Half bridge power conversion circuits using gan devices
AssigneeNavitas Semiconductor Limited
InventorsDaniel M. Kinzer, Santosh Sharma, Ju Jason Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
GaN-based half bridge power conversion circuits employ control, support and logic functions that are monolithically integrated on the same devices as the power transistors. In some embodiments a low side GaN device communicates through one or more level shift circuits with a high side GaN device. Both the high side and the low side devices may have one or more integrated control, support and logic functions. Some devices employ electro-static discharge circuits and features formed within the GaN-based devices to improve the reliability and performance of the half bridge power conversion circuits.
Claims20
A half bridge circuit comprising:
- a GaN-based low side circuit including:
- a GaN-based low side switch having a low side switch control gate;
- and
- a GaN-based low side switch driver having an output connected to the low side switch control gate;
- and
- a GaN-based high side circuit including:
- a GaN-based high side switch having a high side control gate;
- and
- a GaN-based high side switch driver having an output connected to the high side switch control gate.
An electronic power conversion component comprising:
- a package base;
- a first die secured to the package base and comprising a low side circuit including:
- a low side switch having a low side switch control gate;
- and
- a low side switch driver having an output connected to the low side switch control gate;
- a second die secured to a package base and comprising a high side circuit including:
- a high side switch having a high side control gate;
- and
- a high side switch driver having an output connected to the high side switch control gate;
- and
- an electrically insulative mold compound encapsulating at least a portion of a top surface of the package base and the first and the second dies.
A method of operating a half bridge power conversion circuit, the method comprising:
- operating a low side switch using a low side driver, wherein the low side switch and the low side driver comprise a first GaN-based circuit;
- operating a high side switch using a high side driver, wherein the high side switch and the high side driver comprise a second GaN-based circuit;
- and
- controlling the low side driver and the high side driver with a control circuit that transmits on and off signals to the low side and the high side drivers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.