Development of a physically-based planar inductors VHDL-AMS model for integrated power converter design

¹ University of Tunis El Manar, ENIT, L.S.E – B.P. 37, Tunis Le Bélvédère 1002, Tunisia
² Université de Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Lab. Ampere, CNRS, Lyon-Villeurbanne 63100, France

^a tarek.bensalah@gmail.com

Received: 18 September 2013
Revised: 25 February 2014
Accepted: 1 April 2014
Published online: 5 June 2014

Abstract

Design of integrated power converters needs prototype-less approaches. Specific simulations are required for investigation and validation process. Simulation relies on active and passive device models. Models of planar devices, for instance, are still not available in power simulator tools. There is, thus, a specific limitation during the simulation process of integrated power systems. The paper focuses on the development of a physically-based planar inductor model and its validation inside a power converter during transient switching. The planar inductor model remains a complex device to model, particularly when the skin, the proximity and the parasitic capacitances effects are taken into account. Heterogeneous simulation scheme, including circuit and device models, is successfully implemented in VHDL-AMS language and simulated in Simplorer platform. The mixed simulation results has been favorably tested and compared with practical measurements. It is found that the multi-domain simulation results and measurements data are in close agreement.