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US 7,719,055 B1Granted
Cascode power switch topologies
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation
InventorsTy R. McNutt, John V. Reichl, Harold C. Heame, III, Eric J. Stewart, Stephen D. Van Campen, Victor D. Veliadis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A normally-off cascode power switch circuit is disclosed fabricated in wide bandgap semiconductor material such as silicon carbide or gallium nitride and which is capable of conducting current in the forward and reverse direction under the influence of a positive gate bias. The switch includes cascoded junction field effect transistors (JFETs) that enable increased gain, and hence blocking voltage, while minimizing specific on-resistance.
Claims14
A semiconductor power switch, comprising:
- a first and a second electronically controlled semiconductor device, each having a pair of current conducting electrodes and a control electrode, wherein said pair of current conducting electrodes of both said first and second semiconductor devices are connected in cascode circuit relationship, wherein one of said semiconductor devices is in a normally-on conductive state (depletion mode), and the other of said semiconductor devices is in a normally-off conductive state (enhancement mode), and wherein a current conduction control signal is applied to the control electrode of said normally-off semiconductor device and wherein the control electrodes of said first and second semiconductor devices are commonly connected together to a control signal terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.