System and Method for Driving a Transistor

• US 20160065086A1
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Zojer, Bernhard, Kutschak, Matteo
• Granted Patent: US 9,467,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/063 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/133 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/687 the devices being field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/017509 Interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0081 Power supply means, e.g. to the switch driver

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit for driving a control terminal of a switching transistor includes a driver having an output configured to be coupled to the control terminal of the switching transistor, a first power supply terminal configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a floating power supply, a second power supply terminal configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the floating power supply, and a switching input terminal configured to receive a switching signal. The circuit further includes a bias circuit having an output terminal configured to be coupled to a common-mode control terminal of the floating power supply, wherein the bias circuit is configured to provide a time dependent voltage.

Claims

1. A circuit for driving a control terminal of a switching transistor, the circuit comprising:

a driver comprising an output configured to be coupled to the control terminal of the switching transistor, a first power supply terminal configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a floating power supply, a second power supply terminal configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the floating power supply, and a switching input terminal configured to receive a switching signal; and

a bias circuit having an output terminal configured to be coupled to a common-mode control terminal of the floating power supply, wherein the bias circuit is configured to provide a time dependent voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising the floating power supply.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the floating power supply comprises:

a first coil;

a first diode coupled between the first terminal of the floating power supply and the first coil;

a second coil coupled to the first coil at the common-mode control terminal and to the second terminal of the floating power supply; and

a second diode coupled between the second coil and the second terminal of the floating power supply, wherein the second coil is magnetically coupled to the first coil.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the switching transistor comprises a normally-on transistor.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the circuit further comprises the normally-on transistor.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein the normally-on transistor comprises a GaN HEMT device, and the control terminal of the normally-on transistor comprises a gate of the GaN HEMT.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the time dependent voltage comprises a voltage based on a threshold of the switching transistor.

8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the voltage based on the threshold of the switching transistor comprises a voltage being substantially equal to the threshold of the switching transistor.

9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the bias circuit comprises a replica of the switching transistor.

10. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the driver is configured to:

turn-on the switching transistor by coupling a voltage of the first power supply terminal to the control terminal of the transistor; and

turn-off the switching transistor by coupling a voltage of the second power supply terminal to the control terminal of the switching transistor.

11. A method of controlling a switching transistor, the method comprising:

turning on the switching transistor by driving a control terminal of the switching transistor with a first voltage of a floating power supply;

turning off the switching transistor by driving a control terminal of the switching transistor with a second voltage of the floating power supply; and

biasing a common-mode control terminal of the floating power supply with a voltage based on a threshold of the switching transistor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the voltage based on the threshold of the switching transistor is substantially equal to the threshold of the switching transistor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein biasing the common-mode control terminal of the floating power supply comprises providing a threshold voltage of a replica of the switching transistor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of turning on and turning off are performed according to a switching signal.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the switching transistor comprises a normally-on transistor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the switching transistor comprises a GaN HEMT device, and the control terminal of the switching transistor comprises a gate of the GaN HEMT.

17. A switching circuit comprising:

a floating power supply comprising a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and a common-mode terminal;

a driver circuit comprising a first power supply terminal coupled to the positive terminal of the power supply, a second power supply terminal coupled to the negative terminal of the power supply, and an output terminal configured to be coupled to a control terminal of a switching transistor; and

a common-mode bias circuit having an output coupled to the common-mode terminal of the floating power supply, wherein the common-mode bias circuit is configured to provide a voltage based on a threshold of the switching transistor at the output of the common-mode bias circuit.

18. The switching circuit of claim 17, further comprising the switching transistor.

19. The switching circuit of claim 18, wherein:

the switching transistor comprises a normally-on transistor; and

the normally-on transistor comprises a GaN HEMT device, and the control terminal of the switching transistor comprises a gate of the GaN HEMT.

20. The switching circuit of claim 17, wherein the common-mode bias circuit comprises a voltage buffer amplifier having an output coupled to the common-mode terminal of the floating power supply.

21. The switching circuit of claim 20, further comprising a capacitor coupled between a load-path terminal of the switching transistor and the output of the voltage buffer amplifier.

22. The switching circuit of claim 21, further comprising a replica transistor coupled to an input of the voltage buffer amplifier.

23. The switching circuit of claim 17, wherein the floating power supply comprises a transformer and the common-mode terminal of the floating power supply comprises a center-tap terminal of the transformer.