The workshop will focus on the integration of electrical power converters for multiple applications, and address a broad range of technologies.  The complete integration on-die and integration within package are of prime interest.  System performance requirements demanded by present day and emerging applications require ever greater granularity in voltage and control, form factor reduction, efficiency, and cost reduction. A major challenge on the path to integration and form factor reduction of dc-dc converters is the difficulty of integrating the energy handling passive components utilizing conventional silicon processes.  The focal topics for this workshop are the strategies for addressing circuit and system approaches as well as advanced technologies for the design and manufacture of these passives. 

Dr.  Cian Ó Mathúna,of the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, has been researching and promoting magnetics on silicon technology for more than a decade presented a perspective on the recent growth of interest in the PwrSoC space.  “Over the last two years, we are seeing a significant increase in state and commercial investment. A number of market studies have appeared and both the U.S. ARPA-E and the EU Framework 7 program have made significant investment in PwrSoC research partnerships between academia and industry”. The Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Ireland has hosted two predecessor workshops in 2008 and 2010.

The General Chair for the workshop is UC Berkeley Prof. Seth Sanders,  one of the pioneers of Power Supply on Chip technology dating back to the mid-1990s. In welcoming the opportunity to host the workshop in San Franscisco, he stated that “this workshop will address the broader context of PwrSoC – as well as addressing the concept of board mounted dc-dc converters that replace linear regulators in terms of size and cost but with much higher efficiency.  The workshop will place particular emphasis on the concept of granular power delivery for large system on chip platforms, such as microprocessors, microcontrollers and DSP chips, where multiple independent power rails enhance system performance. PowerSoC ’12 is the only international technical workshop dedicated to advancing these important leading-edge power conversion technologies.”  

The Third International Workshop on Power Supply on Chip will follow the successful formula from the predecessor workshops with a single track of invited talks and posters. Because of the intense nature of this workshop, attendance will be limited to individuals actively involved with this emerging technology.  Please see http://powersoc2012.org/ for more information and registration.

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