Self clamping FET devices in circuits using transient sources
AssigneeSarda Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJames L. Vorhaus, Anthony G. P. Marini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various aspects of the technology provide for clamping a transient from a transient generator in a circuit using a Field Effect Transistor (FET) including a compound semiconductor layer forming a drain coupled to the transient voltage generator, a source, and a gate. The gate and the drain may be configured to clamp voltage transients in the circuit from the transient voltage generator independent of a clamping diode between the source and the drain. The FET may be a depletion mode type fabricated using germanium or a compound semiconductor such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) or gallium nitride (GaN).
Claims25
A circuit comprising:
- a transient voltage source;
- and
- a Field Effect Transistor (FET) including a compound semiconductor layer forming:
- a drain coupled to the transient voltage source,
- a source, and
- a gate,
- the gate and the drain configured to clamp voltage transients from the transient voltage source independent of a clamping diode between the source and the drain.
A circuit comprising:
- an inductor configured to produce a transient voltage;
- and
- a body diode-less FET including a source, a gate and a drain fabricated as a depletion mode device in a compound semiconductor, the drain of the FET configured to receive the transient voltage from the inductor and drive the gate in response to the transient voltage to reduce resistance between the drain and the source and provide a low resistance path to ground for clamping the transient voltage.
A converter circuit comprising:
- an enhancement mode control FET fabricated using gallium arsenide;
- a depletion mode sync FET coupled to the control FET, the sync FET fabricated using gallium arsenide;
- and
- an inductor configured to couple a transient voltage to a source of the control FET and a drain of the sync FET.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.