Two-Level Switch Driver for Preventing Avalanche Breakdown for a Synchronous Rectification Switch in a Power Converter Operating in a Low-Power Burst Mode

• US 20200177090A1
• Filed: 12/04/2018
• Published: 06/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria Ag (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Braz, Cesar Augusto, Quaglino, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 10,707,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0029 Circuits or arrangements for limiting the slope of switching signals, e.g. slew rate
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0035 using burst mode control
• 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: H02M 1/42 Circuits or arrangements for compensating for or adjusting power factor in converters or inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08122 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/164 using parallel switching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0072 Low side switches, i.e. the lower potential [DC] or neutral wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Techniques are provided for avoiding an avalanche breakdown voltage across a synchronous rectification (SR) switch on the secondary side of an isolated switched-mode power converter operating in a low-power mode, e.g., a burst mode, during which a load of the power converter draws negligible current. This is accomplished via use of a two-level switch driver for controlling a power switch on the primary side of the power converter. The two-level switch driver is configured to source low current levels to a control terminal (e.g., gate) of the power switch during burst-mode operation. This low current reduces the slope of the rising edge of voltage pulses on the primary and secondary sides of the power converter which, in turn, limits the peak of the voltage ringing across the SR switch. By limiting the voltage in this manner, the SR switch avoids entering avalanche breakdown.

Claims

1. A switch driver for controlling a power switch in a switched-mode power converter, so as to prevent excessive voltage levels across a synchronous rectification (SR) switch of the power converter, the switch driver comprising:

a pull-down driver switch for sinking current from a control terminal of the power switch;

a first pull-up driver switch for sourcing current to the control terminal, the first pull-up driver switch having a first on-state resistance;

a second pull-up driver switch for sourcing current to the control terminal, the second pull-up driver switch having a second on-state resistance substantially higher than the first on-state resistance;

a mode indication input;

a switch control input, which controls the pull-down driver switch, the first pull-up driver switch, and the second pull-up driver switch; and

a high-side control circuit configured to disable the first pull-up driver switch responsive to a burst-mode indication at the mode indication input.

2. The switch driver of claim 1, wherein the pull-down driver switch is an n-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), and the first and second pull-up driver switches are p-channel MOSFETs.

3. The switch driver of claim 2, wherein the high-side control circuit comprises:

a high-side pre-driver for controlling the first pull-up driver switch;

an inclusive OR gate having the mode indication and the switch control as its inputs, and having an output coupled to an input of the high-side pre-driver.

4. The switch driver of claim 1, wherein the second pull-up driver switch is sized so as to source a current level that limits the voltage levels across the SR switch to be lower than an upper voltage limit of the SR switch, the upper voltage limit corresponding to an avalanche breakdown voltage of the SR switch.

5. The switch driver of claim 1, wherein the first pull-up driver switch, when turned on, sources a current level at least 100 times a current level sourced by the second pull-up driver switch, when the second pull-up driver switch is turned on.

6. The switch driver of claim 1, wherein a size ratio between the first and second pull-up driver switches is programmable by a configurable digital code.

7. The switch driver of claim 1, wherein a size ratio between the first and second pull-up driver switches is set by a metal option during fabrication of the pull-up driver switches.

19. The switch driver of claim 1, wherein the first and second pull-up driver switches are coupled to a same driver power supply having a same driver sourcing voltage, such that the same driver sourcing voltage is applied to the control terminal responsive to the first and/or the second pull-up driver switches being turned on.

20. The switch driver of claim 1, wherein the high-side control circuit comprises:

a high-side pre-driver for controlling the first pull-up driver switch; and

high-side logic circuitry having the mode indication and the switch control as inputs, and configured to disable the high-side pre-driver based upon the mode indication,

wherein the second pull-up driver switch is not disabled based upon the mode indication.

8. A method for controlling a power switch in a switched-mode power converter so as to prevent excessive voltage levels across a synchronous rectification (SR) switch of the power converter, the power converter including a switch driver comprising first and second pull-up driver switches wherein the second pull-up driver switch has an on-state resistance substantially higher than an on-state resistance of the first pull-up driver switch, the method comprising;

detecting that a load of the power converter is drawing a low power level;

responsive to the detecting, entering a burst mode of operation and disabling the first pull-up driver switch.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the SR switch has an associated avalanche breakdown voltage corresponding to a voltage limit across first and second terminals of the SR switch, and wherein the on-state resistance of the second pull-up driver switch is configured to support a current level through the second pull-up driver switch such that a rate at which the power switch turns on ensures that the voltage across the first and second terminals of the SR switch stays below the avalanche breakdown voltage of the SR switch.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to detecting that the load of the power converter is drawing more than the low power level, exiting the burst mode of operation and enabling the first pull-up driver switch.

11. An isolated power converter, comprising:

an input for coupling to an input power source;

an output for coupling to a load;

a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding;

a power stage configured to switch power from the input to the primary winding, the power stage comprising a power switch and a switch driver for controlling the power switch;

a synchronous rectification (SR) switch configured to rectify power provided by the secondary winding, the SR switch having an SR voltage across first and second terminals of the SR switch and having an avalanche breakdown voltage level associated with the SR voltage;

a controller configured to control a power transfer to the output by generating a switch control signal, and to generate a burst-mode indication upon detecting that the load is in a low-power state;

wherein the switch driver comprises;

a pull-down driver switch for sinking current from a control terminal of the power switch;

first and second pull-up driver switches for sourcing current to the control terminal, wherein the second pull-up driver switch has an on-state resistance substantially higher than an on-state resistance of the first pull-up driver switch;

a switch control input for coupling to the switch control signal; and

a high-side control circuit configured to disable the first pull-up driver switch responsive to the burst-mode indication.

12. The isolated power converter of claim 11, wherein the pull-down driver switch is an n-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), and the first and second pull-up driver switches are p-channel MOSFETs.

13. The isolated power converter of claim 12, wherein the high-side control circuit comprises:

a first high-side pre-driver for controlling the first pull-up driver switch;

an inclusive OR gate having the mode indication and switch control as its inputs, and having an output coupled to an input of the first high-side pre-driver.

14. The isolated power converter of claim 11, wherein the second pull-up driver switch is sized so as to source a current level that limits the voltage level across the first and second terminals of the SR switch to be lower than an upper voltage limit of the SR switch, the upper voltage limit corresponding to the avalanche breakdown voltage of the SR switch.

15. The isolated power converter of claim 11, wherein the first pull-up driver switch, when turned on, sources a current level at least 100 times a current level sourced by the second pull-up driver switch, when the second pull-up driver switch is turned on.

16. The isolated power converter of claim 11, wherein a size ratio between the first and second pull-up driver switches is programmable by a configurable digital code.

17. The isolated power converter of claim 11, wherein a size ratio between the first and second pull-up driver switches is set by a metal option during fabrication of the pull-up driver switches.

18. The isolated power converter of claim 11, wherein the isolated power converter has a flyback converter topology.