Back to results
US 11,605,955 B2Granted
Half-bridge circuit using GaN power devices
AssigneeNavitas Semiconductor Limited
InventorsDaniel M. Kinzer, Santosh Sharma, Ju Jason Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
GaN-based half bridge power conversion circuits employ control, support and logic functions that are monolithically integrated on the same devices as the power transistors. In some embodiments a low side GaN device communicates through one or more level shift circuits with a high side GaN device. Various embodiments of level shift circuits and their inventive aspects are disclosed.
Claims20
A half bridge circuit, comprising:
- a low side circuit disposed in gallium-nitride and comprising:
- a low side switch comprising a low side switch control gate, a first source, and a first drain;
- a low side switch driver that controls a conductivity state of the low side switch according to a first input signal;
- and
- a level shift circuit;
- a high side circuit disposed in gallium-nitride and comprising:
- a high side switch comprising a high side switch control gate, a second source, and a second drain, wherein the second source is connected to the first drain, and
- a high side switch driver referenced to a voltage at the second source, wherein the high side switch driver controls a conductivity state of the high side switch according to a second input signal and wherein the high side switch driver is configured to prevent a change of conductivity state of the high side switch in response to voltage transients of the voltage at the second source;
- wherein the level shift circuit generates a level shift signal to control an output state of the high side switch driver in response to receiving the second input signal.
6 more elements
A half bridge circuit, comprising:
- a low side circuit formed from gallium-nitride and comprising:
- a low side switch comprising a low side switch control gate, a first source, and a first drain;
- and
- a low side switch driver, configured to control a conductivity state of the low side switch according to a first input signal;
- a high side circuit formed from gallium-nitride and comprising:
- a high side switch comprising a high side switch control gate, a second source, and a second drain, wherein the second source is connected to the first drain;
- and
- a high side switch driver referenced to a voltage at the second source, wherein the high side switch driver controls a conductivity state of the high side switch according to a plurality of pulses, and wherein durations of on and off times of the high side switch are based on durations of the plurality of pulses;
- wherein the low side circuit further comprises a level shift circuit configured to generate the plurality of pulses in response to a second input signal.
6 more elements
A circuit, comprising:
- a low side GaN-based circuit comprising:
- a low side switch comprising a low side switch control gate, a first source, and a first drain;
- a low side switch driver, configured to control a conductivity state of the low side switch according to a first input signal;
- and
- a level shift circuit;
- a high side GaN-based circuit comprising:
- a high side switch comprising a high side switch control gate, a second source, and a second drain, wherein the second source is connected to the first drain;
- and
- a high side switch driver referenced to a voltage at the second source, wherein the high side switch driver controls a conductivity state of the high side switch according to a second input signal;
- and
- wherein in response to receiving the second input signal, the level shift circuit generates a level shift signal that controls an output state of the high side switch driver.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.