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US 7,875,907 B2Granted
III-nitride bidirectional switches
AssigneeTransphorm Inc.
InventorsJames Honea, Primit Parikh, Yifeng Wu, Ilan Ben-Yaacov
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Abstract
Bidirectional switches are described. The bidirectional switches include first and a second III-N based high electron mobility transistor. In some embodiments, the source of the first transistor is in electrical contact with a source of the second transistor. In some embodiments, the drain of the first transistor is in electrical contact with a drain of the second transistor. In some embodiments, the two transistors share a drift region and the switch is free of a drain contact between the two transistors. Matrix converters can be formed from the bidirectional switches.
Claims36
A bidirectional switch, comprising:
- a first III-N based high electron mobility transistor;
- and
- a second III-N based high electron mobility transistor, wherein the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor includes a first gate and a first drain and the second high electron mobility transistor includes a second gate and a second drain, wherein the first drain and the second drain are not in electrical contact with one another when the first gate and the second gate are biased relative to their respective source low or off and either a first source of the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor is in electrical contact with a second source of the second III-N based high electron mobility transistor or the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor shares a common source with the second III-N based high electron mobility transistor.
A bidirectional switch, comprising:
- a first III-N based high electron mobility transistor;
- and
- a second III-N based high electron mobility transistor, wherein the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor includes a first gate and a first source and the second high electron mobility transistor includes a second gate and a second source, wherein the first source and the second source are not in electrical contact with one another when the first gate and the second gate are biased relative to their respective source low or off and either the first drain of the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor is in electrical contact with the second drain of the second III-N based high electron mobility transistor or the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor shares a common drain with the second III-N based high electron mobility transistor.
A bidirectional switch, comprising:
- a first III-N based high electron mobility transistor;
- and
- a second III-N based high electron mobility transistor, wherein the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor shares a drift region with the second III-N based high electron mobility transistor and the switch is free of a drain contact in between the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor and the second III-N based high electron mobility transistor,
- wherein a length of the drift region is equal to or greater than a sum of a maximum voltage difference between a first source terminal of the first III-N based high electron mobility transistor and the second source terminal of the second III-N based high electron mobility transistor and a difference between high and low voltage signals applied to the first gate with respect to the first source and the second gate with respect to the second, the sum divided by an effective critical field in material of the drift region.
1 more element
A bidirectional switch, comprising:
- a first enhancement mode transistor;
- a second enhancement mode transistor;
- a first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor between the first enhancement mode transistor and the second enhancement mode transistor;
- and
- a second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor between the first depletion mode high electron mobility transistor and the second enhancement mode transistor;
- wherein a gate of first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor is electrically connected to a source of the first enhancement mode transistor, a gate of second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor is electrically connected to source of second enhancement mode transistor, a source of first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor is electrically connected to a drain of the first enhancement mode transistor, a source of the second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor is electrically connected to drain of the second enhancement mode transistor, the source of the first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor and the source of the second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor are not in electrical contact with one another when the gates of the first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor and second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor are biased relative to their respective source low or off and either the first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor shares a drain with the second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor, a drain of the first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor is electrically connected to a drain of the second depletion mode high electron mobility transistor, or the first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor shares a drift region with the second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor and the switch is free of a drain contact in between the first depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor, the second depletion mode III-N high electron mobility transistor and a length of the drift region is equal to or greater than a maximum voltage difference between a source terminal of the first enhancement mode III-N high electron mobility transistor and a source terminal of the second enhancement mode III-N high electron mobility transistor, divided by an effective critical field in material of the drift region.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.