US 12,720,840 B2 · Selective gate overdrive of transistor

Abstract

Overdriving a power field-effect transistor. In response to a detection that the power field-effect transistor has entered the saturation region, the gate node of the power field-effect transistor is overdriven with a higher voltage. The detection of whether the power field-effect transistor is within the saturation region is done with a sense field-effect transistor. This sense field-effect transistor uses the same epitaxial stack of semiconductor layers as the power field-effect transistor. That is, the power field-effect transistor includes a part of an epitaxial stack of semiconductor layers having a heterojunction between at least two adjacent semiconductor layers, and the sense field-effect transistor includes another part of this same epitaxial stack of semiconductor layers.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A circuit for overdriving a power field-effect transistor, the circuit comprising:

a power field-effect transistor comprising a part of an epitaxial stack of semiconductor layers having a heterojunction between at least two adjacent semiconductor layers;
a sense field-effect transistor comprising another part of the epitaxial stack of semiconductor layers, a drain node of the sense field-effect transistor connected to a drain node of the power field-effect transistor;
a saturation detection circuit that is configured to detect an indication that the sense field-effect transistor has entered saturation;
and
a gate overdrive circuit configured to increase a gate voltage applied to a gate node of the power field-effect transistor when the saturation detection circuit detects the indication that the sense field-effect transistor enters saturation.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selective gate overdrive of transistor

Life of this patent

Selective gate overdrive of transistor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19