Integrated circuit driver having stable bootstrap power supply
AssigneeMonolithic Power Systems, Inc.
InventorMarshall David Stone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit driver is disclosed. The driver comprises a high side transistor and a low side transistor connected in series. The output of the driver is taken from the source of the high side transistor and the drain of the low side transistor. A bootstrap contact pad is connected to the output node. Connected to the bootstrap contact pad is a bootstrap capacitor that is also connected to a high side gate drive that selectively controls the high side transistor.
Claims12
An integrated circuit driver comprising:
- a high side transistor;
- a low side transistor connected in series to said high side transistor such that the source of said high side transistor is connected to the drain of said low side transistor, the source of the high side transistor and the drain of the low side transistor forming an output node;
- a bootstrap contact pad connected to the output node;
- a bootstrap capacitor having a first terminal connected to said bootstrap contact pad;
- a high side gate drive for selectively controlling the high side transistor, said high side gate drive having as an input a signal from a second terminal of said bootstrap capacitor;
- a low side gate drive for selectively controlling the low side transistor;
- and
- an output contact pad connected to the output node, said output contact pad providing an output signal to a load.
An integrated circuit package comprising:
- (a) an integrated circuit die, said die having formed thereon:
- (1) a high side transistor;
- (2) a low side transistor connected in series to said high side transistor such that the source of said high side transistor is connected to the drain of said low side transistor, the source of the high side transistor and the drain of the low side transistor forming an output node;
- (3) a bootstrap contact pad connected to the output node;
- (4) a high side gate drive for selectively controlling the high side transistor;
- (5) a low side gate drive for selectively controlling the low side transistor, and
- (6) an output contact pad connected to the output node, said output contact pad providing an output signal to a load;
- (b) a carrier package having a plurality of package pins including at least a bootstrap package pin and an output package pin, said carrier package for securing said integrated circuit die;
- (c) an output bond wire connecting said output contact pad with said output package pin;
- and
- (d) a bootstrap bond wire connecting said bootstrap contact pad with said bootstrap package pin.
A method for driving a load using a high side switch and a low side switch connected in series, the source of said high side switch connected to the drain of said low side switch, the connection of said high side switch and said low side switch being an output node, the method comprising:
- providing a bootstrap contact pad connected to said output node;
- providing an output pad connected to said output node;
- connecting a bootstrap capacitor to said bootstrap contact pad, said bootstrap capacitor used to provide a bootstrap power supply to a gate drive of said high side switch;
- and
- connecting said output pad to said load.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.