DRIVE CIRCUIT OF TRANSISTOR

• US 20180367132A1
• Filed: 08/23/2018
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: FU, Ping, GAO, Fei
• Granted Patent: US 10,574,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0255 using diodes as protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/045 adapted to a particular application and not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08104 in field-effect transistor switches H03K17/0812, H03K17/0814 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08142 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0822 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/163 Soft switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/166 Soft switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0185 using field effect transistors only

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a drive circuit of a transistor, including: a high-voltage power supply and a low-voltage power supply; a high-voltage power supply domain circuit and a low-voltage power supply domain circuit, where the high-voltage power supply domain circuit is connected to the high-voltage power supply; an electrostatic discharge apparatus; a level shifter circuit, wherein the level shifter circuit includes a level detection circuit, a current limiting module, a discharge module, and a switch transistor, the level detection circuit is connected to a positive electrode of the high-voltage power supply and is separately connected to the current limiting module, the discharge module, and the high-voltage power supply domain circuit, the current limiting module is further connected to a first end of the switch transistor, the discharge module is further connected to a negative electrode of the high-voltage power supply, a control end of the switch transistor is connected to the low-voltage power supply domain circuit and a second end of the switch transistor is connected to a negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply, the current limiting module is configured to limit the discharged electricity when the drive circuit performs electrostatic discharge, and the discharge module is configured to form a discharge assisting path between the negative electrode of the high-voltage power supply and the first end of the switch transistor to assist electrostatic discharge of the drive circuit.

Claims

1. A drive circuit of a transistor, comprising:

a high-voltage power supply and a low-voltage power supply;

a circuit of a high-voltage power supply domain and a circuit of a low-voltage power supply domain circuit, wherein the high-voltage power supply domain circuit is connected to the high-voltage power supply, and the low-voltage power supply domain circuit is connected to the low-voltage power supply;

an electrostatic discharge apparatus, wherein the electrostatic discharge apparatus is separately disposed between electrodes of the high-voltage power supply, between electrodes of the low-voltage power supply, and between a positive electrode of the high-voltage power supply and a negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply;

a level shifter circuit, wherein the level shifter circuit comprises a level detection circuit, a current limiting module, a discharge module, and a switch transistor;

the level detection circuit is connected to the positive electrode of the high-voltage power supply and is separately connected to the current limiting module, the discharge module, and the high-voltage power supply domain circuit;

the current limiting module is further connected to a first end of the switch transistor;

the discharge module is further connected to a negative electrode of the high-voltage power supply;

a control end of the switch transistor is connected to the low-voltage power supply domain circuit and a second end of the switch transistor is connected to the negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply, the current limiting module is configured to limit the discharged current when the drive circuit performs electrostatic discharge, and the discharge module is configured to form a discharge assisting path between the negative electrode of the high-voltage power supply and the first end of the switch transistor to assist electrostatic discharge of the drive circuit.

2. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 1, wherein:

the level detection circuit comprises a voltage stabilizing transistor and a first resistor, a cathode of the voltage stabilizing transistor is connected to the positive electrode of the high-voltage power supply, an anode of the voltage stabilizing transistor is connected to the high-voltage power supply domain circuit, and the first resistor is connected to the voltage stabilizing transistor in parallel;

the current limiting module comprises a current limiting resistor, one end of the current limiting resistor is connected to the anode of the voltage stabilizing transistor, and the other end of the current limiting resistor is connected to the first end of the switch transistor; and

the discharge module comprises a first diode, a cathode of the first diode is connected to the anode of the voltage stabilizing transistor, and an anode of the first diode is connected to the negative electrode of the high-voltage power supply.

3. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a protective circuit, wherein the protective circuit is disposed between the second end of the switch transistor and the negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply.

4. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 3, wherein the protective circuit comprises:

a second resistor, wherein one end of the second resistor is connected to the second end of the switch transistor, and the other end of the second resistor is connected to the negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply; and

a first electrostatic discharge device, wherein the first electrostatic discharge device is connected to the second resistor in parallel.

5. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 3, wherein the protective circuit comprises:

a first MOS transistor, wherein a gate of the first MOS transistor is connected to the low-voltage power supply domain circuit, a drain of the first MOS transistor is connected to the second end of the switch transistor, and source of the first MOS transistor is connected to the negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply; and

a second electrostatic discharge device, wherein one end of the second electrostatic discharge device is connected to the drain of the first MOS transistor, and the other end of the second electrostatic discharge device is connected to the source of the first MOS transistor.

6. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 1, wherein the level shifter circuit comprises one or more level shifter circuits connected in parallel.

7. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 2, wherein the switch transistor is a second MOS transistor, the control end is a gate of the second MOS transistor, the first end is a drain of the second MOS transistor, and the second end is a source of the second MOS transistor.

8. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 1, wherein the electrostatic discharge apparatus comprises:

a third electrostatic discharge device, wherein the third electrostatic discharge device is disposed between electrodes of the high-voltage power supply;

a fourth electrostatic discharge device, wherein the fourth electrostatic discharge device is disposed between electrodes of the low-voltage power supply; and

a fifth electrostatic discharge device, wherein the fifth electrostatic discharge device is disposed between the positive electrode of the high-voltage power supply and the negative electrode of the low-voltage power supply.

9. The drive circuit of the transistor according to claim 8, wherein the fifth electrostatic discharge device is a high-voltage ESD device.