Systems, circuits, devices, and methods with bidirectional bipolar transistors
AssigneeIdeal Power Inc.
InventorsRichard A. Blanchard, William C. Alexander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, systems, circuits, and devices for power-packet-switching power converters using bidirectional bipolar transistors (BTRANs) for switching. Four-terminal three-layer BTRANs provide substantially identical operation in either direction with forward voltages of less than a diode drop. BTRANs are fully symmetric merged double-base bidirectional bipolar opposite-faced devices which operate under conditions of high non-equilibrium carrier concentration, and which can have surprising synergies when used as bidirectional switches for power-packet-switching power converters. BTRANs are driven into a state of high carrier concentration, making the on-state voltage drop very low.
Claims13
A method of operating a power-packet-switching power converter, comprising:
- driving a first array of bidirectional switches to drive power into a link inductor which is paralleled by a capacitor;
- driving a second array of bidirectional switches to draw power onto an output line from said inductor;
- wherein each said bidirectional switch comprises n-type emitter regions on opposing faces of a p-type base region, and p-type base contact regions on said opposing faces of said p-type base region;
- wherein driving each said bidirectional switch comprises:
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in passive off mode, clamping a voltage of the respective base contact region to be less than or equal to a voltage of the respective emitter region plus a Schottky diode drop;
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in active off mode or in diode mode, shorting the respective base contact region to the respective emitter region;
- and
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in active on mode, injecting minority charge carriers into the respective base contact region.
A method of operating a power-packet-switching power converter, comprising:
- driving a first array of bidirectional switches to drive power into a link inductor which is paralleled by a capacitor;
- driving a second array of bidirectional switches to draw power onto an output line from said inductor;
- wherein each said bidirectional switch comprises n-type emitter regions on opposing faces of a p-type base region, and p-type base contact regions on said opposing faces of said p-type base region;
- wherein driving each said bidirectional switch comprises:
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in passive off mode, clamping a voltage of the respective base contact region to be less than or equal to a voltage of the respective emitter region plus a Schottky diode drop;
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in active off mode or in diode mode, shorting the respective base contact region to the respective emitter region;
- and
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in active on mode, injecting minority charge carriers into the respective base contact region;
- wherein driving each said bidirectional switch further comprises driving the bidirectional switch into a regime with high carrier densities.
A method of operating a power-packet-switching power converter, comprising:
- driving a first array of bidirectional switches to drive power into a link inductor which is paralleled by a capacitor;
- driving a second array of bidirectional switches to draw power onto an output line from said inductor;
- wherein each said bidirectional switch comprises n-type emitter regions on opposing faces of a p-type base region, and p-type base contact regions on said opposing faces of said p-type base region;
- wherein driving each said bidirectional switch comprises:
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in passive off mode, clamping a voltage of the respective base contact region to be less than or equal to a voltage of the respective emitter region plus a Schottky diode drop;
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in active off mode or in diode mode, shorting the respective base contact region to the respective emitter region;
- and
- when one said face of one said bidirectional switch is desired to be in active on mode, injecting minority charge carriers into the respective base contact region;
- wherein driving the selected bidirectional switch drives sufficient current through selected base contact region to generate a total nonequilibrium carrier concentration, in the interior of said p-type base region, which is more than thirty times as great as the off-state equilibrium majority carrier concentration, to thereby lower the voltage drop across the switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.