Transistor paradigm shift required to meet the power demands for microprocessors

The push for logic levels of one volt and below creates a need for the development of new power electronic circuits. Today´s power electronic circuits can only hope to meet an efficiency of 50% for tomorrow´s logic needs. Currently, a DC-DC power converter supply is placed adjacent to every Pentium^TM processor on every motherboard in order to meet the processor power and regulation requirements. The Intel spec for this DC-DC converter is known as the VRM (Voltage Regulator Module). Entire industries have been formed to meet this need for present motherboards and special power consortiums are forming to meet tomorrow´s needs. This has resulted in an explosion of new control ICs and MOSFETs from companies such as Motorola, Harris, TI, Fairchild, National, Linear Technology, Maxim, and International Rectifier. The paper addresses the transistor´s role in power needs for present and future logic levels. The subject matter includes powering Pentium processors for desktop PCs (5 VDC to 3.3 VDC converters) as well as the Merced^TM mainframe processor needs (48 to 3.3 VDC) to the several hundred amp logic levels of tomorrow´s mainframes. Included are references to design kits, Websites, and SPICE models for some of these power converters