US 11,770,010 B2 · Half-bridge circuit using separately packaged GaN power devices

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.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims20

Dependent claims

A circuit, comprising:

a low-side circuit disposed on a first semiconductor die, the first semiconductor die formed from at least one layer of gallium-nitride disposed on a layer of silicon, wherein the low-side circuit comprises:
a low-side switch comprising a low-side switch control gate, a low-side source, and a low-side drain;
a low-side driver circuit coupled to the low-side switch control gate and arranged to control a conductivity state of the low-side switch in response to receiving a first input signal;
wherein the first semiconductor die is disposed within a first electronic package that includes a first die-attach pad attached to the first semiconductor die, a first external terminal electrically connected to the low-side source and a second external terminal electrically connected to the low-side drain;
and
a high-side circuit disposed on a second semiconductor die, the second semiconductor die formed from at least one layer of gallium-nitride disposed on a layer of silicon, wherein the high-side circuit comprises:
a high-side switch comprising a high-side switch control gate, a high-side source, and a high-side drain;
and
a high-side driver circuit coupled to the high-side switch control gate and arranged to control a conductivity state of the high-side switch in response to receiving a second input signal;
wherein the second semiconductor die is disposed within a second electronic package that includes a second die-attach pad attached to the second semiconductor die, a third external terminal electrically connected to the high-side source and a fourth external terminal electrically connected to the high-side drain;
wherein the low-side drain is electrically connected to the high-side source forming a half-bridge circuit.

8 more elements

A half-bridge circuit, comprising:

a low-side circuit disposed on one or more gallium-nitride layers of a first semiconductor device, wherein the low-side circuit comprises:
a low-side transistor comprising a low-side transistor control gate, a low-side source, and
a low-side drain wherein the low-side transistor is controlled by a low-side transistor driver circuit arranged to change a conductivity state of the low-side transistor in response to receiving a first input signal;
wherein the first semiconductor device is disposed within a first electronic package that includes a first die-attach pad attached to the first semiconductor device, a first external terminal electrically connected to the low-side source, and a second external terminal electrically coupled to the low-side drain;
and
a high-side circuit disposed on one or more gallium-nitride layers of a second semiconductor device, wherein the high-side circuit comprises:
a high-side transistor comprising a high-side transistor control gate, a high-side source, and a high-side drain wherein the high-side transistor is controlled by a high-side transistor driver circuit arranged to change a conductivity state of the high-side transistor in response to receiving a second input signal;
wherein the second semiconductor device is disposed within a second electronic package that includes a second die-attach pad attached to the second semiconductor device, a third external terminal electrically connected to the high-side source and a fourth external terminal electrically connected to the high-side drain;
wherein the low-side drain is electrically connected to the high-side source forming a switch node of the half-bridge circuit.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description21,938 words

Summary6,089 words

#The present invention relates generally to power conversion circuits and in particular to power conversion circuits utilizing one or more GaN-based semiconductor devices.

#Electronic devices such as computers, servers and televisions, among others, employ one or more electrical power conversion circuits to convert one form of electrical energy to another. Some electrical power conversion circuits convert a high DC voltage to a lower DC voltage using a circuit topology called a half bridge converter. As many electronic devices are sensitive to the size and efficiency of the power conversion circuit, new half bridge converter circuits and components may be required to meet the needs of new electronic devices.

#In some embodiments a half bridge circuit comprising a low side circuit disposed on a first GaN device and a high side circuit disposed on a second GaN device is disclosed. The low side circuit includes a low side switch having a low side switch control gate and a low side switch driver having an output connected to the low side switch control gate. The high side circuit includes a high side switch having a high side control gate and a high side switch driver having an output connected to the high side switch control gate.

Brief description of the drawings37 figures

#FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic of a half bridge power conversion circuit according to an embodiment of the invention;

#FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic of the circuits within the low side control circuit illustrated in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a schematic of the first level shift transistor illustrated in FIG. 1;

Detailed description15,240 words

#Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to half bridge power conversion circuits that employ one or more gallium nitride (GaN) devices. While the present invention can be useful for a wide variety of half bridge circuits, some embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for half bridge circuits designed to operate at high frequencies and/or high efficiencies with integrated driver circuits, integrated level shift circuits, integrated bootstrap capacitor charging circuits, integrated startup circuits and/or hybrid solutions using GaN and silicon devices, as described in more detail below.

#Half Bridge Circuit #1

#Now referring to FIG. 1, in some embodiments circuit 100 may include a pair of complementary power transistors (also referred to herein as switches) that are controlled by one or more control circuits configured to regulate power delivered to a load. In some embodiments a high side power transistor is disposed on a high side device along with a portion of the control circuit and a low side power transistor is disposed on a low side device along with a portion of the control circuit, as described in more detail below.

Facts

Application

18/064,209Filed 9 Dec 2022 · continuation

Priority

16 Sep 2014

Published

US 2023/0031402 A113 Apr 2023

Granted

26 Sep 2023

Term ends

24 Mar 2035

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification35 codes

H02J 7/00
Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from
H02M 1/088
Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters: for the…
H02M 3/157
With automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators: with digital control
H02M 3/1584
Including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load: with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel

Family

Application62/051,160Us provisional application · filed 16 Sep 2014

Application62/127,725Us provisional application · filed 3 Mar 2015

Application14/667,523Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Mar 2015

Application15/219,248Parent of this division · filed 25 Jul 2016

US 9,401,612 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jul 2016

Application16/151,695Parent of this division · filed 4 Oct 2018

US 10,135,275 B2Parent of this division · filed 20 Nov 2018

Application16/699,081Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Nov 2019

US 10,530,169 B2Parent of this division · filed 7 Jan 2020

Application17/811,797Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jul 2022

US 11,404,884 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Aug 2022

Application17/820,829Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Aug 2022

US 2023/0111993 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Apr 2023

US 11,545,838 B2Parent of this continuation

Application17/820,829Parent of this continuation

Application17/811,797Parent of this continuation

Application16/699,081Parent of this division

Application16/151,695Parent of this division

Application15/219,248Parent of this continuation

US 11,862,996 B2Related patent

US 2016/0079979 A1Published application

US 2016/0336926 A1Published application

US 2019/0044357 A1Published application

US 2020/0099241 A1Published application

US 2022/0393481 A1Published application

US 2023/0031402 A1Published application

US 11,770,010 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

16 Sep 2014Priority claimedParent application 62/051,160
9 Dec 2022Application filedUS 18/064,209
12 Dec 2022Assigned to Navitas Semiconductor Limitedassignment of assignor's interest
13 Apr 2023PublishedUS 2023/0031402 A1
26 Sep 2023GrantedUS 11,770,010 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
24 Mar 2035Term endsEstimated

Half-bridge circuit using separately packaged GaN power devices

Life of this patent

Half-bridge circuit using separately packaged GaN power devices

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims20

Description21,938 words

Drawings

Classification35 codes

Life of this patent

Description21,938 words