Gate driver bootstrap circuits and related methods
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsKyoung Min Lee, Satish Kumar Vemuri, James Michael Walden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Gate driver bootstrap circuits and related methods are disclosed. An example gate driver stage includes a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal to be coupled to a capacitor, the capacitor and the second terminal to be coupled to a gate terminal of a power transistor, a gate driver coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal, and a bootstrap circuit coupled to the first terminal, the second terminal, and the gate driver, the bootstrap circuit including a control stage circuit having an output and a first transistor having a first gate terminal and a first current terminal, the first gate terminal coupled to the output, the first current terminal coupled to the first terminal.
Claims34
A gate driver stage comprising:
- a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal coupled to a capacitor, the capacitor and the second terminal coupled to a gate terminal of a power transistor;
- a gate driver coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal;
- and
- a bootstrap circuit coupled to the first terminal, the second terminal, and the gate driver, the bootstrap circuit including:
- a control stage circuit having an output;
- and
- a first transistor having a first gate terminal and a first current terminal, the first gate terminal coupled to the output, the first current terminal coupled to the first terminal.
A bootstrap circuit comprising:
- a first current limiting circuit having a first output;
- a second current limiting circuit having a second output;
- a control stage circuit having a first input, a second input, and a third output, the first input coupled to the first output and the second output;
- a voltage regulation loop circuit having a third input, a fourth input, and a fourth output, the fourth output coupled to the first input;
- and
- a transistor having a gate terminal and a current terminal, the gate terminal coupled to the third output, the current terminal coupled to the third input.
A gate driver stage comprising:
- a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, each representing a distinct node, the first terminal, the second terminal, and the third terminal coupled to a gate terminal of a transistor, the fourth terminal coupled to a current terminal of the transistor;
- a first gate driver coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal, the first gate driver configured to turn on the transistor;
- a second gate driver coupled to the third terminal and the fourth terminal, the second gate driver configured to turn off the transistor;
- and
- a bootstrap circuit coupled to the first terminal, the second terminal, and the first gate driver.
A gate driver integrated device comprising:
- a first terminal coupled to a capacitor;
- a second terminal coupled to a gate terminal of a transistor;
- a gate driver stage coupled to the first terminal and the second terminal, the gate driver stage including:
- a gate driver configured to turn on the transistor;
- and
- a bootstrap circuit coupled to the first terminal, the second terminal, and the gate driver, the bootstrap circuit including a control stage circuit coupled to the second terminal and a current limiting circuit coupled to the control stage circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.