Thyristor control switch for a bidirectional motor

• US 5,889,374 A
• Filed: 02/18/1997
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Pezzani, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US08/801,482
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 318/254, 318/439, 318/138
• US Class Current: 318/400.26
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/747 Bidirectional devices, e.g. triacs
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/05 by means of electronic switching
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/295 of the kind having a thyristor or the like in series with the power supply and the motor

Abstract

An on/off switching component of a motor powered according to a first or a second polarity, connected in series with the motor. The switching component includes two head-to-tail connected cathode gate thyristors, and two diodes of same polarity. The two diodes have first same polarity terminals respectively connected to the gate of a respective one of the two cathode gate thyristors and second terminals connected together to a control terminal.

Claims

1. A bidirectional on/off switching component of a motor powered according to a first or a second polarity, the switching component being connected in series with the motor and having a control terminal, comprising:

two head-to-tail connected cathode gate thyristors; and

two diodes of same polarity, having first same polarity terminals respectively connected to a gate of a respective one of the two thyristors, and having second terminals connected together, the connected second terminals being coupled to the control terminal of the switching component.

2. The switching component according to claim 1, realized monolithically, wherein:

the two thyristors are realized vertically in a well of a semi-conductor wafer having a first conductivity type, the well being limited by an insulating wall of the second conductivity type, a cathode of a first thyristor being on an upper side of the well, a cathode of a second thyristor being on a lower side of the well, and a cathode gate region of the second thyristor being connected to the upper side through the insulating wall.

3. The switching component according to claim 1, realized monolithically and including, in a well of a semiconductor wafer of a first conductivity type, the well limited by an insulating wall of a second conductivity type:

first, second, and third regions of the second conductivity type at an upper surface of the well;

a layer of the second conductivity type at a bottom surface of the well;

fourth, fifth, and sixth regions of the first conductivity type formed in the first, second, and third regions, respectively;

a seventh region of the first conductivity type, formed in a bottom surface of the layer of the second conductivity type and located facing a portion of the first region devoid of the fourth region;

an eighth region of the first conductivity type extending the seventh region to a location that faces the insulating wall;

a first metallization coating a bottom surface of the semiconductor wafer;

a second metallization coating the first and fourth regions;

a third metallization coating the second and third regions;

a fourth metallization connecting the fifth region to an upper surface of the insulating wall; and

a fifth metallization coating the first and sixth regions.

4. The switching component according to claim 3, further including a plurality of identical structures located inside insulated wells to define a plurality of switching components having a common main terminal.

5. The switching component according to claim 3, wherein the second and third regions are less doped than the first region.

6. A bidirectional on/off control system of a set of motors, each motor of the set of motors having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of each respective motor being connected in series to a first terminal of a respective switching component, the second terminal of each respective motor and a second terminal of each respective switching component being respectively connectable to a first terminal and a second terminal of a power supply, each respective switching component having a control terminal being connected to a logic output of a controller, wherein each respective switching component comprises:

two head-to-tail connected cathode gate thyristors; and

two diodes of same polarity, having first same polarity terminals respectively connected to a gate of a respective one of the two thyristors, and having second terminals connected together, the connected second terminals being coupled to the control terminal of the respective switching component.

7. A bidirectional switch for controlling a motor, comprising:

a first switch terminal;

a second switch terminal for coupling the bidirectional switch to the motor;

a control terminal;

a first cathode gate thyristor having a cathode, an anode, and a gate, the cathode of the first thyristor being coupled to the first switch terminal, the anode of the first thyristor being coupled to the second switch terminal, and the gate of the first thyristor being coupled to the control terminal;

a second cathode gate thyristor having a cathode, an anode, and a gate, the cathode of the second thyristor being coupled to the anode of the first thyristor, the anode of the second thyristor being coupled to the cathode of the first thyristor, and the gate of the second thyristor being coupled to the control terminal;

a first diode coupling the gate of the first thyristor to the control terminal, the first diode having an anode that is connected to the control terminal and a cathode that is connected to the gate of the first thyristor; and

a second diode coupling the gate of the second thyristor to the control terminal, the second diode having an anode that is connected to the control terminal and a cathode that is connected to the gate of the second thyristor.

8. The bidirectional switch of claim 7, further comprising:

a first resistor connected between the cathode and the gate of the first thyristor; and

a second resistor connected between the cathode and the gate of the second thyristor.

9. The bidirectional switch of claim 7, wherein the first and second thyristors and the first and second diodes are formed in a single monolithic component.

10. The bidirectional switch of claim 9, wherein the single monolithic component includes:

a substrate of a first conductivity type surrounded by an insulating wall of a second conductivity type, the second conductivity type being opposite from the first conductivity type;

a layer of the second conductivity type formed in a lower surface of the substrate;

first, second, and third regions of the second conductivity type formed in an upper surface of the substrate;

fourth, fifth, and sixth regions of the first conductivity type formed in the first, second, and third regions, respectively;

a seventh region of the first conductivity type formed in the layer of the second conductivity type and substantially facing a portion of the first region that is devoid of the fourth region; and

an eighth region of the first conductivity type formed in the layer of the second conductivity type adjacent to the seventh region that extends to confront the insulating wall.

11. The bidirectional switch of claim 10, further comprising:

a first metallization layer coating bottom surfaces of the layer of the second conductivity type, the seventh region, and the eighth region, the first metallization layer forming the first terminal of the bidirectional switch;

a second metallization layer coating upper surfaces of the first and fourth regions, the second metallization layer forming the second terminal of the bidirectional switch; and

a third metallization layer coating upper surfaces of portions of the second and third regions that are devoid of the fifth and sixth regions, respectively, the third metallization layer forming the control terminal of the bidirectional switch.

12. The bidirectional switch of claim 10, wherein the fourth and seventh regions include emitter shorts.

13. The bidirectional switch of claim 10, wherein the second and third regions have a lower doping of the second conductivity type than the first region.

14. A bidirectional switch for controlling a motor, comprising:

a first terminal connected to the motor to receive one of a supply voltage and a reference voltage;

a second terminal connected to the other of the supply voltage and the reference voltage;

a control terminal to receive a logic signal level pulse having a single direction;

first solid state means, connected to the first terminal, the second terminal, and the control terminal, for continuously conducting current from the first terminal to the second terminal in direct response to the logic signal level pulse when the first terminal receives the supply voltage and the second terminal receives the reference voltage;

second solid state means, connected to the first terminal, the second terminal, and the control terminal, for continuously conducting current from the second terminal to the first terminal in direct response to the logic signal level pulse when the first terminal receives the reference voltage and the second terminal receives the supply voltage;

third means, connecting the first solid state means to the control terminal, for preventing spurious triggering of the first solid state means; and

fourth means, connecting the second solid state means to the control terminal, for preventing spurious triggering of the second solid state means.

15. The bidirectional switch of claim 14, wherein the first and second solid state means are integrated in a single monolithic device.

16. The bidirectional switch of claim 14, wherein:

the third means further prevents the logic signal pulse from returning to the control terminal prior to the second solid state means conducting current; and

the fourth means further prevents the logic signal pulse from returning to the control terminal prior to the first solid state means conducting current.

17. The bidirectional switch of claim 16, wherein the third and fourth means are integrated in the single monolithic device.

18. The bidirectional switch of claim 14, wherein;

the third means, connecting the first solid state means to the control terminal, prevents the logic signal pulse from returning to the control terminal prior to the second solid state means conducting current; and

the fourth means, connecting the second solid state means to the control terminal, prevents the logic signal pulse from returning to the control terminal prior to the first solid state means conducting current.