DETECTOR AND A VOLTAGE CONVERTER

• US 20150016163A1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Marbler, Wolfgang, Granig, Wolfgang, Krainer, Siegfried
• Granted Patent: US 10,132,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/78
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/205 using magneto-resistance devices, e.g. field plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/09 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/80 Constructional details
• 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 detector for detecting an occurrence of a current strength of interest of a current of a signal to be sensed includes a magnetoresistive structure and a detection unit. The magnetoresistive structure varies a resistance depending on a magnetic field caused by the current of the signal to be sensed. Further, the detection unit generates and provides a current detection signal indicating an occurrence of the current strength of interest based on a detected magnitude of the varying resistance of the magnetoresistive structure.

Claims

1. A detector for detecting an occurrence of a current strength of interest of a current of a signal to be sensed, the detector comprising:

a magnetoresistive structure configured to vary a resistance depending on a magnetic field caused by the current of the signal to be sensed; and

a detection unit configured to generate and provide a current detection signal indicating an occurrence of the current strength of interest based on a detected magnitude of the varying resistance of the magnetoresistive structure.

2. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is configured to detect a magnitude of the varying resistance of the magnetoresistive structure by generating a sensor signal indicating the resistance of the magnetoresistive structure and compare the sensor signal with a predefined threshold indicating a resistance of the magnetoresistive structure at the current strength of interest of the current of the signal to be sensed.

3. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive structure comprises at least a non-magnetic layer arranged between a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer, so that the resistance of this layer stack varies depending on a magnetic field caused by a current of the signal to be sensed.

4. The detector according to claim 3, wherein the non-magnetic layer is an electrically conductive layer, so that the variation of the resistance is based on a giant magnetoresistive effect, or the non-magnetic layer is an electrically insulating layer, so that the variation of the resistance is based on a tunnel magnetoresistive effect.

5. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is configured to generate the zero current detection signal indicating a temporal occurrence of the current strength of interest of the current of the signal to be sensed, wherein the current of the signal to be sensed comprises the current strength of interest with a frequency of more than 1 kHz.

6. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive structure and an electrically conductive line configured to carry the signal to be sensed are manufactured on the same semiconductor die.

7. The detector according to claim 6, wherein the magnetoresistive structure is manufactured between an intermetallic oxide layer and a passivation layer of the semiconductor die, wherein a part of the electrically conductive line closest to the magnetoresistive structure is manufactured directly below the magnetoresistive structure with the intermetallic oxide layer in between.

8. The detector according to claim 1, comprising a switching element, wherein the detection unit is configured to provide the current detection signal to the switching element, so that a switching of the switching element is triggered by an occurrence of the current strength of interest of the current of the signal to be sensed.

9. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the magnetoresistive structure is at least partly surrounded by an inductor carrying the signal to be sensed.

10. The detector according to claim 11, wherein the detection unit is configured to generate a status signal indicating a status of the inductor.

11. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is configured to generate a measurement signal indicating information on a magnetic field strength or a current strength of the signal to be sensed.

12. The detector according to claim 1, wherein the current strength of interest is a zero current of the signal to be sensed.

13. The detector according to claim 1, comprising an adjustment module configured to adjust a range of maximal sensitivity of the magnetoresistive structure so that a magnetic field caused by the current strength of interest of the current of the signal to be sensed lies in the range of maximal sensitivity of the magnetoresistive structure or the magnetoresistive structure is configured so that a magnetic field caused by the current strength of interest of the current of the signal to be sensed lies in a range of maximal sensitivity of the magnetoresistive structure.

14. A voltage converter comprising:

an input unit configured to receive a voltage signal to be converted;

a magnetoresistive structure configured to vary a resistance depending on a magnetic field caused by the voltage signal to be converted or a processed signal obtained by processing the voltage signal to be converted;

a detection unit configured to generate and provide a current detection signal indicating an occurrence of the current strength of interest within the voltage signal to be converted or the processed signal obtained by processing the voltage signal to be converted based on a detected magnitude of the varying resistance of the magnetoresistive structure; and

a converter unit configured to covert the voltage signal to be converted or the processed signal obtained by processing the voltage signal to be converted to a converted voltage signal based on the current detection signal.

15. The voltage converter according to claim 14, wherein the converter unit comprises at least one switching element configured to switch the voltage signal to be converted or the processed signal obtained by processing the voltage signal to be converted, wherein the detection unit is configured to provide the current detection signal to the switching element, so that a switching of the switching element is triggered by an occurrence of the current strength of interest of the current of the voltage signal to be converted or the processed signal obtained by processing the voltage signal to be converted.

16. The voltage converter according to claim 14, wherein the magnetoresistive structure is located in the proximity of an electrically conductive line configured to carry the voltage signal to be converted or the processed signal obtained by processing the voltage signal to be converted, wherein the electrically conductive line is connected to a source or drain of the switching element, is connected to an inductor or builds up a coil of an inductor.

17. The voltage converter according to claim 14, wherein the voltage converter is configured to rectify the voltage signal to be converted.

18. The voltage converter according to claim 14, configured to convert a power of more than 1 W.

19. A method for detecting an occurrence of a current strength of interest of a current of a signal to be sensed comprising:

carrying out a detection of the current strength of interest of the current of the signal to be sensed with a magnetoresistive structure configured to vary a resistance depending on a magnetic field caused by a current of the signal to be sensed.

20. The method according to claim 19, the method comprising:

generating a current detection signal indicating information on whether the current of the signal to be sensed comprises the current strength of interest based on a detected magnitude of a varying resistance of a magnetoresistive structure, wherein the resistance of the magnetoresistive structure varies depending on a magnetic field caused by the current of the signal to be sensed; and

providing the current detection signal.