Three terminal PIN diode
AssigneeAdvanced Energy Industries, Inc.
InventorsGideon Van Zyl, Gennady G. Gurov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure describes a switch having a collector, base, emitter, and an intrinsic region between the collector and base. The intrinsic region increases the efficiency of the switch and reduces losses. The collector, base, and emitter each have respective terminals, and an AC component of current passing through the base terminal is greater than an AC component of current passing through the emitter terminal. Additionally, in an on-state a first alternating current between the base and collector terminals is greater than a second alternating current between the collector and emitter terminals. In other words, AC passes primarily between collector and base as controlled by a DC current between the base and emitter.
Claims22
A switch comprising:
- a collector having a collector terminal;
- an emitter having an emitter terminal;
- a base coupled to the emitter at a base-emitter junction, the base having a base terminal;
- and
- an intrinsic region arranged between the base and the collector,
- an alternating current source arranged to drive an alternating current between the base terminal and the collector terminal;
- a controller configured to apply a direct current from the base to the emitter, an amplitude of the direct current controlling an amplitude of the alternating current passing between the base terminal and the collector terminal.
A switch comprising:
- a collector having a collector terminal;
- an emitter having an emitter terminal;
- a base having a base terminal, the base being coupled to the emitter via a base-emitter junction;
- and
- an intrinsic region arranged between the base and the collector,
- an alternating current loop including an alternating current source, the base terminal, and the collector terminal, and further including an alternating current passing through the base terminal and the collector terminal;
- a controller configured to apply a direct current from the base terminal to the emitter terminal, an amplitude of the direct current controlling an amplitude of the alternating current passing through the base terminal and the collector terminal,
- wherein an amplitude of the alternating current passing through the base terminal and the collector terminal is greater than an amplitude of alternating current passing through the emitter terminal.
A switch comprising:
- a collector having a collector terminal;
- an emitter having an emitter terminal;
- a base coupled to the emitter at a base-emitter junction, the base having a base terminal;
- an intrinsic region arranged between the base and the collector;
- an alternating current source arranged to generate an alternating current between the collector terminal and the base terminal where the alternating current is substantially the same at the base terminal and the collector terminal;
- and
- a controller configured to apply a direct current from the base to the emitter, an amplitude of the direct current controlling an amplitude of the alternating current passing between the base terminal and the collector terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.