A MULTI-FUNCTION POWER CONTROL CIRCUIT USING ENHANCEMENT MODE GALLIUM NITRIDE (GAN) HIGH ELECTRON MOBILITY TRANSISTORS (HEMTS)

Anthony G.P. Marini

Patent

Atlas literature

Patent

US 10,122,274

A MULTI-FUNCTION POWER CONTROL CIRCUIT USING ENHANCEMENT MODE GALLIUM NITRIDE (GAN) HIGH ELECTRON MOBILITY TRANSISTORS (HEMTS)

Anthony G.P. Marini

Drawings

Patent drawings and their descriptions. Click a drawing to enlarge it.

FIG. 1

FIG. 1) that is in a half-bridge driver circuit conﬁguration 200. As illustrated, the half- bridge driver circuit 200 includes a plurality of transistors 'Qx', …

FIG. 2

FIG. 2A. The shoot-though protection circuit 205 is composed of transistors a GaN HEMT inverter (Q 1) and GaN HEMT state control (Q₆). Additionally, the …

FIG. 3

FIG. 3 is a ﬂow chart of a method for turning 'OFF' a low -side gate driver in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4

FIG. 4 is a ﬂow chart of a method for turning 'ON' a low-side gate driver in 15 accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5

FIG. 5 occurs. At high-side driver 216 turn-OFF, transistor (Q₈) is ON which causes suﬃcient current to ﬂow through resistor (R₉) to forward bias (D₄), whose …

FIG. 6

FIG. 6 is a ﬂow chart of a method for turning 'OFF' a high-side gate driver in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. 20 DESCRIPTION …

Claims

Claims define the patent's legal scope. Independent claims stand alone; dependent claims (nested) narrow them. Click a claim to expand its dependents.

7 independent · 12 dependent

1
IndependentGaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
(Cu rr ently amended) A multi-function circuit comprising: a low side circuit comprising a ﬁrst set of enhancement mode transistors; and a high side discrete circuit comprising a second set of enhancement mode transistors; wherein each enhancement mode transistor of both the ﬁrst and the second sets of enhancement mode transistors is a GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) conﬁgured to be an active switching element; wherein the high side discrete circuit comprises a high side switch control gate forming a high side subordinate half bridge circuit conﬁgured to directly drive a GaN high side power switch, the high side subordinate half bridge circuit comprises: a high side subordinate half bridge high side switch and a high side subordinate half bridge low side switch; a state controller comprising a ﬁrst transistor and a second transistor in electrical communication with the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch and the high side subordinate half bridge low side switch, wherein the state controller is conﬁgured to at least determine ON/OFF logic state information of the high side subordinate half bridge circuit; and a ﬁrst bootstrap circuit in electrical communication with at least the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch, wherein the ﬁrst bootstrap circuit is conﬁgured to act as a charge pump to control, in combination with the ﬁrst transistor of the state controller, an on/oﬀ state of the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch. Currently amended
1. 2
  Dependent← claim 1GaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
  (Cu rr ently amended) The multi-function circuit of claim 1, wherein the low side circuit includes a GaN low side power switch having a low side switch control gate, the low side switch control gate forming a low side subordinate half bridge circuit conﬁgured to directly drive the GaN low side power switch. Currently amended
2. 16
  Dependent← claim 1GaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
  The multi-function circuit of claim 1 wherein an entirety of the multi-function circuit is comprised of discrete enhancement-mode GaN circuitry. Original
3. 17
  Dependent← claim 1GaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
  The multi-function circuit of claim 1 wherein the low side circuit is a discrete circuit. Previously presented
3
Independent
Canceled
11
Independent
Canceled
12
Independent
Canceled
1. 13
  Dependent← claim 12GaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
  The multi-function circuit of claim 12, wherein the high side subordinate half bridge circuit includes a bias controller in electrical communication with the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch, the bias controller conﬁgured to electrically communicate ground potential-based state control and timing signal delays to the high side subordinate half bridge via a state controller circuit. Original
14
Independent
Canceled
1. 15
  Dependent← claim 14GaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
  The multi-function circuit of claim 14 further comprising a voltage level- shifter/inverter conﬁgured to provide OFF/ON state information from a ground potential-based logic control input in electrical communication with the high side power switch driver, the voltage level-shifter/inverter conﬁgured to control an OFF/ON state of the GaN high side power switch. Original
18
IndependentGaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
(Cu rr ently amended) A multi-function circuit comprising: a low side circuit including a GaN-based low side subordinate half bridge circuit; and a high side discrete circuit including a GaN-based high side subordinate half bridge circuit; wherein each enhancement mode transistor of both the low side circuit and the high side discrete circuit is conﬁgured to be an active switching element; wherein the GaN-based high side subordinate half bridge circuit is conﬁgured to directly drive a GaN high side power switch, the GaN-based high side subordinate half bridge circuit comprises: a high side subordinate half bridge high side switch and a high side subordinate half bridge low side switch; a state controller comprising a ﬁrst transistor and a second transistor in electrical communication with the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch and the high side subordinate half bridge low side switch, wherein the state controller is conﬁgured to at least determine ON/OFF logic state information of the high side subordinate half bridge circuit; and a ﬁrst bootstrap circuit in electrical communication with at least the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch, wherein the ﬁrst bootstrap circuit is conﬁgured to act as a charge pump to control, in combination with the ﬁrst transistor of the state controller, an on/oﬀ state of the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch. Currently amended
19
IndependentGaNmulti-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit
(Cu rr ently amended) A multi-function circuit comprising: a GaN-based low side circuit including: a GaN-based low side switch having a low side switch control gate, the low side switch control gate forming a low side subordinate half bridge circuit, and a GaN-based low side switch driver having an output connected to the low side switch control gate; and a GaN-based high side discrete circuit including: a GaN-based high side switch having a high side switch control gate, the high side switch control gate forming a high side subordinate half bridge circuit, and a GaN-based high side switch driver having an output connected to the high side switch control gate, wherein the GaN-based high side switch driver comprises: a high side subordinate half bridge high side switch and a high side subordinate half bridge low side switch; a state controller comprising a ﬁrst transistor and a second transistor in electrical communication with the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch and the high side subordinate half bridge low side switch, wherein the state controller is conﬁgured to at least determine ON/OFF logic state information of the high side subordinate half bridge circuit; and a ﬁrst bootstrap circuit in electrical communication with at least the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch, wherein the ﬁrst bootstrap circuit is conﬁgured to act as a charge pump to control, in combination with the ﬁrst transistor of the state controller, an on/oﬀ state of the high side subordinate half bridge high side switch; wherein each enhancement mode transistor of both the GaN-based low side circuit and the GaN-based high side discrete circuit is a GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) conﬁgured to be an active switching element. Currently amended

Device structures

Layer stacks claimed or described, ordered top of device to substrate.

multi-function GaN HEMT half bridge circuit

GaNhigh side subordinate half bridge

GaNlow side subordinate half bridge

GaNhigh side power switch

GaNlow side power switch

Materials

Materials described outside the worked examples.

GaN HEMT (enhancement mode)

GaN

Active Switching Element (Enhancement Mode Transistor)

Characterization

Measurements and analyses referenced in the patent, with their drawing references.

fet electrical

Fet Electrical

FIG. 1) that is in a half-bridge driver circuit conﬁguration 200. As illustrated, the half- bridge driver circuit 200 includes a plurality of transistors 'Qx', …

Figure references

FIG. 1

GaNGaN

Why these are connected

Related documents with shared materials, methods, properties, or citations.

A MULTI-FUNCTION POWER CONTROL CIRCUIT USING ENHANCEMENT MODE GALLIUM NITRIDE (GAN) HIGH ELECTRON MOBILITY TRANSISTORS (HEMTS) | Matter42 Literature