Efficient IGBT switching

• US 10,389,345 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EHT Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Eagle Harbor Technolologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Ziemba, Timothy, Miller, Kenneth E., Carscadden, John G., Prager, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaplan, Hal
• Application Number:
  US15/435,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 307140, 327365, 327434
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/54 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49844 for devices being provided for in H01L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7393 Insulated gate bipolar mode transistors, i.e. IGBT; IGT; COMFET
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0406 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/567 Circuits characterised by the use of more than one type of semiconductor device, e.g. BIMOS, composite devices such as IGBT
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0036 Means reducing energy consumption

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide IGBT circuit modules with increased efficiencies. These efficiencies can be realized in a number of ways. In some embodiments, the gate resistance and/or voltage can be minimized. In some embodiments, the IGBT circuit module can be switched using an isolated receiver such as a fiber optic receiver. In some embodiments, a single driver can drive a single IGBT. And in some embodiments, a current bypass circuit can be included. Various other embodiments of the invention are disclosed.

Claims

1. A solid-state switch circuit module comprising

a circuit board;

a solid-state switch coupled with the circuit board having a gate, a collector, and an emitter;

a driver that provides current to the gate of the solid-state switch coupled with the circuit board; and

a plurality of traces, wherein a first trace of the plurality of traces electrically couples the gate and the driver,

wherein the circuit module is configured to couple with a load between the emitter and the collector, wherein the first trace has an inductance less than 100 nH;

wherein the solid-state switch includes a manufacturer-specified current rise time, and wherein the voltage at the gate is brought to a full voltage in a time less than the manufacturer-specified current rise time.

2. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch includes a manufacturer-specified current fall time, and wherein the voltage at the gate is discharged in a time less than the manufacturer-specified current fall time.

3. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch includes a manufacturer-specified current rise time, and wherein the voltage between the collector and the emitter is brought to a minimum voltage in a time less than the manufacturer-specified current rise time.

4. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch circuit module includes an internal circuit module inductance that is greater than 50 nH.

5. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 4, wherein the internal circuit module inductance includes either or both an internal solid-state switch inductance and a stray circuit module inductance.

6. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, further comprising a current bypass circuit between the collector and the emitter.

7. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the driver is coupled with a single solid-state switch.

8. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the driver is coupled with a pre-driver.

9. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the first trace directly couples the driver with the gate without an additional component.

10. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the first trace directly couples the driver with the gate without a resistor.

11. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch has a manufacturer-specified switching loss, and the switching loss of the solid-state switch circuit module is less than the manufacturer-specified switching loss.

12. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch has a manufacturer-specified current fall time, and the current fall time of the solid-state switch circuit module is less than the manufacturer-specified current fall time.

13. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch has a manufacturer specified turn-on delay time, and the turn-on delay time of the solid-state switch circuit module is less than the manufacturer specified turn-on delay time.

14. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch has a manufacturer specified turn-off delay time, and the turn-off delay time of the solid-state switch circuit module is less than the manufacturer specified turn-off delay time.

15. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein a turn-off delay time is less than 100 ns.

16. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein turn-on delay time is less than 40 ns.

17. The solid-state switch circuit module according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state switch comprises an IGBT.

18. A solid-state switch circuit module comprising

a circuit board;

an solid-state switch coupled with the circuit board having a gate, a collector, and an emitter;

a driver that provides current to the gate of the solid-state switch coupled with the circuit board; and

a plurality of traces, wherein a first trace of the plurality of traces electrically couples the gate and the driver, wherein the first trace has a resistance less than 1 ohm,

wherein the circuit module is configured to couple with a load between the emitter and the collector,

wherein the solid-state switch has a manufacturer specified turn-on delay time, and the turn-on delay time of the solid-state switch circuit module is less than the manufacturer specified turn-on delay time.