Converter configured to convert a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage and including at least one resistive element

• US 10,447,138 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Riva, Alberto, Oddone, Giorgio
• Primary Examiner(s): Finch, III, Fred E
• Assistant Examiner(s): De Leon Domenech, Rafael O.
• Application Number:
  US15/471,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20180287493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0054 Transistor switching losses periodically suspending operation of switching converter in low power mode H02M1/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A converter configured to convert a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage, may include: a high-side driver circuit having a first terminal coupled to a first die pad; a high-side transistor having a drain terminal coupled to a second die pad and a source terminal coupled to a third die pad; and a low-side transistor having a source terminal coupled to a fourth die pad and a drain terminal coupled to a fifth die pad. The converter may further include a resistive element coupled between the source terminal of the high-side transistor and the drain terminal of the low-side transistor, where a second terminal of the high-side driver circuit is coupled to a sixth die pad.

Claims

1. A converter configured to convert a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage, the converter comprising:

a high-side driver circuit having a first terminal coupled to a first die pad;

a high-side transistor having a drain terminal coupled to a second die pad and a source terminal coupled to a third die pad;

a low-side transistor having a source terminal coupled to a fourth die pad and a drain terminal coupled to a fifth die pad;

a resistive element coupled between the source terminal of the high-side transistor and the drain terminal of the low-side transistor, wherein a second terminal of the high-side driver circuit is coupled to a sixth die pad, wherein the third die pad, the fifth die pad, and the sixth die pad are coupled to a switching pin of a package; and

at least one inductive element, separate from the resistive element, coupled between the third die pad and the fifth die pad, wherein a first electrical path, comprising the resistive element, connects the source terminal of the high-side transistor to the drain terminal of the low-side transistor, wherein a second electrical path, separate from the first electrical path and comprising the at least one inductive element, further connects the source terminal of the high-side transistor to the drain terminal of the low-side transistor, and wherein a third electrical path, separate from the first electrical path and the second electrical path, directly couples the sixth die pad to the switching pin.

2. The converter of claim 1, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal of the high-side driver circuit comprise a power terminal and a reference terminal of the high-side driver circuit.

3. The converter of claim 1, wherein the high-side driver circuit is configured to output a high-side drive signal to a gate terminal of the high-side transistor.

4. The converter of claim 1, wherein the first die pad is configured to be coupled to a boot pin of the package by a bonding wire.

5. The converter of claim 1, wherein the second die pad is configured to be coupled to an input voltage pin of the package by a bonding wire.

6. The converter of claim 1, wherein the third die pad, the fifth die pad, and the sixth die pad are coupled to the switching pin of the package by respective bonding wires.

7. The converter of claim 1, wherein the fourth die pad is configured to be coupled to ground pin of the package by a bonding wire.

8. The converter of claim 1, further comprising a second resistive element coupled between the second terminal of the high-side driver circuit and the source terminal of the high-side transistor.

9. A converter configured to convert a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage, the converter comprising:

a high-side switching transistor coupled between a voltage input node and a high-side switching node;

a low-side switching transistor coupled between a low-side switching node and a ground node;

a first resistive element coupled between the high-side switching node and the low-side switching node;

a high-side driver having a first terminal coupled to a boot node and a second terminal coupled to an auxiliary switching node different from the low-side switching node and the high-side switching node, the high-side driver being configured to control an operation of the high-side switching transistor, wherein a first electrical path, comprising the first resistive element, directly connects the high-side switching node to the low-side switching node, and wherein a second electrical path, separate from the first electrical path and comprising at least one inductive element, further directly connects the high-side switching node to the low-side switching node; and

a package comprising;

a boot pin configured to be coupled to the boot node by a first bonding wire;

a voltage input pin configured to be coupled to the voltage input node by a second bonding wire;

a switching pin configured to be directly coupled to the high-side switching node, the auxiliary switching node, and the low-side switching node by a third bonding wire, a fourth bonding wire, and a fifth bonding wire, respectively; and

a ground pin configured to be coupled to the ground node by a sixth bonding wire.

10. The converter of claim 9, further comprising a low-side driver having a first terminal configured to receive a power supply voltage and a second terminal coupled to the ground node, the low-side driver being configured to control an operation of the low-side switching transistor.

11. The converter of claim 9, further comprising a second resistive element coupled between the second terminal of the high-side driver and the high-side switching node.

12. The converter of claim 11, wherein a resistance of the second resistive element is between about 1 Ohm and about 10 Ohms.

13. The converter of claim 9, wherein an inductance of the fourth bonding wire is between about 0.5 nH and about 2 nH.

14. The converter of claim 9, further comprising a boot capacitor coupled between the boot pin and the switching pin of the package.

15. A converter configured to convert a DC input voltage to a DC output voltage, the converter comprising:

a high-side transistor having a drain terminal and a source terminal respectively coupled to a voltage input pin and a switching pin of a package by a first pair of bonding wires;

a high-side driver having a first terminal and a second terminal respectively coupled to a boot pin and the switching pin of the package by a second pair of bonding wires different from the first pair of bonding wires, the high-side driver being configured to output a high-side drive signal to a gate terminal of the high-side transistor;

a low-side transistor having a drain terminal and a source terminal respectively coupled to the switching pin and a ground pin of the package by a third pair of bonding wires different from the second pair of bonding wires;

a first resistor coupled between the source terminal of the high-side transistor and the drain terminal of the low-side transistor;

a boot capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the switching pin of the package and a second terminal coupled to the boot pin of the package; and

an output inductor having a first terminal directly coupled without any intervening resistor to the switching pin of the package and directly coupled without any intervening resistor to the first terminal of the boot capacitor, wherein the DC output voltage is produced at a second pin of the output inductor.

16. The converter of claim 15, further comprising a second resistor coupled between the second terminal of the high-side driver and the source terminal of the high-side transistor.

17. The converter of claim 15, further comprising a low-side driver having a first terminal configured to receive an internal power signal and a second terminal coupled to the source terminal of the low-side transistor, the low-side driver being configured to output a low-side drive signal to a gate terminal of the low-side transistor.

18. The converter of claim 17, further comprising a control logic circuit configured to provide the internal power signal and control signals to each of the high-side driver and the low-side driver.