Gate-driver IC with HV-isolation, especially hybrid electric vehicle motor drive concept

In a motor drive system comprising a low voltage net having a low voltage source, an electronic controller connected to said low voltage source for producing control signals for controlling the operation of a motor in said motor drive system, and a high voltage power stage including a high voltage source for controllably applying power to said motor drive system, said high voltage power stage including gated semiconductor switch devices for controllably connecting high voltage power from said high voltage source to said motor;

• a low voltage first signal transmitter IC chip having an input coupled to said electronic controller and having an output electrode for producing signals containing information related to the output of said electronic controller;
• a high voltage second gate driver IC having an output electrode connected to said gated semiconductor switch devices and having an input electrode for receiving control signals from said output electrode of said low voltage IC chip as an input;
• and an isolation dielectric layer fixed between said output electrode of said low voltage IC and said input electrode of said high voltage IC for capacitively coupling signals from said low voltage input chip to said high voltage driver chip;
• said first and second chips being physically spaced from one another by the thickness of said isolation dielectric layer;
• said thickness being sufficient to define an isolation barrier between said low voltage net and said high voltage power stage.