Driver circuit for controlling a semiconductor switch

A method, comprising:

• operating a driver circuit in an idle mode in which portions of the driver circuit are inactive, wherein the driver circuit is coupled to a first transistor and a second transistor coupled between a supply node and a first circuit node configured to be connected to a load, and operating the driver circuit in the idle mode comprises the driver circuit switching off the first transistor, switching on the second transistor;
• generating a current signal;
• feeding the current signal into the first circuit node or discharging the current signal from the first circuit node;
• detecting a change in a voltage across the first transistor;
• in response to the change in voltage being detected, activating inactive portions of the driver circuit to switch on the first transistor and leave the idle mode;
• detecting that a voltage across the first transistor reaches a second threshold value;
• and
• turning on a third transistor coupled between the supply node and the first circuit node in response to detecting that the voltage across the first transistor reaches the second threshold value.

A circuit, comprising:

• a gate driver circuit comprising:
• a charge pump configured to be active during a normal operating mode and inactive during an idle mode,
• a first output configured to activate a first transistor using an output of the charge pump during the normal operating mode, and deactivate the first transistor during the idle mode,
• a second output configured to deactivate a second transistor during the normal operating mode and activate the second transistor during the idle mode,
• a third output configured to activate and deactivate a third transistor,
• a first comparator input port configured to be coupled to an output of a first comparator configured to compare a voltage across the first transistor to a first threshold,
• a second comparator input port configured to be coupled to an output of a second comparator configured to compare a voltage across the first transistor to a second threshold, and
• a logic circuit configured to:
• transition the gate driver circuit from the idle mode to the normal operating mode in response to a signal at the first comparator input port indicating that the voltage across the first transistor has crossed the first threshold, and
• activate the third transistor in response to a signal at the second comparator input port indicating that the voltage across the first transistor has crossed the second threshold.