Hybrid resonant switched-capacitor dc–dc converters: from discrete prototypes to integrated solutions

The rapid growth of complex electronic systems with expanding functionality has driven rising energy demands across all sectors. At the same time, there is an increasing need to power these systems efficiently—whether through batteries, energy harvesting, or reduced operational and environmental costs. This creates a strong demand for DC-DC converters that combine high efficiency with low cost, compact size, and reduced weight. In modern DC-DC converter design, minimizing volume and mass is a key objective. Passive components, particularly inductors, dominate converter size, motivating operation at higher switching frequencies to reduce their dimensions. However, higher frequencies increase switching losses, presenting a critical design trade-off. This research addresses this challenge through combined optimization of device technology and circuit topology, with emphasis on Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors and integrated BCD technologies. This thesis explores novel non-isolated DC-DC converter architectures, comparing discrete GaN implementations with integrated solutions. A detailed investigation of Resonant Switched-Capacitor Converters (ReSCC) is presented, which leverage resonance loops to enable zero-voltage switching and improve efficiency over conventional switched-capacitor designs. Despite their benefits, ReSCCs are highly sensitive to component variations, limiting robustness in large-scale production. To overcome this limitation, we introduce Multi-Resonant Converters (MuReSCC), which employ a second resonance loop and exploit device parasitics to achieve inherent immunity to parameter variations without sensing or trimming circuits. Experimental GaN-based prototypes using planar PCB inductors demonstrate improved robustness and performance compared to single-resonant designs. Overall, this work advances high-efficiency, compact, and scalable power conversion technologies for next-generation electronic systems.