Methods for overdriving a base current of an emitter switched bipolar junction transistor and corresponding circuits

Abstract

An emitter switched bipolar transistor circuit includes a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) having a collector coupled to an output terminal, a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) coupled to an emitter of the BJT, a bias voltage supply coupled to the base of the BJT, a buffer coupled to the base of the BJT, and a comparator. The comparator includes a first input coupled to the collector of the BJT, a second input coupled to a voltage reference, and an output coupled to an input of the buffer. The comparator is configured to receive a collector voltage of the BJT at the first input of the comparator, compare the received collector voltage with the voltage reference, and cause the buffer to inject a current pulse to the base of the BJT until the collector voltage is less than the voltage reference, indicating the BJT is substantially saturated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.