BOOTSTRAP CAPACITOR CHARGING CIRCUIT FOR GAN DEVICES

• US 20160079785A1
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navitas Semiconductor Limited (Navitas Semiconductor Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Navitas Semiconductor, Inc.
• Inventors: Kinzer, Daniel M., Sharma, Santosh, Zhang, Ju Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,960,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48257 connecting the wire to a die pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49503 characterised by the die pad
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49562 for devices being provided for in H01L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49575 Assemblies of semiconductor devices on lead frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/528 Geometry or layout of the interconnection structure H01L27/0207 takes precedence; algorithms G06F30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/62 Protection against overvoltage, e.g. fuses, shunts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/072 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0248 for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/088 the components being field-effect transistors with insulated gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0883 Combination of depletion and enhancement field effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1033 with insulated gate, e.g. characterised by the length, the width, the geometric contour or the doping structure with channel and gate aligned in the lengthwise direction H01L29/42376; with buried channel H01L29/7838
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/402 Field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41758 for lateral devices with structured layout for source or drain region, i.e. the source or drain region having cellular, interdigitated or ring structure or being curved or angular H01L29/41733 - H01L29/4175 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0048 : Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses using snubbers H02M1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/088 : for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 : using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/157 : with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 : with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 : comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/102 : in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018507 : Interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/012 : Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/356017 : using additional transistors in the input circuit H03K3/356104, H03K3/3562 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 : Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• 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

GaN-based half bridge power conversion circuits employ control, support and logic functions that are monolithically integrated on the same devices as the power transistors. In some embodiments a low side GaN device communicates through one or more level shift circuits with a high side GaN device. Both the high side and the low side devices may have one or more integrated control, support and logic functions. Some devices employ electro-static discharge circuits and features formed within the GaN-based devices to improve the reliability and performance of the half bridge power conversion circuits.

Claims

1. A charging circuit comprising:

a GaN-based semiconductor circuit configured to allow unidirectional current flow from a ground referenced power supply to a floating power supply terminal.

2. The charging circuit of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor circuit is configured to be capable of operating with the floating power supply terminal at a voltage that is 20 volts or greater than a voltage of the ground referenced power supply.

3. The charging circuit of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor circuit comprises at least one of:

a schottky diode, an enhancement mode transistor or a depletion mode transistor.

4. The charging circuit of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor circuit comprises an enhancement-mode transistor that includes a gate and a source connected to a common voltage potential.

5. The charging circuit of claim 4 wherein the drain of the enhancement-mode transistor is connected to the floating power supply terminal.

6. The charging circuit of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor circuit comprises an enhancement transistor that includes a gate that is controlled by a gate drive circuit.

7. The charging circuit of claim 6 wherein the drain of the enhancement mode transistor is connected to the floating power supply terminal.

8. The charging circuit of claim 7 wherein the enhancement mode transistor includes a drain that is connected to a source of a depletion mode transistor, and wherein a drain of the depletion mode transistor is connected to the floating power supply terminal.

9. The charging circuit of claim 8 wherein a gate of the depletion mode transistor is connected to the ground referenced power supply.

10. The charging circuit of claim 8 wherein a gate of the depletion mode transistor is connected to ground.

11. The charging circuit of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor circuit is used in conjunction with a half bridge circuit comprising:

a low side GaN-based transistor having a low side transistor control gate configured to receive a low side gate signal from a ground referenced gate drive circuit; and

a high side GaN-based transistor having a high side transistor control gate configured to receive a high side gate signal from a gate drive circuit that is referenced to a second floating power supply terminal.

12. The charging circuit of claim 11 wherein the second floating power supply terminal is a switch node of the half bridge circuit.

13. The charging circuit of claim 11 wherein a capacitor is connected between the floating power supply terminal and the second floating power supply terminal.

14. The charging circuit of claim 11 wherein the semiconductor circuit comprises an enhancement-mode transistor including a gate that is controlled by a gate drive circuit;

and

wherein the gate drive circuit is configured such that it provides an output voltage that is in phase with the low side gate signal.

15. The charging circuit of claim 14 further comprising a delay circuit configured to turn on the enhancement-mode transistor after the low side GaN-based transistor turns on.

16. The charging circuit of claim 14 further comprising a delay circuit configured to turn off the enhancement-mode transistor before the low side GaN-based transistor turns off.

17. An electronic power conversion component comprising:

a package base;

one or more GaN-based dies secured to the package base and including a charging circuit comprising;

a GaN-based semiconductor circuit configured to allow unidirectional current flow from a ground referenced power supply to a floating power supply terminal.

18. The electronic power conversion component of claim 17 wherein the semiconductor circuit comprises at least one of a:

a schottky diode, an enhancement mode transistor and a depletion mode transistor.

19. The electronic power conversion component of claim 17 wherein the semiconductor circuit includes an enhancement mode transistor having a drain that is connected to a source of a depletion mode transistor, and wherein a drain of the depletion mode transistor is connected to the floating power supply terminal.

20. A method of operating GaN-based charging circuit, the method comprising:

supplying power with a ground referenced power supply to a first terminal of a GaN-based semiconductor circuit;

allowing current to flow through the GaN-based semiconductor circuit only in a direction from the first terminal to a second terminal;

wherein the second terminal is a floating power supply.