GATE DRIVE APPARATUS

• US 20160218708A1
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Published: 07/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: NEGORO, NOBORU
• Application Number:
  US15/089,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20160218708A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8252 the substrate being a semiconductor, using III-V technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0605 integrated circuits made of compound material, e.g. AIIIBV
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0629 in combination with diodes, or resistors, or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/205 in different semiconductor regions , e.g. heterojunctions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/41766 with at least part of the source or drain electrode having contact below the semiconductor surface, e.g. the source or drain electrode formed at least partially in a groove or with inclusions of conductor inside the semiconductor H01L29/41733 - H01L29/41758 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/47 Schottky barrier electrodes H01L29/435 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66128 Planar diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66212 Schottky diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66462 with a heterojunction interface channel or gate, e.g. HFET, HIGFET, SISFET, HJFET, HEMT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7786 with direct single heterostructure, i.e. with wide bandgap layer formed on top of active layer, e.g. direct single heterostructure MIS-like HEMT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7787 with wide bandgap charge-carrier supplying layer, e.g. direct single heterostructure MODFET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/861 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/872 Schottky diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/04106 in field-effect transistor switches H03K17/0412, H03K17/0416 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/063 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/687 the devices being field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/691 using transformer coupling

Abstract

A gate drive apparatus with an improved gate drive capability to control a switching device includes a signal transmitter, a signal receiver, and an electromagnetic resonance coupler. The signal transmitter includes a gate control signal generator, an oscillator circuit, and a mixer circuit. The signal receiver includes a positive voltage outputting rectifier circuit, a negative voltage outputting rectifier circuit, and a pull-down resistor. The positive voltage outputting rectifier circuit has a positive voltage outputting diode, a first inductor, and a first capacitor. The negative voltage outputting rectifier circuit has a negative voltage outputting diode, a second inductor, and a second capacitor. In the signal receiver, the diode of each rectifier circuit has an anode electrode made of a metal having a low work function. This configuration improves an output voltage amplitude of the gate drive apparatus.

Claims

1. A gate drive apparatus comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a coupler disposed between the transmitter and the receiver,

wherein

the transmitter includes an oscillator having a diode,

the receiver includes a rectifier circuit having a diode, and

the diode of the transmitter is different in anode electrode from the diode of the receiver.

2. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the anode electrode of the diode in the transmitter is higher in work function than the anode electrode of the diode in the receiver.

3. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rectifier circuit includes a first rectifier circuit configured to output a positive voltage, and a second rectifier circuit configured to output a negative voltage.

4. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the transmitter further includes a gate control signal generator, and a mixer,

the oscillator generates a carrier signal,

the gate control signal generator generates a gate control signal, and

the mixer superimposes the carrier signal on the gate control signal to generate a superimposed signal, and generates a positive voltage output signal and a negative voltage output signal.

5. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

each of the diodes includes:

a substrate;

a buffer layer, a carrier supply layer, and a barrier layer sequentially disposed on the substrate and each made of a group III nitride semiconductor; and

a cathode electrode and an anode electrode disposed on the carrier supply layer or the barrier layer.

6. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the diode of the rectifier circuit has, as a part of the anode electrode, a recess formed to pass through the barrier layer and reach the carrier supply layer.

7. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the oscillator includes a transistor, and

the transistor includes

a substrate,

a semiconductor layer including a buffer layer, a carrier supply layer, and a barrier layer each made of a nitride semiconductor, the semiconductor layer being disposed on the substrate, and

a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer.

8. A gate drive apparatus comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a coupler disposed between the transmitter and the receiver,

wherein

the receiver includes a first rectifier circuit having a first diode, and a second rectifier circuit having a second diode, and

the first diode is different in anode electrode from the second diode.

9. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the first rectifier circuit is configured to output a positive voltage and the second rectifier circuit is configured to output a negative voltage.

10. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the anode electrode of the first diode is higher in work function than the anode electrode of the second diode.

11. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the transmitter includes an oscillator, a gate control signal generator, and a mixer,

the oscillator generates a carrier signal,

the gate control signal generator generates a gate control signal, and

the mixer superimposes the carrier signal on the gate control signal to generate a superimposed signal, and generates a positive voltage output signal and a negative voltage output signal.

12. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

each of the diodes includes:

a substrate;

a buffer layer, a carrier supply layer, and a barrier layer sequentially disposed on the substrate and each made of a group III nitride semiconductor; and

a cathode electrode and an anode electrode disposed on the carrier supply layer or the barrier layer.

13. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the diode of the rectifier circuit has, as a part of the anode electrode, a recess formed to pass through the barrier layer and reach the carrier supply layer.

14. The gate drive apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the oscillator includes a transistor, and

the transistor includes

a substrate,

a semiconductor layer including a buffer layer, a carrier supply layer, and a barrier layer each made of a nitride semiconductor, the semiconductor layer being disposed on the substrate, and

a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode disposed on the semiconductor layer.