Method and apparatus for controlling a circuit with a high voltage sense device

• US 7,002,398 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Disney, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US10/888,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20060006916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 327/533, 327/534, 327/535, 327/478, 257/409
• US Class Current: 327/534
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/823493 with a particular manufacturing method of the wells or tubs, e.g. twin tubs, high energy well implants, buried implanted layers for lateral isolation [BILLI]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/088 the components being field-effect transistors with insulated gate
• 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 29/1066 Gate region of field-effect devices with PN junction gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1075 of field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1087 characterised by the contact structure of the substrate region, e.g. for controlling or preventing bipolar effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/402 Field plates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7835 with asymmetrical source and drain regions, e.g. lateral high-voltage MISFETs with drain offset region, extended drain MISFETs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/808 with a PN junction gate , e.g. PN homojunction gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778, H01L29/806 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• 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: H03K 17/0822 in field-effect transistor switches

Abstract

A control circuit with a high voltage sense device. In one embodiment, a circuit includes a first transistor disposed in a first substrate having first, second and third terminals. A first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an external voltage. A voltage provided at a third terminal of the first transistor is substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is less than a pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The voltage provided at the third terminal of the first transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is greater than the pinch-off voltage of the first transistor. The circuit also includes a control circuit disposed in the first substrate and coupled to the third terminal of the first transistor. The circuit further includes a second transistor disposed in a second substrate. A first terminal of the second transistor coupled to the external voltage.

Claims

1. A circuit, comprising:

a first transistor disposed in a first substrate having first, second and third terminals, the first terminal of the first transistor coupled to an external voltage, wherein a voltage provided at the third terminal of the first transistor is substantially proportional to a voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is less than a pinch-off voltage of the first transistor, wherein the voltage provided at the third terminal of the first transistor is substantially constant and less than the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor when the voltage between the first and second terminals of the first transistor is greater than the pinch-off voltage of the first transistor;

a control circuit disposed in the first substrate and coupled to the third terminal of the first transistor; and

a second transistor disposed in a second substrate, a first terminal of the second transistor coupled to the external voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein a second terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the control circuit.

3. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a drive circuit coupled between the control circuit and the second terminal of the first transistor to control operation of the first transistor.

4. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a current limit function circuit disposed in the first substrate, the current limit function circuit coupled to the third terminal of the first transistor.

5. The circuit of claim 1 further comprising a line sense function circuit disposed in the first substrate, the line sense function circuit coupled to the third terminal of the first transistor.

6. The circuit of claim 1 wherein a current derived from the third terminal of the first transistor is coupled to provide power to the control circuit.

7. The circuit of claim 1 wherein a breakdown voltage of the first transistor is greater than a breakdown voltage of the second transistor.

8. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first transistor comprises a junction field effect transistor (JFET).

9. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first transistor comprises a high voltage metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

10. The circuit of claim 8 wherein a gate terminal of the MOSFET is tied to a source terminal of the MOSFET such that the MOSFET is always in an off state.

11. A method, comprising:

sensing an external voltage coupled to a first transistor disposed on a first substrate;

providing an output voltage from the first transistor that is substantially proportional to the external voltage when the external voltage is less than a pinch-off voltage of the first transistor, wherein the output voltage provided from the first transistor is substantially constant and less than the external voltage when the external voltage is greater than the pinch-off voltage of the first transistor; and

switching a second transistor disposed on a second substrate with a control circuit disposed on the first substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising limiting a current in the second transistor with the control circuit in response to the output voltage from the first transistor.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising regulating an output of a power supply in response to the switching of the second transistor.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising powering the control circuit with current derived from the output voltage of the first transistor.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising sensing a line voltage condition of a power supply from the output voltage of the first transistor.