Circuit and method for driving a junction field effect transistor

A method for driving a junction field effect transistor in a converter circuit, said method comprising:

• enabling a switching mechanism to conduct;
• upon said enabling, receiving an output voltage of said converter circuit as an input signal to the switching mechanism and providing a voltage to drive a gate of said junction field effect transistor;
• and
• upon said coupling, driving said junction field effect transistor to conduct.

A direct current converter comprising:

• a first junction field effect transistor for performing part of a switching function;
• a second junction field effect transistor for performing part of said switching function, coupled to said first junction field effect transistor, wherein said first and said second junction field effect transistors conduct during different phase cycles one from another of operation of said converter and wherein, when said first and said second junction field effect transistors are not conducting, the gates thereof are held at a negative voltage;
• a converter coupled to said first and said second junction field effect transistors and providing an output of said direct current converter;
• a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor driver device having a signal input and a driving device output, wherein said driving device output is capacitively coupled to gates of said first and said second junction field effect transistors;
• and
• a switching device for coupling the output of said direct current converter to drive said gate of said first junction field effect transistor, wherein said coupling said switching circuit output to said gate is enabled with said driver device signal input.