Current Source Gate Driver with Negative Gate Voltage
OwnerYan-Fei LIU, Zhiliang ZHANG +1inventors
InventorsYan-Fei LIU, Zhiliang ZHANG, Jizhen FU
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Abstract
Described herein are methods and circuits for driving a power switching device of a power converter. The methods and circuits include providing a negative gate to source voltage to the power switching device during an off transition of the power switching device, wherein the negative gate to source voltage is provided independent of one or more switching element for driving the power switching device; wherein body diode conduction by the one or more switching element is mitigated; wherein a circuit connected in parallel with the gate and source of the power switching device is used to set or define the negative gate to source voltage.
Claims28
A method of driving a power switching device of a power converter;
- comprising:
- providing a negative gate to source voltage to the power switching device during an off transition of the power switching device, wherein the negative gate to source voltage is provided independent of one or more switching element for driving the power switching device;
- wherein body diode conduction by the one or more switching element is mitigated;
- wherein a circuit connected in parallel with the gate and source of the power switching device is used to set or define the negative gate to source voltage.
A gate driver for a power switching device of a power converter, comprising:
- one or more switching elements that drive the power switching device;
- a bi-directional switch connected between a gate and a source of the power switching device;
- and
- a device connected in parallel with the bi-directional switch;
- wherein the device provides a negative gate to source voltage to the power switching device during a turn off transition of the power switching device;
- wherein the device sets or defines the negative gate to source voltage.
A current source gate driver for a power switching device, comprising:
- an input terminal for receiving a DC voltage;
- a first switch connected between the input terminal and a first node;
- a second switch connected between the input terminal and a second node;
- a third switch connected between the first node and a circuit common;
- an inductor connected between the first node and the second node;
- a bi-directional switch connected between the second node and the circuit common;
- and
- a device that provides a negative gate to source voltage at the power switching device during a turn off transition of the power switching device;
- wherein the device is connected in parallel with the bi-directional switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.