Half bridge circuit, method of operating a half bridge circuit and a half bridge circuit package
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorsRalf Otremba, Josef Hoeglauer, Gerhard Noebauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A half bridge circuit includes an input connection configured to supply an electric input, an output connection configured to supply an electric output to a load to be connected to the output connection, a switch and a diode arranged between the input connection and the output connection and a voltage limiting inductance arranged in series between the switch and the diode. The voltage limiting inductance is configured to limit, upon switching the switch, a maximum voltage across the switch to below a breakdown voltage of the switch. A corresponding method of operating the half bridge circuit and package are also described.
Claims17
A half bridge circuit, comprising:
- an input connection configured to supply an electric input;
- an output connection configured to supply an electric output to a load to be connected to the output connection;
- a switch and a diode arranged between the input connection and the output connection;
- and
- a voltage limiting inductance arranged in series between the switch and the diode, the voltage limiting inductance configured to limit, upon switching the switch, a maximum voltage across the switch to below a breakdown voltage of the switch,
- wherein the half bridge circuit is configured to bypass the voltage limiting inductance when the switch is switched from an off state to an on state and/or when an electric current value in the half bridge circuit is below a predefined threshold value.
A method of operating a half bridge circuit, the method comprising:
- supplying an electric input to an input connection of the half bridge circuit;
- generating an electric output by a switch and a diode between the input connection and an output connection of the half bridge circuit to which a load is connected;
- limiting, upon switching the switch, a maximum voltage across the switch to below a breakdown voltage of the switch by a voltage limiting inductance arranged in series between the switch and the diode;
- and
- bypassing the voltage limiting inductance when the switch is switched from an off state to an on state and/or when an electric current value in the half bridge circuit is below a predefined threshold value.
A half bridge circuit, comprising:
- an input connection configured to supply an electric input;
- an output connection configured to supply an electric output to a load to be connected to the output connection;
- a switch and a diode arranged between the input connection and the output connection;
- a voltage limiting inductance arranged in series between the switch and the diode, the voltage limiting inductance configured to limit, upon switching the switch, a maximum voltage across the switch to below a breakdown voltage of the switch;
- a clip directly coupling the switch to the diode, wherein at least part of the clip forms at least part of the voltage limiting inductance;
- and
- at least one wire bridging a gap between the clip and a semiconductor chip that includes a driver.
A half bridge circuit, comprising:
- an input connection configured to supply an electric input;
- an output connection configured to supply an electric output to a load to be connected to the output connection;
- a switch and a diode arranged between the input connection and the output connection;
- a voltage limiting inductance arranged in series between the switch and the diode, the voltage limiting inductance configured to limit, upon switching the switch, a maximum voltage across the switch to below a breakdown voltage of the switch;
- and
- a clip directly coupling the switch to the diode, wherein at least part of the clip forms at least part of the voltage limiting inductance, wherein the clip comprises a first section configured to carry a load current and a second section electrically connected to the first section but not configured to carry the load current.
A half bridge circuit, comprising:
- an input connection configured to supply an electric input;
- an output connection configured to supply an electric output to a load to be connected to the output connection;
- a switch and a diode arranged between the input connection and the output connection;
- and
- a voltage limiting inductance arranged in series between the switch and the diode, the voltage limiting inductance configured to limit, upon switching the switch, a maximum voltage across the switch to below a breakdown voltage of the switch,
- wherein upon switching the switch on, the voltage limiting inductance is outside a current flow path of the half bridge circuit, and wherein upon switching the switch off, the voltage limiting inductance is inside the current flow path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.