Point-of-Load Converters: Status and Future

Abstract: Point-of-load (PoL) converters provide regulated power to modern processing loads. In this talk, we will discuss the challenging requirements that drive PoL converter design and the evolution of converter architectures. Through a survey of existing architectures, we will discuss industry trends and derive the key technologies driving academic research. We will identify directions for future converter research within the context of the Compute-Energy-Nexus.

Bio: Andrew Stillwell received dual B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering from University of Missouri, Columbia, MO in 2005. He spent seven years at National Instruments before arriving at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received M.S. and Ph.D degrees in electrical and computer engineering in 2015 and 2019 respectively. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include renewable energy applications, hybrid switched-capacitor converters, power electronics design optimization, high-density and high-efficiency power converters, and advanced control techniques for multilevel converters.