents to drive MOSFETs at high switching speeds.
The high di/dt can cause unacceptable ringing if the
trace lengths and impedances are not well controlled.
The following PCB layout guidelines are recommended
when designing with the MAX8791:
1) Place all decoupling capacitors as close as possible to their respective IC pins.
2) Minimize the length of the high-current loop from
the input capacitor, the upper switching MOSFET,
and the low-side MOSFET back to the input-capacitor
negative terminal.
3) Provide enough copper area at and around the
switching MOSFETs and inductors to aid in thermal
dissipation.
4) Connect GND of the MAX8791 as close as possible
to the source of the low-side MOSFETs.
A sample layout is available in the MAX8786 evaluation kit.
PD(IC) = IBIAS × 5V
where IBIAS is the bias current of the 5V supply calculated in the 5V Bias Supply (VDD) section. The rise in
die temperature due to self-heating is given by the
following formula:
Chip Information
TRANSISTOR COUNT: 1228
PROCESS: BiCMOS
ΔTJ = Θ JA × PD(IC)
10
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Single-Phase Synchronous MOSFET Driver
12x16L QFN THIN.EPS
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implied. Maxim reserves the right to change the circuitry and specifications without notice at any time.
Maxim Integrated Products, 120 San Gabriel Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-737-7600 ____________________ 11
© 2006 Maxim Integrated Products
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is a registered trademark of Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
MAX8791
Package Information
(The package drawing(s) in this data sheet may not reflect the most current specifications. For the latest package outline information
go to www.maxim-ic.com/packages.)