Double sided IGBT phase leg architecture and clocking method for reduced turn on loss
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsJohn M. Neilson, Francis J. Kub, Karl D. Hobart
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Abstract
A double-side IGBT (DIGBT) phase leg architecture that uses the DIGBT as a substitute for a free wheeling diode to achieve reduced turn-on loss and reduced reverse recovery peak current during turn-on is described and characterized. Approximately a 50% reduction in reverse recovery peak current and an 80% reduction in recovery charge are achieved. In addition, low power dissipation (≈1 A current level) protection circuitry is described that can be incorporated into the DIGBT phase leg architecture to allow the flow of reverse current even if the gate driver circuit is disabled so that conventional high current free wheeling diodes are not required to provide protection.
Claims11
A half-bridge circuit comprising
- a first DIGBT (double-side insulated gate bipolar transistor) having a first and second terminals and a primary gate and a secondary gate, the first terminal is coupled to a load, the second terminal is coupled to a supply voltage having a positive bias, the primary and secondary gates are each operatively coupled to means for supplying gate signals to said transistor,
- a second DIGBT having first and second terminals and a primary gate and a secondary gate, the second terminal of the second DIGBT is operatively coupled to the load and the first terminal of the first DIGBT through a common node,
- the first terminal of the second DIGBT is coupled to a supply voltage having a negative bias,
- the primary gate and the secondary gate of the second DIGBT are each operatively coupled to means for supplying gate signals,
- wherein the first and second DIGBTs are supplied with gate signals such that when the first DIGBT is performing a transistor switching function the second DIGBT is performing a freewheeling diode function and when the second DIGBT is performing a transistor switching function, the first DIGBT is performing a freewheeling diode function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.