Clamp for a hybrid switch
AssigneePower Integrations, Inc.
InventorsHartley Horwitz, Sorin Georgescu, Kuo-Chang Robert Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cascode switch circuit includes a normally-on device cascode coupled to a normally-of device between first and second terminals of the cascode switch circuit. A leakage clamp circuit is coupled between first and second terminals of the normally-off device. The leakage clamp circuit is coupled to clamp a voltage at an intermediate terminal between the normally-on device and the normally-off device at a threshold voltage level. The leakage clamp circuit is further coupled to clamp a voltage between the second terminal of the normally-on device and the control terminal of the normally-on device at the threshold voltage level to keep the normally-on device off when the normally-on device and the normally-off device are off.
Claims15
A cascode switch circuit having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, the cascode switch circuit comprising:
- a normally-on device including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal;
- a normally-off device including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, wherein the normally-on device and the normally-off device are cascode coupled between the first and second terminals of the cascode switch circuit;
- and
- a leakage clamp circuit coupled between the first and second terminals of the normally-off device, wherein the leakage clamp circuit is coupled to clamp a voltage at an intermediate terminal between the normally-on device and the normally-off device at a threshold voltage level, wherein the leakage clamp circuit is further coupled to clamp a voltage between the second terminal of the normally-on device and the control terminal of the normally-on device at the threshold voltage level to keep the normally-on device off when the normally-on device and the normally-off device are off, wherein the leakage clamp circuit comprises:
- a resistor;
- and
- a Zener diode coupled in series with the resistor such that both the resistor and the Zener diode are coupled between the first and second terminals of the normally-off device, and such that both the resistor and the Zener diode are coupled between the second terminal of the normally-on device and the control terminal of the normally-on device.
A leakage clamp circuit for use in a cascode switch circuit, the leakage clamp circuit comprising:
- a resistor having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the resistor is coupled to an intermediate terminal of the cascode switch circuit, wherein the intermediate terminal is coupled between a normally-on device and a normally-off device, wherein the normally-on device and the normally-off device are cascode coupled between a first and second terminals of the cascode switch circuit;
- and
- a Zener diode coupled in series with the second end of the resistor such that both the resistor and the Zener diode are coupled between the intermediate terminal and the second terminal of the cascode switch circuit and such that both the resistor and the Zener diode are coupled between the intermediate terminal and a control terminal of the normally-on device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.