Intelligent power modules for resonant converters

• US 10,476,494 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Ltd.
• Inventors: Suh, Bum-Seok, Cho, Wonjin, Tran, Son
• Primary Examiner(s): Comber, Kevin J
• Application Number:
  US15/464,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20180269863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 361 915
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4903 Connectors having different sizes, e.g. different diameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49113 the connectors connecting different bonding areas on the semiconductor or solid-state body to a common bonding area outside the body, e.g. converging wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/20 responsive to excess voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/207 also responsive to under-voltage window comparators for indication G01R19/165
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/24 responsive to undervoltage or no-voltage H02H3/207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/04 responsive to abnormal temperature specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 6/00 Emergency protective circuit arrangements responsive to undesired changes from normal non-electric working conditions using simulators of the apparatus being protected, e.g. using thermal images
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/04 responsive to excess voltage lightning arrestors H01C7/12, H01C8/04, H01G9/18, H01T
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/041 using a short-circuiting device
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0828 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/164 using parallel switching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/168 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/18 Modifications for indicating state of switch
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/062 for cooking plates or the like

Abstract

An intelligent power module includes a power switch, a freewheeling device, and a controller circuit incorporating a gate drive circuit and one or more power switch protection circuits. In one embodiment, the power switch is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device, the freewheeling device is a PN junction diode, and the controller circuit is implemented as a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC). The power module implements protection functions for the power switching device where the protection circuits are formed on the controller circuit IC and co-packaged with the power switch. In some embodiments, the control circuit in the power module includes an active soft-start circuit which is activated to realize soft-start of the power switch. In other embodiments, the control circuit in the power module includes an active turn-on pulse control circuit to detect for abnormal system input signal pulse events and block system undesired input pulses.

Claims

1. A semiconductor package, comprising:

a power switch being a discrete device and having a control terminal and first and second power terminals;

a freewheeling device being a discrete device, the freewheeling device being connected electrically in parallel to the first and second power terminals of the power switch; and

a controller circuit being a monolithic integrated circuit, the controller circuit having a first output terminal connected to the control terminal of the power switch, a first input terminal receiving an input signal and a second input terminal receiving a feedback signal, the input signal determining an on-period and off-period of the power switch, the controller circuit comprising a normal gate drive circuit for generating a gate drive signal to drive the control terminal of the power switch in response to the input signal and a protection circuit implementing at least one protection function for the power switch,

wherein the semiconductor package comprises a first terminal being the first power terminal of the power switch, a second terminal being the second power terminal of the power switch, a third terminal coupled to the first input terminal of the controller circuit, and a fourth terminal coupled to the second input terminal of the controller circuit; and

wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit comprises a soft-start protection circuit comprising a soft-start gate drive circuit and a soft-start control circuit, the soft-start control circuit being configured to detect a first system input signal pulse following power up of the controller circuit, or following an idle period of the system input signal, or following removal of a fault condition, the soft-start control circuit being configured to turn on the soft-start gate drive circuit to in response to detecting the first system input signal pulse, the soft-start gate drive circuit being configured to drive the power switch with a slowly rising voltage to softly turn on the power switch.

2. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor package further comprises a fifth terminal receiving a positive power supply voltage and a sixth terminal receiving a ground voltage, the fifth terminal being coupled to a power supply terminal of the controller circuit and the sixth terminal being coupled to a ground terminal of the controller circuit.

3. The semiconductor package of claim 2, wherein the protection circuit detects an operating condition of the power switch and generates a fault indicator signal in response to a fault condition being detected, and the controller circuit is configured to block the system input signal from driving the power switch through the normal gate drive circuit in response to the fault indicator signal being asserted.

4. The semiconductor package of claim 3, wherein the fault condition comprises one of an under-voltage of the positive power supply voltage, an over-voltage of the positive power supply voltage, and an over-temperature condition.

5. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor package comprises a transistor outline package.

6. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit further comprises an over-voltage protection circuit, the over-voltage protection circuit comprising a protection gate drive circuit and an over-voltage control circuit, the over-voltage control circuit being configured to detect an over-voltage condition across the power switch during an off-period of the power switch and to turn on the protection gate drive circuit during the off-period to drive the power switch with a clamped voltage to turn on the power switch to dissipate the over-voltage.

7. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit further comprises a maximum duty cycle disable circuit configured to monitor a duration of the on period of the system input signal, and to turn off the power switch in response to the duration of the on period exceeding a maximum on duration.

8. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit further comprises an abnormal turn on disable circuit configured to monitor a deassertion transition of the system input signal, and to block the system input signal from driving the power switch through the normal gate drive circuit for a minimum off duration.

9. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the controller circuit further comprises a temperature monitoring circuit configured to generate an over-temperature signal, the over-temperature being coupled to a fifth terminal of the semiconductor package as an output signal.

10. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the power switch comprises an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device and the freewheeling device comprises a PN junction diode.

11. A semiconductor package, comprising:

a power switch being a discrete device and having a control terminal and first and second power terminals;

a freewheeling device being a discrete device, the freewheeling device being connected electrically in parallel to the first and second power terminals of the power switch; and

a controller circuit being a monolithic integrated circuit, the controller circuit having a first output terminal connected to the control terminal of the power switch, a first input terminal receiving an input signal and a second input terminal receiving a feedback signal, the input signal determining an on-period and off-period of the power switch, the controller circuit comprising a normal gate drive circuit for generating a gate drive signal to drive the control terminal of the power switch in response to the input signal and a protection circuit implementing at least one protection function for the power switch,

wherein the semiconductor package comprises a first terminal being the first power terminal of the power switch, a second terminal being the second power terminal of the power switch, a third terminal coupled to the first input terminal of the controller circuit, and a fourth terminal coupled to the second input terminal of the controller circuit; and

wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit comprises an abnormal turn on disable circuit configured to monitor a deassertion transition of the system input signal, and to block the system input signal from driving the power switch through the normal gate drive circuit for a minimum off duration.

12. The semiconductor package of claim 11, wherein the semiconductor package further comprises a fifth terminal receiving a positive power supply voltage and a sixth terminal receiving a ground voltage, the fifth terminal being coupled to a power supply terminal of the controller circuit and the sixth terminal being coupled to a ground terminal of the controller circuit.

13. The semiconductor package of claim 11, wherein the semiconductor package comprises a transistor outline package.

14. The semiconductor package of claim 11, wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit further comprises a soft-start protection circuit comprising a soft-start gate drive circuit and a soft-start control circuit, the soft-start control circuit being configured to detect a first system input signal pulse following power up of the controller circuit, or following an idle period of the system input signal, or following removal of a fault condition, the soft-start control circuit being configured to turn on the soft-start gate drive circuit to in response to detecting the first system input signal pulse, the soft-start gate drive circuit being configured to drive the power switch with a slowly rising voltage to softly turn on the power switch.

15. The semiconductor package of claim 11, wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit further comprises a maximum duty cycle disable circuit configured to monitor a duration of the on period of the system input signal, and to turn off the power switch in response to the duration of the on period exceeding a maximum on duration.

16. A semiconductor package, comprising:

a power switch being a discrete device and having a control terminal and first and second power terminals;

a freewheeling device being a discrete device, the freewheeling device being connected electrically in parallel to the first and second power terminals of the power switch; and

a controller circuit being a monolithic integrated circuit, the controller circuit having a first output terminal connected to the control terminal of the power switch, a first input terminal receiving an input signal and a second input terminal receiving a feedback signal, the input signal determining an on-period and off-period of the power switch, the controller circuit comprising a normal gate drive circuit for generating a gate drive signal to drive the control terminal of the power switch in response to the input signal and a protection circuit implementing at least one protection function for the power switch,

wherein the semiconductor package comprises a first terminal being the first power terminal of the power switch, a second terminal being the second power terminal of the power switch, a third terminal coupled to the first input terminal of the controller circuit, and a fourth terminal coupled to the second input terminal of the controller circuit; and

wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit comprises a maximum duty cycle disable circuit configured to monitor a duration of the on period of the system input signal, and to turn off the power switch in response to the duration of the on period exceeding a maximum on duration.

17. The semiconductor package of claim 16, wherein the semiconductor package further comprises a fifth terminal receiving a positive power supply voltage and a sixth terminal receiving a ground voltage, the fifth terminal being coupled to a power supply terminal of the controller circuit and the sixth terminal being coupled to a ground terminal of the controller circuit.

18. The semiconductor package of claim 16, wherein the semiconductor package comprises a transistor outline package.

19. The semiconductor package of claim 16, wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit further comprises a soft-start protection circuit comprising a soft-start gate drive circuit and a soft-start control circuit, the soft-start control circuit being configured to detect a first system input signal pulse following power up of the controller circuit, or following an idle period of the system input signal, or following removal of a fault condition, the soft-start control circuit being configured to turn on the soft-start gate drive circuit to in response to detecting the first system input signal pulse, the soft-start gate drive circuit being configured to drive the power switch with a slowly rising voltage to softly turn on the power switch.

20. The semiconductor package of claim 16, wherein the protection circuit in the controller circuit comprises an abnormal turn on disable circuit configured to monitor a deassertion transition of the system input signal, and to block the system input signal from driving the power switch for a minimum off duration.

21. The semiconductor package of claim 16, wherein the protection circuit detects an operating condition of the power switch and generates a fault indicator signal in response to a fault condition being detected, and the controller circuit is configured to block the system input signal from driving the power switch through the normal gate drive circuit in response to the fault indicator signal being asserted.