SWITCHED-CAPACITOR CONVERTERS WITH LOW VOLTAGE GATE DRIVERS

• US 20180159427A1
• Filed: 11/15/2017
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: pSemi Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Original Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Giuliano, David, Szczeszynski, Gregory, Barrett, JR., Raymond
• Granted Patent: US 10,263,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/088 for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type

Abstract

An apparatus for converting voltage includes terminals coupled to external circuits at corresponding voltages and a switching network having driving circuits and semiconductor switches that interconnect capacitors in successive states to one another and to the terminals. The switches interconnect some capacitors to one another through a series of switches when an activation pattern causes them to be activated. Each driving circuit has power connections, a control input, and a drive output coupled to and controlling at least one switch. A drive output of one of them couples to and drives each switch. Some of the driving circuits are powered via corresponding power connections from at least one of the capacitors such that a voltage across the corresponding power connections is less than a highest of the corresponding voltages. The terminals and the switching network are constituents of a switched capacitor converter.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a circuit and a controller for operating said circuit, wherein said circuit is a dual-phase series-parallel switched capacitor circuit configured to be connected between a source and a load, wherein said circuit comprises first and second charge-transfer paths, gate drivers along said first charge-transfer path, first and second sets of capacitors and first and second sets of transistors, wherein said first set of capacitors and said first set of transistors defines a first phase, wherein said second set of capacitors and said second set of transistors defines a second phase, wherein a set of capacitors powers said gate drivers, wherein said set of capacitors is along one of said first charge-transfer path and said second charge-transfer path, wherein said controller causes said circuit to transition between first and second states at a specific frequency, wherein in said first state, said first set of capacitors is in parallel with a load connected to said output and said second set of capacitors is in series in between said source and said load, and wherein, in said second state, said second set of capacitors is in parallel with a load connected to said output and said first set of capacitors is in series in between said source and said load, whereby said gate drivers derive power from capacitors in both phases.