Active monolithic snubber design
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorChristopher Kocon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor switching circuit associated with a power semiconductor circuit is described. The semiconductor switching circuit includes a snubber circuit comprising a snubber switch element that comprises a first terminal configured to couple to a supply node associated with the power semiconductor circuit and a second terminal configured to couple to a switch node associated with the power semiconductor circuit. In some aspects, the snubber switch element is configured to bypass a ringing voltage at the switch node associated with the power semiconductor circuit to the supply node associated with the power semiconductor circuit. In some aspects, the ringing voltage at the switch node comprises a voltage that is greater than a supply voltage associated with the supply node.
Claims22
A semiconductor switching circuit, comprising:
- a snubber switch element that comprises a first terminal adapted to be coupled to a supply node of a power semiconductor circuit, a second terminal adapted to be coupled to a switch node of the power semiconductor circuit, and a third terminal coupled to the first terminal of the snubber switch element to form a snubber diode that bypasses the ringing voltage to the supply node when a voltage at the switch node exceeds the supply voltage at the supply node,
- wherein the snubber switch element bypasses a ringing voltage at the switch node of the power semiconductor circuit to the supply node of the power semiconductor circuit, wherein the ringing voltage at the switch node comprises a voltage that is greater than a supply voltage associated with the supply node.
A monolithic integrated circuit, comprising:
- a main switch element comprising a first terminal adapted to be coupled to a supply node of a power semiconductor circuit and a second terminal adapted to be coupled to a switch node of the power semiconductor circuit, wherein the main switch element switches to selectively couple or decouple a supply voltage at the supply node to the switch node;
- and
- a snubber switch element that includes a first terminal adapted to be coupled to the supply node, a second terminal adapted to be coupled to the switch node, and a third terminal that selectively switches ON the snubber switch element to bypass the ringing voltage to the supply node, wherein the snubber switch element bypasses a ringing voltage at the switch node of the power semiconductor circuit to the supply node of the power semiconductor circuit, wherein the ringing voltage at the switch node comprises a voltage that is greater than the supply voltage at the supply node.
A method, the method comprising:
- coupling or decoupling a supply voltage from a supply node of a power semiconductor circuit to a switch node of the power semiconductor circuit by switching a main switch element, wherein a first terminal of the main switch element is coupled to the supply node and a second terminal of the main switch element is coupled to the switch node;
- and
- bypassing a ringing voltage at the switch node to the supply node using a snubber switch element of a snubber circuit, wherein a first terminal of the snubber switch element is coupled to the supply node, a second terminal of the snubber switch element is coupled to the switch node, a third terminal of the snubber switch element selectively switches ON the snubber switch element to bypass the ringing voltage to the supply node, and wherein the ringing voltage at the switch node comprises a voltage that is greater than the supply voltage at the supply node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.