US 12,756,314 B2 · Driving circuit, voltage converter and control method thereof

Abstract

A driving circuit is provided for providing first and second control signals to respective control electrode of first and second power semiconductor elements coupled in parallel. A range of a safe operation area (SOA) of the first power semiconductor element is larger than that of the second power semiconductor element. The driving circuit compares a voltage level of the second control signal with a first reference voltage or compares a drain-source voltage of the first power semiconductor element with a second reference voltage, and further generates a first voltage according to the comparison result. The first and second reference voltages are related to a temperature of the first and second power semiconductor elements. The driving circuit generates a logic signal according to the first voltage and further generates the first or second control signal according to the logic signal.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A driving circuit for generating a first control signal and a second control signal and providing the first and second control signals respectively to control electrodes of first and second power semiconductor elements that are coupled to a voltage converter in parallel, wherein a range of a safe operation area (SOA) of the first power semiconductor element is larger than a range of an SOA of the second power semiconductor element, and the driving circuit comprises:

a first time delay circuit configured to perform a first comparison operation to compare a voltage level of the second control signal with a first reference voltage to generate a first comparison result or compare a drain-source voltage of the first power semiconductor element with a second reference voltage to generate a second comparison result and configured to generate a first voltage according to the first or second comparison result, wherein the first and second reference voltages are related to a temperature of the first and second power semiconductor elements;
a control logic circuit coupled to the first time delay circuit and configured to generate a first logic signal according to the first voltage;
and
a first buffer coupled to the control logic circuit and configured to generate one of the first and second control signals according to the first logic signal.

1 more element

A voltage converter, comprising:

a first power semiconductor element having a control electrode for receiving a first control signal;
a second power semiconductor element, coupled to the first power semiconductor element in parallel, having a control electrode for receiving a second control signal, wherein a range of an SOA of the first power semiconductor element is larger than a range of an SOA of the second power semiconductor element;
a first time delay circuit configured to perform a first comparison operation to compare a voltage level of the second control signal with a first reference voltage to generate a first comparison result or compare a first drain-source voltage of the first power semiconductor element with a second reference voltage to generate a second comparison result and configured to generate a first voltage according to the first or second comparison result, wherein the first and second reference voltages are related to a first temperature of the first and second power semiconductor elements;
a control logic circuit coupled to the first time delay circuit and configured to generate a first logic signal according to the first voltage and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal;
and
a first buffer coupled to the control logic circuit and configured to generate one of the first and second control signals according to the first logic signal.

3 more elements

A control method of a voltage converter, used to generate a first control signal and a second control signal and provide the first and second control signals respectively to control electrodes of first and second power semiconductor elements that are coupled to the voltage converter in parallel, wherein a range of an SOA of the first power semiconductor element is larger than a range of an SOA of the second power semiconductor element, and the control method of the voltage converter comprises:

receiving a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal;
performing a first comparison operation to compare a voltage level of the second control signal with a first reference voltage to generate a first comparison result or compare a drain-source voltage of the first power semiconductor element with a second reference voltage to generate a second comparison result, wherein the first and second reference voltages are related to a temperature of the first and second power semiconductor elements;
generating a first voltage according to the first or second comparison result;
generating a first logic signal according to the first voltage;
and
buffering the first logic signal to generate one of the first and second control signals.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Driving circuit, voltage converter and control method thereof

Life of this patent

Driving circuit, voltage converter and control method thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20