Power MOSFET driver and method therefor

• US 7,126,388 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Harriman, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Linh My
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hiltunen, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US11/013,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 327108-112, 327/390, 327/423, 327/424, 327/434, 327/491, 326/82, 326/83, 326/88
• US Class Current: 327/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/538 in a push-pull configuration H02M7/5375 takes precedence ; with oscillating arrangements H02M7/53832, H02M7/53846
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/063 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0036 Means reducing energy consumption

Abstract

In one embodiment, a power MOSFET driver uses two different voltages for the operating voltage of the two output drivers of the power MOSFET driver.

Claims

1. A power MOSFET driver comprising:

a semiconductor package having no more than eight external connection terminals and containing a semiconductor die on which the power MOSFET driver is formed;

a first input of the no more than eight external connection terminals configured to receive a supply voltage having a first value for powering the power MOSFET driver, wherein the power MOSFET driver externally receives the supply voltage;

a first transistor driver coupled to operate from the supply voltage and form a first drive signal operable to drive a first MOS transistor;

a circuit configured to form a first power supply voltage having a second value that is less than the first value of the supply voltage and is derived internally within the power MOSFET driver from the supply voltage;

control logic configured to operate from the first power supply voltage; and

a second transistor driver coupled to operate from a second power supply voltage having a third value that is less than the second value and form a second drive signal operable to drive a second MOS transistor.

2. The power MOSFET driver of claim 1 wherein the second transistor driver coupled to operate from the second power supply voltage having the third value includes a first voltage regulator coupled to receive the supply voltage and form the second power supply voltage.

3. The power MOSFET driver of claim 2 wherein the first voltage regulator is configured to form the second power supply voltage responsively to enabling the second transistor driver to form a high value of the second drive signal.

4. The power MOSFET driver of claim 1 wherein the first transistor driver is configured to form a high value of the first drive signal from the supply voltage.

5. The power MOSFET driver of claim 1 wherein the second transistor driver is configured to form a high value of the second drive signal from the second power supply voltage.

6. The power MOSFET driver of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor package includes a first external terminal of the no more than eight external connection terminals coupled to receive the first drive signal from the first transistor driver, and a second external terminal of the no more than eight external connection terminals coupled to receive the second drive signal from the second transistor driver.

7. The power MOSFET driver of claim 1 further including a first voltage regulator coupled to receive the supply voltage and form the second power supply voltage wherein an output of the first voltage regulator is coupled to a third external terminal of the no more than eight external connection terminals of the semiconductor package.

18. The power MOSFET driver of claim 1 further including a drive input of the no more than eight external connection terminals wherein the drive input is configured to receive a drive control signal that sets operating states of the first and second drive control signals, and an enable input of the no more than eight external connection terminals wherein the enable input is configured to receive an enable control signal and wherein a disabled state of the enable control signal sets a negated state of both the first and second drive control signals.

8. A method of forming a power MOSFET driver comprising:

configuring a first input to receive a supply voltage having a first voltage value for powering the power MOSFET driver, wherein the power MOSFET driver externally receives the supply voltage;

configuring a first transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver to operate tram the supply voltage and form a first drive signal having an output voltage value corresponding to the first voltage value;

configuring the power MOSFET driver to form a first power supply voltage having a second voltage value that is less than the first voltage value and is derived internally within the power MOSFET driver from the supply voltage; and

configuring a second transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver to form a second drive signal having an output voltage value corresponding to a third voltage value that is less than the second voltage value.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein configuring the second transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver to form the second drive signal having the output voltage value corresponding to the third voltage value includes configuring a power supply to form the third voltage value responsively to an external control signal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein configuring the power supply to form the third voltage value responsively to the external control signal includes configuring the power MOSFET driver to disable an internal power supply from generating the third voltage value responsively to enabling the second transistor driver to form a lower voltage value of the second drive signal.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein configuring the power supply to form the third voltage value includes configuring an internal power supply to supply current to charge a capacitor responsively to enabling the second transistor driver to form the upper voltage value of the second drive signal.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein configuring the first transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver includes configuring the first transistor driver to form a maximum value of the first drive signal corresponding to the first voltage value.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein configuring the second transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver to form the second drive signal having the output voltage value corresponding to the third voltage value includes configuring the second transistor driver to form a maximum value of the second drive signal corresponding to the third voltage value.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein configuring the second transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver to form the second drive signal having the output voltage value corresponding to the third voltage value includes configuring the power MOSFET driver to form the third voltage value from the first voltage value.

15. The method of claim 8 further including forming the power MOSFET driver on one semiconductor die and positioned within a semiconductor package having no greater than eight package terminals wherein the first input is one of the no greater than eight package terminals, coupling an output of the first transistor driver to a first output terminal of the semiconductor package, coupling an output of the second transistor driver to a second output terminal of the semiconductor package, and coupling a voltage return of the second transistor driver to a voltage return terminal of the semiconductor package.

16. The method of claim 8 further including coupling control logic to operate from the first power supply voltage and control operation of a portion of the power MOSFET driver.

19. The power MOSFET driver of claim 9 wherein configuring the power supply to form the third voltage value responsively to the external control signal includes configuring the power supply to be enabled to form the third voltage responsively to a first state of the external control signal and to be disabled from generating the third voltage responsively to a second state of the external control signal.

17. A method of operating a power MOSFET driver comprising:

operating a first transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver from a first operating voltage value, wherein the power MOSFET driver externally receives the supply voltage value;

operating control logic of the power MOSFET driver from a second operating voltage value that is derived from the first operating voltage value internally within to the power MOSFET driver wherein the second operating voltage value is less than the first operating voltage value; and

operating a second transistor driver of the power MOSFET driver from a third operating voltage value that is less than the second operating voltage value.