Electronic circuit control element with tap element

• US 6,865,093 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Disney, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/446,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 363/21.04, 363/21.1, 363/21.12, 363/18, 363/19, 363/20
• US Class Current: 363/21.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/14 using tap transformers or tap changing inductors as final control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0634 Multiple reduced surface field (multi-RESURF) structures, e.g. double RESURF, charge compensation, cool, superjunction (SJ), 3D-RESURF, composite buffer (CB) structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0653 adjoining the input or output region of a field-effect device, e.g. the source or drain region
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0847 of field-effect transistors with insulated gate H01L29/0653 takes precedence; with a passive supplementary region between source or drain and substrate related to punch-through, capacity or isolation phenomena H01L29/1079; with LDD or DDD structure H01L29/7833; for thin film transistors H01L29/78618
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/407 Recessed field plates, e.g. trench field plates, buried field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42368 the thickness being non-uniform
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7802 Vertical DMOS transistors, i.e. VDMOS transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7803 structurally associated with at least one other device assemblies H01L25/00; integrated circuits H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7813 with trench gate electrode, e.g. UMOS transistors trench gate electrodes per se H01L29/4236
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/335 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33553 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33561 having more than one ouput with independent control

Abstract

A technique for controlling a power supply with power supply control element with a tap element. In one embodiment, a power supply regulator includes a power transistor having first, second, third and fourth terminals. A control circuit is included, which is coupled to the third and fourth terminals of the power transistor. The power transistor is configured to switch a current between the first and second terminals in response a control signal received from the control circuit at the third terminal. A voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially proportional to a current flowing between the first and second terminals when a voltage between the first and second terminals is less than a pinch off voltage. The voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than the pinch off voltage.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit control element, comprising:

a power transistor having first, second, third and fourth terminals; and

a control circuit coupled to the third and fourth terminals of the power transistor,

wherein a voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially proportional to a current flowing between the first and second terminals when a voltage between the first and second terminals is less than a pinch off voltage, wherein the voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than the pinch off voltage.

2. The electronic circuit control element of claim 1 wherein the fourth terminal is coupled to provide power to the control circuit.

3. The electronic circuit control element of claim 1 wherein the fourth terminal is coupled to a current limit function of the control circuit.

4. The electronic circuit control element claim 1 wherein the fourth terminal is coupled to a line sense function of the control circuit.

5. The electronic circuit control element of claim 1 wherein the power transistor and control circuit are packaged together in a single package.

6. The electronic circuit control element of claim 1 wherein the power transistor is configured to switch a current between the first and second terminals in response a control signal to be received from the control circuit at the third terminal.

7. A power supply regulator, comprising:

a power transistor having first, second, third and fourth terminals; and

a control circuit coupled to the third and fourth terminals of the power transistor,

wherein a voltage between the fourth and second terminals is substantially proportional to a current flowing between the first and second terminals when a voltage between the first and second terminals is less than a pinch off voltage, wherein the voltage between the fourth and second terminals is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than the pinch off voltage.

8. The power supply regulator of claim 7 wherein the fourth terminal is coupled to provide power to the control circuit.

9. The power supply regulator of claim 7 wherein the fourth terminal is coupled to a current limit function of the control circuit.

10. The power supply regulator claim 7 wherein the fourth terminal is coupled to a line sense function of the control circuit.

11. The power supply regulator of claim 7 wherein the power transistor and control circuit are packaged together in a single package.

12. The power supply regulator of claim 7 wherein the power transistor is configured to switch a current between the first and second terminals in response a control signal to be received from the control circuit at the third terminal.

13. A power supply control element, comprising:

a power transistor having first, second, third and fourth terminals; and

a control circuit coupled to the third and fourth terminals of the power transistor,

wherein a current provided at the fourth terminal of the power transistor is to be drawn from at least one of the first and second terminals of the power transistor to provide power to the control circuit.

14. The power supply control element of claim 13 wherein a voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially proportional to a current flowing between the first and second terminals when a voltage between the first and second terminals is less than a pinch off voltage.

15. The power supply control element of claim 13 wherein a voltage between the fourth and terminals is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than a pinch off voltage.

16. The power supply control element of claim 13 wherein the power transistor is configured to switch a current between the first and second terminals in response a control signal received from the control circuit at the third terminal.

17. A power supply control element, comprising:

a power transistor having first, second, third and fourth terminals; and

a control circuit coupled to the third and fourth terminals of the power transistor,

wherein a voltage between the fourth and second terminals is substantially proportional to a current flowing between the first and second terminals, the voltage between the fourth and second terminals providing an input signal to a current limit function of the control circuit.

18. The power supply control element of claim 17 wherein the voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than the pinch off voltage.

19. The power supply control element of claim 17 the power transistor is configured to switch a current between the first and second terminals in response a control signal received from the control circuit at the third terminal.

20. A power supply control element, comprising:

a power transistor having first, second, third and fourth terminals; and

a control circuit coupled to the third and fourth terminals of the power transistor,

wherein a voltage at the fourth terminal is coupled to provide an input signal to a line sense function of the control circuit.

21. The power supply control element of claim 20 wherein the voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially proportional to the voltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage between the first and second terminals is less than a pinch off voltage.

22. The power supply control element of claim 20 wherein the voltage between the fourth and second terminals of the power transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage between the first and second terminals is greater than or equal to a pinch off voltage.

23. The power supply control element of claim 20 wherein the power transistor is configured to switch a current between the first and second terminals in response a control signal received from the control circuit at the third terminal.

24. A high voltage transistor, comprising:

a drain region of a first conductivity type;

a source region of the first conductivity type;

a tap region of the first conductivity type;

a body region of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, the body region adjoining the source region;

a drift region of the first conductivity type extending from the drain region to the body region;

a tap drift region of the first conductivity type extending from the drain region to the tap region; and

an insulated gate adjacent the body region.

25. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 further comprising a semiconductor region of the second conductivity type, disposed between the drift region and the tap drift region.

26. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 further comprising a field plate disposed between the drift region and the tap drift region.

27. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein a voltage between the tap region and the source region is proportional to a voltage between the drain region and the source region when the voltage between the drain region and the source region is less than a pinch off voltage.

28. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein the tap drift region is configured to pinch off the voltage difference between the tap region and the source region when the voltage difference between the drain region and the source region is greater than a pinch off voltage.

29. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein a voltage between the tap region and the source region is substantially constant when the voltage difference between the drain region and the source region is greater than a pinch off voltage.

30. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 further comprising:

a source electrode coupled to the source region;

a drain electrode coupled to the drain region; and

a gate electrode coupled to the insulated gate.

31. The high voltage transistor of claim 26 further comprising:

a source electrode coupled to the source region and the field plate;

a drain electrode coupled to the drain region; and

a gate electrode coupled to the insulated gate.

32. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein the first conductivity type comprises N type semiconductor material and the second conductivity type comprises P type semiconductor material.

33. The high voltage transistor of claim 26 wherein the first conductivity type comprises N type semiconductor material and the second conductivity type comprises P type semiconductor material, wherein the field plate is disposed in dielectric material comprising silicon dioxide.

34. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein the tap drift region has a construction and doping profile that is substantially similar to the drift region.

35. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein the tap drift region has a construction that is different than the drift region.

36. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein the tap drift region has a dimension that is different than the drift region.

37. The high voltage transistor of claim 24 wherein the tap drift region has a doping profile that is different than the drift region.