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LM27402
SNVS615K –JANUARY 2010–REVISED FEBRUARY 2018
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Layout Guidelines (continued)
– Loop 2. The second important loop is the path from the low-side MOSFET through inductor and output
capacitor(s), and back to source of the low-side MOSFET through ground. Connect source of the low-side
MOSFET and negative terminal of the output capacitor(s) at ground as close as possible. Refer to loop 2
of Figure 48.
3. The PCB trace defined as SW node, which connects to the source of the high-side (control) MOSFET, the
drain of the low-side (synchronous) MOSFET and the high-voltage side of the inductor, must be short and
wide. However, the SW connection is a source of injected EMI and thus must not be too large.
4. Follow any layout considerations of the MOSFETs as recommended by the MOSFET manufacturer, including
pad geometry and solder paste stencil design.
5. The SW pin connects to the switch node of the power conversion stage, and it acts as the return path for the
high-side gate driver. The parasitic inductance inherent to loop 1 in Figure 48 and the output capacitance
(COSS) of both power MOSFETs form a resonant circuit that induces high frequency (>100 MHz) ringing on
the SW node. The voltage peak of this ringing, if not controlled, can be significantly higher than the input
voltage. Ensure that the peak ringing amplitude does not exceed the absolute maximum rating limit for the
SW pin. In many cases, a series resistor and capacitor snubber network connected from the SW node to
GND damps the ringing and decreases the peak amplitude. Provide provisions for snubber network
components in the printed circuit board layout. If testing reveals that the ringing amplitude at the SW pin is
excessive, then include snubber components.
10.1.2 Gate Drive Layout
The LM27402 high- and low-side gate drivers incorporate short propagation delays, adaptive deadtime control
and low-impedance output stages capable of delivering large peak currents with very fast rise and fall times to
facilitate rapid turn-on and turn-off transitions of the power MOSFETs. Very high di/dt can cause unacceptable
ringing if the trace lengths and impedances are not well controlled.
Minimization of stray/parasitic loop inductance is key to optimizing gate drive switching performance, whether it
be series gate inductance that resonates with MOSFET gate capacitance or common source inductance
(common to gate and power loops) that provides a negative feedback component opposing the gate drive
command, thereby increasing MOSFET switching times. The following loops are important:
• Loop 3: high-side MOSFET, Q1. During the high-side MOSFET turn on, high current flows from the boot
capacitor through the gate driver and high-side MOSFET, and back to negative terminal of the boot capacitor
through the SW connection. Conversely, to turn off the high-side MOSFET, high current flows from gate of the
high-side MOSFET through the gate driver and SW, and back to source of the high-side MOSFET through
the SW trace. Refer to loop 3 of Figure 48.
• Loop 4: low-side MOSFET, Q2. During the low-side MOSFET turn on, high current flows from VDD
decoupling capacitor through the gate driver and low-side MOSFET, and back to negative terminal of the
capacitor through ground. Conversely, to turn off the low-side MOSFET, high current flows from gate of the
low-side MOSFET through the gate driver and GND, and back to source of the low-side MOSFET through
ground. Refer to loop 4 of Figure 48.
The following circuit layout guidelines are strongly recommended when designing with high-speed MOSFET gate
drive circuits.
1. Connections from gate driver outputs, HG and LG, to the respective gate of the high-side or low-side
MOSFET should be as short as possible to reduce series parasitic inductance. Use 0.65 mm (25 mils) or
wider traces. Use via(s), if necessary, of at least 0.5 mm (20 mils) diameter along these traces. Route HG
and SW gate traces as a differential pair from the LM27403 to the high-side MOSFET, taking advantage of
flux cancellation.
2. Minimize the current loop path from the VDD and CBOOT pins through their respective capacitors as these
provide the high instantaneous current to charge the MOSFET gate capacitances. Specifically, locate the
bootstrap capacitor, CBOOT, close to the LM27402's CBOOT and SW pins to minimize the area of loop 3
associated with the high-side driver. Similarly, locate the VDD capacitor, CVDD, close to the LM27402's VDD
and GND pins to minimize the area of loop 4 associated with the low-side driver.
3. Placing a 2-Ωto 10-ΩBOOT resistor in series with the BOOT capacitor slows down the high-side MOSFET
turn-on transition, serving to reduce the voltage ringing and peak amplitude at the SW node at the expense
of increased MOSFET turn-on power loss.