Integrated high side gate driver structure and circuit for driving high side power transistors

A class D amplifier output stage comprising:

• an integrated high side gate driver structure for driving a power transistor, including:
• a semiconductor substrate comprising a first polarity semiconductor material in which a first well diffusion is formed,
• the first well diffusion comprising a second polarity semiconductor material and having a peripheral outer wall abutted to the semiconductor substrate,
• a second well diffusion comprising first polarity semiconductor material arranged inside the first well diffusion such that an outer peripheral wall of the second well diffusion is abutted to an inner peripheral wall of the first well diffusion;
• a gate driver comprising a high side positive supply voltage port, a high side negative supply voltage port, a driver input and a driver output,
• wherein the gate driver comprises a transistor driver arranged in the second well diffusion such that a control terminal and an output terminal of the transistor driver are coupled to the driver input and driver output, respectively, and
• a first electrical connection between the first well diffusion and the high side negative supply voltage port and a second electrical connection between the second well diffusion and the high side negative supply voltage port;
• the class D amplifier output stage further comprising:
• a power transistor comprising a control terminal connected to the driver output of the gate driver, and
• a floating voltage regulator arranged in the semiconductor substrate including:
• a positive voltage input coupled to a high side DC voltage supply of the class D amplifier output stage,
• a regulated DC voltage output coupled to the high side positive supply voltage port of the gate driver, and
• a DC voltage reference generator coupled between the high side negative supply voltage port of the gate driver and a reference voltage input of the floating voltage regulator.