# US 2025/0096679 A1 · Power transistors with resonant clamping circuits

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- Number: US 2025/0096679 A1
- Document ID: US20250096679A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/468,400
- Filed: 2023-09-15
- Published: 2025-03-20
- Earliest claimed: 2023-09-15
- Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
- Applicants: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
- Inventors: Jaume ROIG-GUITART; Dean E. PROBST
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250096679A1

## CPC

- H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- H03K 17/08142: {in field-effect transistor switches}
- H02M 1/346: {Passive non-dissipative snubbers}
- H02M 1/348: {Passive dissipative snubbers}
- H03K 17/162: {without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit}
- H03K 17/6871: {the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor}
- H10D 84/811: {Combinations of field-effect devices and one or more diodes, capacitors or resistors}
- H03K 2217/0063: High side switches, i.e. the higher potential [DC] or life wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load
- H03K 2217/0072: Low side switches, i.e. the lower potential [DC] or neutral wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load
- H10D 8/00: Diodes (variable-capacitance diodes H10D1/64; gated diodes H10D12/00)
- H10D 64/23: Electrodes carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched, e.g. sources, drains, anodes or cathodes
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- H10W 90/756: {between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink}
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

In a general aspect, a circuit includes a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) having a gate, a source, and a drain. The MOSFET has a first breakdown voltage. The circuit also includes a clamping circuit coupled between the drain and the source. The clamping circuit including a diode having a second breakdown voltage that is less than the first breakdown voltage. A cathode of the diode is coupled with the drain of the MOSFET. The clamping circuit further includes an inductor having a first terminal coupled with an anode of the diode, and a second terminal coupled with the source of the MOSFET.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit comprising:
a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) including a gate, a source, and a drain, the MOSFET having a first breakdown voltage; and
a clamping circuit coupled between the drain and the source, the clamping circuit including:
a diode having a second breakdown voltage that is less than the first breakdown voltage, a cathode of the diode being coupled with the drain of the MOSFET; and
an inductor having a first terminal coupled with an anode of the diode, and a second terminal coupled with the source of the MOSFET.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the clamping circuit is configured to resonate when a voltage applied to the drain of the MOSFET exceeds a breakdown voltage of the diode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the clamping circuit further includes:
a capacitor; and
a resistor coupled in series with the capacitor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The circuit of claim 3, wherein the capacitor and the resistor are coupled in parallel with the diode and the inductor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The circuit of claim 3, wherein the resistor and the capacitor are coupled in parallel with the diode, and coupled in series with the inductor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the clamping circuit further includes a frequency-dependent resistor, the second terminal of the inductor being coupled with the source of the MOSFET via the frequency-dependent resistor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductor is a first inductor, the clamping circuit further including a resistive-inductive-capacitive (RLC) circuit having:
a capacitor;
a resistor; and
a second inductor, the capacitor, the resistor and the second inductor being coupled in series with each other, and
the RLC circuit being coupled in parallel with the diode and the first inductor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the MOSFET is included in a first semiconductor die;
the diode is included in a second semiconductor die that is co-packaged with the first semiconductor die; and
the inductor includes inductance of an electrical interconnect between the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the circuit is implemented in a semiconductor die;
the diode includes a plurality of interconnected stripes;
the MOSFET includes a plurality of interconnected stripes; and
the inductor includes inductance from at least one of:
an electrical contact to the anode of the diode;
an electrical contact to a source of the MOSFET;
an electrical connection between a first stripe and a second stripe of the plurality of interconnected stripes of the diode;
an electrical connection between a first stripe and a second stripe of the plurality of interconnected stripes of the MOSFET; or
an electrical connection between the anode of the diode and the source of the MOSFET.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the circuit is implemented in a semiconductor die; and
the semiconductor die includes a metal layer electrically coupling the source of the MOSFET with the anode of the diode, the metal layer having an inductance included in the inductor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The circuit of claim 10, wherein the metal layer includes a plurality of openings configured to adjust the inductance of the metal layer.

### Claim 12

A half-bridge circuit comprising:
a high-side transistor circuit including:
a first metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) including a gate, a source, and a drain, the first MOSFET having a first breakdown voltage; and
a first clamping circuit including:
a first diode having a second breakdown voltage that is less than the first breakdown voltage, a cathode of the first diode being coupled with the drain of the first MOSFET; and
a first inductor having a first terminal coupled with an anode of the first diode, and a second terminal coupled with the source of the first MOSFET; and
a low-side transistor circuit including:
a second MOSFET including a gate, a source, and a drain, the second MOSFET having a third breakdown voltage, the drain of the second MOSFET being coupled with the source of the first MOSFET; and
a second clamping circuit including:
a second diode having a fourth breakdown voltage that is less than the third breakdown voltage, a cathode of the second diode being coupled with the drain of the second MOSFET; and
a second inductor having a first terminal coupled with an anode of the second diode, and a second terminal coupled with the source of the second MOSFET.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The half-bridge circuit of claim 12, wherein:
the first clamping circuit is configured to resonate when a voltage applied to the drain of the first MOSFET exceeds a breakdown voltage of the first diode; and
the second clamping circuit is configured to resonate when a voltage applied to the drain of the second MOSFET exceeds a breakdown voltage of the second diode.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The half-bridge circuit of claim 12, wherein:
the high-side transistor circuit is implemented in a semiconductor die;
the first diode includes a plurality of interconnected stripes;
the first MOSFET includes a plurality of interconnected stripes; and
the first inductor includes inductance from at least one of:
an electrical contact to the anode of the first diode;
an electrical contact to a source of the first MOSFET;
an electrical connection between a first stripe and a second stripe of the plurality of interconnected stripes of the first diode;
an electrical connection between a first stripe and a second stripe of the plurality of interconnected stripes of the first MOSFET; or
an electrical connection between the anode of the first diode and the source of the first MOSFET.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The half-bridge circuit of claim 12, wherein:
the low-side transistor circuit is implemented in a semiconductor die;
the second diode includes a plurality of interconnected stripes;
the second MOSFET includes a plurality of interconnected stripes; and
the second inductor includes inductance from at least one of:
an electrical contact to the anode of the second diode;
an electrical contact to a source of the second MOSFET;
an electrical connection between a first stripe and a second stripe of the plurality of interconnected stripes of the second diode;
an electrical connection between a first stripe and a second stripe of the plurality of interconnected stripes of the second MOSFET; or
an electrical connection between the anode of the second diode and the source of the second MOSFET.

### Claim 16

A power converter circuit comprising:
an output impedance circuit; and
a half-bridge circuit coupled with the output impedance circuit, the half-bridge circuit including:
a high-side transistor circuit including:
a first metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) including a gate, a source, and a drain, the first MOSFET having a first breakdown voltage; and
a first clamping circuit including:
a first diode having a second breakdown voltage that is less than the first breakdown voltage, a cathode of the first diode being coupled with the drain of the first MOSFET; and
a first inductor having a first terminal coupled with an anode of the first diode, and a second terminal coupled with the source of the first MOSFET; and
a low-side transistor circuit including:
a second MOSFET including a gate, a source, and a drain, the second MOSFET having a third breakdown voltage, the drain of the second MOSFET being coupled with the source of the first MOSFET; and
a second clamping circuit including:
a second diode having a fourth breakdown voltage that is less than the third breakdown voltage, a cathode of the second diode being coupled with the drain of the second MOSFET; and
a second inductor having a first terminal coupled with an anode of the second diode, and a second terminal coupled with the source of the second MOSFET.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The power converter circuit of claim 16, wherein:
the power converter circuit is a buck converter circuit; and
the output impedance circuit includes:
an output inductor having a first terminal coupled to a switching node of the half-bridge circuit, and a second terminal coupled to an output node of the power converter circuit; and
an output capacitor having a first terminal coupled with the output node of the power converter circuit, and a second terminal coupled with the source of the second MOSFET.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The power converter circuit of claim 16, wherein:
the first clamping circuit is configured to resonate when a voltage applied to the drain of the first MOSFET exceeds a breakdown voltage of the first diode; and
the second clamping circuit is configured to resonate when a voltage applied to the drain of the second MOSFET exceeds a breakdown voltage of the second diode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The power converter circuit of claim 16, wherein:
the first inductor is configured such that a resonance period of the first clamping circuit is less than an avalanche time of the first diode during operation of the power converter circuit; and
the second inductor is configured such that a resonance period of the second clamping circuit is less than an avalanche time of the second diode during operation of the power converter circuit.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The power converter circuit of claim 16, wherein:
the first inductor has a first inductance; and
the second inductor has a second inductance that is greater than the first inductance.