Shoot-through protection circuit

A circuit, comprising:

• first and second transistors connected in series;
• a third transistor comprising a source connected to a source of the second transistor, a gate connected to a gate of the second transistor, and a drain connected to a gate of the first transistor;
• and
• gate driver circuits connected to the gates of the first, second and third transistors and configured to provide (i) a first drive signal to the gate of the first transistor to cause the first transistor to transition between an on state and an off state and (ii) a second drive signal to the gates of the second and third transistors to cause the second and third transistors to transition between on states and off states;
• wherein the third transistor is configured to prevent a shoot-through condition in the circuit by pulling the first drive signal down to a level of the source of the second transistor when the second transistor is in the on state;
• a diode configured to limit a negative voltage at the gate of the first transistor with respect to a source of the second transistor while the third transistor is being used to prevent the shoot-through condition;
• wherein the diode is selectively provided in the circuit based on relative state transition speeds of the first, second and third transistors.

A method for operating a circuit, comprising:

• providing, by a gate driver circuit, a first high drive signal to a gate of a first transistor and a first low drive signal to a gate of a third transistor and a gate of a second transistor that is connected in series with the first transistor, whereby the first transistor is transitioned to an on state and the second and third transistors are transitioned to off states;
• providing a second high drive signal from the gate driver circuit concurrently to the gates of the second and third transistors to cause the second and third transistors to transition from the off states to on states while the first transistor is still in the on state;
• and
• using the third transistor to prevent a shoot-through condition by pulling down a voltage of the first high drive signal being output from the gate driver circuit to a level that causes the first transistor to transition from the on state to an off state while the second and third transistor is in the on state;
• wherein the second high drive signal is provided from the gate driver circuit responsive to a radiation or noise event in a surrounding environment.

A circuit, comprising:

• first and second transistors of a P-channel type connected in series;
• a third transistor comprising a source connected to a source of the second transistor, a gate connected to a gate of the second transistor, and a drain connected to a gate of the first transistor;
• and
• gate driver circuits connected to the gates of the first, second and third transistors and configured to provide (i) a first drive signal to the gate of the first transistor to cause the first transistor to transition between an on state and an off state and (ii) a second drive signal to the gates of the second and third transistors to cause the second and third transistors to transition between on states and off states;
• wherein the third transistor also a P-channel type is configured to prevent a shoot-through condition in the circuit by pulling the first drive signal up to a level of the source of the second transistor when the second transistor is in the on state;
• wherein the gate driver circuits are operable to cause the third transistor to be in the on state while the first transistor is in the off state;
• wherein the third transistor is further configured to prevent the first transistor from being transitioned from the off state to the on state when a radiation or noise event occurs in a surrounding environment which impacts operations of the gate driver circuits.