Power relay circuit
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorsIngo Muri, Christian Fachmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power conversion circuit includes a high-side switch and a low-side switch connected in series with one another and configured to control a load current flowing through a load, wherein at least one of the high-side switch and the low-side switch comprise a power relay circuit for switching the load current, and wherein the power relay circuit comprises a micro-electro-mechanical system switch, and a semiconductor power switch, wherein the MEMS switch and the semiconductor power switch are connected in series with the load.
Claims13
A power conversion circuit, comprising:
- a high-side switch and a low-side switch connected in series with one another and configured to control a load current flowing through a load;
- wherein at least one of the high-side switch and the low-side switch comprise a power relay circuit for switching the load current, and wherein the power relay circuit comprises:
- a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) switch;
- a semiconductor power switch;
- a driver circuit configured to receive a power relay circuit control signal and to set an ON-OFF control input of the MEMS switch and an ON-OFF control input of the semiconductor power switch, and
- wherein the MEMS switch and the semiconductor power switch are connected in series with the load.
The power conversion circuit of wherein the driver circuit, upon receiving a power relay circuit control signal indicative of connecting the power relay circuit, is configured to:
- when the MEMS switch is OFF, set the ON-OFF control input of the MEMS switch to ON;
- and thereafter set the ON-OFF control input of the semiconductor power switch to ON, wherein the driver circuit is further configured to set an ON-OFF control input of the auxiliary switch to ON before setting the ON-OFF control input of the MEMS switch to ON.
A method of switching a load current by a power conversion circuit comprising a high-side switch and a low-side switch and a driver circuit, wherein at least one of the high-side switch and the low-side switch comprise a power relay circuit for switching the load current, wherein the power relay circuit comprises a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) switch, a semiconductor power switch, and an auxiliary switch connected in parallel with the MEMS switch, the auxiliary switch comprising an auxiliary MEMS switch and/or an auxiliary semiconductor power switch, and wherein the MEMS switch and the semiconductor power switch are connected in series with a load of the power conversion circuit, and wherein the method comprises:
- disconnecting the power relay circuit by switching the semiconductor power switch to OFF and thereafter switching the MEMS switch to OFF:
- and/or connecting the power relay circuit by switching the MEMS switch to ON and thereafter switching the semiconductor power switch to ON;
- upon receiving a power relay circuit control signal indicative of connecting the power relay circuit, when the MEMS switch is OFF, setting the ON-OFF control input of the MEMS switch to ON and thereafter setting the ON-OFF control input of the semiconductor power switch to ON using the driver circuit;
- and setting an ON-OFF control input of the auxiliary switch to ON before setting the ON-OFF control input of the MEMS switch to ON using the driver circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.