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US 9,070,562 B2Granted
Circuit including a switching element, a rectifying element, and a charge storage element
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorsGary H. Loechelt, Carroll Casteel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A circuit can include a pair of switching elements that have terminals electrically connected to terminals of a power supply and have other terminals electrically connected to an output terminal. The circuit can include rectifying elements and one or more charge storage elements. The circuit may be used as a Buck converter. The rectifying element(s) and charge storage element(s) may help to reduce ringing at an output terminal of the circuit during normal operation and reduce the likelihood of exceeding a breakdown voltage between current-carrying electrodes of a switching element within the circuit during a switching operation.
Claims20
A circuit comprising:
- a first switching element having a first current-carrying electrode and a second current-carrying electrode;
- a second switching element having a first current-carrying electrode and a second current-carrying electrode, wherein the first current-carrying electrode of the second switching element is coupled to the second current-carrying electrode of the first switching element;
- a first rectifying element having an anode and a cathode, wherein the cathode of the first rectifying element is coupled to the second current-carrying electrode of the first switching element;
- a second rectifying element having an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode of the second rectifying element is coupled to the first current-carrying electrode of the second switching element;
- and
- a first charge storage element having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first charge storage element is coupled to the first current-carrying electrode of the first switching element, and the second terminal of the first charge storage element is coupled to the anode of the first rectifying element;
- and
- a second charge storage element having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second charge storage element is coupled to the cathode of the second rectifying element, and wherein the second terminal of the second charge storage element is coupled to the second current-carrying terminal of the second switching element,
- wherein:
- a parasitic characteristic between a negative terminal of the circuit and the first charge storage element is more significant than a parasitic characteristic between the first switching element and the first charge storage element;
- or
- a parasitic characteristic between a positive terminal of the circuit and the second charge storage element is more significant than a parasitic characteristic between the second switching element and the second charge storage element.
9 more elements
A circuit comprising:
- a high-side transistor having a first current-carrying electrode and a second current-carrying electrode;
- a low-side transistor having a first current-carrying electrode and a second current-carrying electrode, wherein the first current-carrying electrode of the low-side transistor is coupled to the second current-carrying electrode of the high-side transistor;
- a first rectifying element having an anode and a cathode, wherein the cathode of the first rectifying element is coupled to the second current-carrying electrode of the high-side transistor;
- a second rectifying element having an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode of the second rectifying element is coupled to the first current-carrying electrode of the low-side transistor;
- and
- a first charge storage element having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first charge storage element is coupled to the first current-carrying electrode of the high-side transistor, and the second terminal of the first charge storage element is coupled to the anode of the first rectifying element;
- and
- a second charge storage element having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second charge storage element is coupled to the cathode of the second rectifying element, and the second terminal of the second charge storage element is coupled to the second current-carrying electrode of the low-side transistor,
- wherein:
- a parasitic characteristic between a negative terminal of the circuit and the first charge storage element is more significant than a parasitic characteristic between the high-side transistor and the first charge storage element;
- or
- a parasitic characteristic between a positive terminal of the circuit and the second charge storage element is more significant than a parasitic characteristic between the low-side transistor and the second charge storage element;
- and
- wherein:
- the first rectifying element is closer to the high-side transistor than to a negative terminal of the circuit;
- or
- the second rectifying element is closer to the low-side transistor than to a positive terminal of the circuit.
14 more elements
A switching circuit comprising:
- a high-side transistor having a source, a gate, and a drain, wherein:
- the drain of the high-side transistor is electrically connected to a first power terminal;
- the gate of the high-side transistor is electrically connected to a first input of the switching circuit;
- and
- the source of the high-side transistor is electrically coupled to an output terminal of the switching circuit;
- a low-side transistor having a source, a gate, and a drain, wherein:
- the drain of the low-side transistor is electrically coupled to the output terminal;
- the gate of the low-side transistor is electrically connected to a second input of the switching circuit;
- and
- the source of the low-side transistor is electrically connected to a second power terminal;
- a first Schottky diode having an anode and a cathode, wherein the cathode of the first Schottky diode is electrically connected to the source of the high-side transistor;
- a second Schottky diode having an anode and a cathode, wherein the anode of the second Schottky diode is electrically connected to the drain of the low-side transistor;
- a first capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the first power terminal, and the second terminal of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the anode of the first Schottky diode;
- and
- a second capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second capacitor is electrically connected to the second power terminal, and the second terminal of the second capacitor is electrically connected to the cathode of the second Schottky diode,
- wherein:
- a parasitic characteristic between a negative terminal of the circuit and the first capacitor is more significant than a parasitic characteristic between the high-side transistor and the first capacitor;
- or
- a parasitic characteristic between a positive terminal of the circuit and the second capacitor is more significant than a parasitic characteristic between the low-side transistor and the second capacitor.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.