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US 2022/0224330 A1Published application
Driving D-Mode and E-Mode FETS in Half-Bridge Driver Configuration
AssigneepSemi Corporation
InventorsArezu Bagheri, Buddhika Abesingha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and devices to drive D-mode and E-mode power FETs are described. The disclosure teaches how to apply negative voltages across gate-source of D-mode FETs to turn such FETs off whenever needed. The presented method and devices can also be used in applications where overdriving D-mode FETs to achieve improved on resistance is desired.
Claims29
(canceled)
A circuit comprising
- a driver block with a high side driver and a low side driver,
- a power stage comprising a high side transistor, a low side transistor and a switch node, the driver block being configured to provide driving voltages to the power stage, and
- a charging circuit coupled to the high side driver and the low side driver, the charging circuit comprising a connection of a first switch with a capacitor,
- wherein
- the connection of the first switch and the capacitor is configured to selectively receive a positive supply voltage at one end, and is connected to the switch node between the high side transistor and the low side transistor at another end.
2 more elements
A half-bridge driving arrangement comprising:
- i) a power stage comprising a high side transistor, a low side transistor and a switch node between the high side transistor and the low side transistor;
- the power stage configured to operate according to a first phase where the low side transistor is turned ON and the high side transistor is OFF and a second phase where the low side transistor is OFF and the high side transistor is ON, and
- ii) a driver circuit connected to the power stage, the driver circuit comprising:
- a high side driver connected to the high side transistor,
- a low side driver connected to the low side transistor,
- a first switch connected to the low side transistor, the first switch configured to be ON during the first phase and OFF during the second phase, and
- a combination of a second switch and an overdrive capacitor connected to the switch node, the second switch configured to be ON during the first phase and the second phase.
4 more elements
A driver circuit configured to drive a power stage having a high side transistor and a low side transistor connected through a switch node, the driver circuit comprising:
- a high side driver configured to be connected to the high side transistor,
- a low side driver configured to be connected to the low side transistor,
- a first switch connected to the high side driver and the low side driver, the first switch configured to be connected to the low side transistor, the first switch configured to be ON when the low side transistor is ON and the high side transistor is OFF and to be OFF when the low side transistor is OFF and the high side transistor is ON, and
- a combination of a second switch and an overdrive capacitor connected through a high side driver node, the high side driver node connected to the high side driver, the combination configured to be connected to the switch node, the second switch being ON when the low side transistor is ON and the high side transistor is OFF, the second switch being also ON when the low side transistor is OFF and the high side transistor is ON.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.