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US 10,707,840 B2Granted
Power stage with sequential power transistor gate charging
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsEmanuele Bodano, Vratislav Michal, Joachim Pichler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power stage having a power transistor coupled between a power supply and a switching node; a charge pump coupled between the power supply and a gate of the power transistor; and a gate driver configured to charge the gate of the power transistor until the gate voltage reaches a predefined voltage, and further charge the gate of the power transistor from the charge pump.
Claims19
A power stage, comprising:
- a power transistor coupled between a power supply and a switching node;
- a charge pump coupled between the power supply and a gate of the power transistor;
- and
- a gate driver configured to:
- charge, as an initial charge, the gate of the power transistor with an output voltage of a converter in response to a control signal and until the gate voltage reaches the output voltage minus a threshold voltage;
- charge the gate of the power transistor until the gate voltage reaches a predefined voltage;
- and
- further charge the gate of the power transistor from the charge pump.
5 more elements
A power stage comprising:
- a power transistor coupled between a power supply and a switching node;
- a charge pump coupled between the power supply and a gate of the power transistor;
- and
- a gate driver configured to:
- charge, as an initial charge, the gate of the power transistor with an output voltage of a converter;
- charge the gate of the power transistor until the gate voltage reaches a predefined voltage from the power supply;
- and
- further charge the gate of the power transistor from the charge pump,
- wherein the gate driver comprises:
- an output node switch coupled between the gate of the power transistor and an output node;
- a power supply switch coupled between the gate of the power transistor and the power supply;
- a charge pump switch coupled between the gate of the power transistor and the charge pump;
- and
- gate voltage detector configured to:
- close the output node switch, in response to receiving a command signal, to connect the output node with the gate of the power transistor;
- open the output node switch and close the power supply switch, in response to detecting that the gate voltage reaches the output voltage minus a first threshold voltage, to disconnect the output node from and connect the power supply with the gate of the power transistor;
- and
- open the power supply switch and close the charge pump switch, in response to detecting that the gate voltage reaches the predefined voltage, which is the voltage of the power supply minus a second threshold voltage, to disconnect the power supply from and connect the charge pump with the gate of the power transistor.
15 more elements
A method of charging a power transistor in a power stage, the method comprising:
- charging, as an initial charge and in response to a control signal, the gate of the power transistor with an output voltage generated by a converter coupled to the switching node until the gate voltage reaches the output voltage minus a threshold voltage;
- charging a gate of the power transistor, which is coupled between a power supply and a switching node, until the gate voltage reaches a predefined voltage;
- and
- further charging the gate of the power transistor from a charge pump, which is coupled between the power supply and the gate of the power transistor.
1 more element
A method of charging a power transistor in a power stage, the comprising:
- closing an output node switch, in response to receiving a command signal, to connect the gate of the power transistor with an output node;
- charging, as an initial charge, the gate of the power transistor with an output voltage at the output node of a converter;
- opening the output node switch and closing a power supply switch, in response to detecting that the gate voltage reaches the output voltage minus a first threshold voltage, to disconnect the output node from and connect a power supply with the gate of the power transistor;
- charging the gate of the power transistor, which is coupled between the power supply and a switching node, from the power supply until the gate voltage reaches a predefined voltage;
- and
- opening the power supply switch and closing a charge pump switch, in response to detecting that the gate voltage reaches the voltage of the predefined voltage, which is the power supply minus a second threshold voltage, to disconnect the power supply from and connect a charge pump with gate of the power transistor;
- and
- further charging the gate of the power transistor from the charge pump, which is coupled between the power supply and the gate of the power transistor.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.