Abstract
Two essential technologies for a 3D Solid State Drive (3D-SSD) with a boost converter are presented in this paper. The first topic is the spiral inductor design which determines the performance of the boost converter, and the second is the effect of TSV's on the boost converter. These techniques are very important in achieving a 3D-SSD with a boost converter. In the design of the inductor, the on-board inductor from 250nH to 320nH is the best design feature that meets all requirements, including high output voltage above 20V, fast rise time, low energy consumption, and area smaller than 25mm2. The use of a boost converter with the proposed inductor leads to a reduction of the energy consumption during the write operation of the proposed 1.8-V 3D-SSD by 68% compared with the conventional 3.3-V 3D-SSD with the charge pump. The feasibility of 3D-SSD's with Through Silicon Vias (TSV's) connections is also discussed. In order to maintain the advantages of the boost converter over the charge pump, the reduction of the parasitic resistance of TSV's is very important.