Psemi Corporation

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Arezu Bagheri

Buddhika Abesingha

Gregory Szczeszynski

Ronald Eugene Reedy

A switching power converter architecture that is efficient across its entire power range, regardless of load level, by partitioning the power devices into segments for optimal gate drive and providing a local variable-voltage driver for each power device segment. Power device segments may be selectively enabled or disabled based on the level of power to be delivered to a load. In addition, an adaptive gate drive scheme enables dynamic control of the Rand Qvalues for each power converter device so that the power devices may operate at the lowest Rvalue at or near maximum power levels for reduced conduction losses, at the lowest R×Qproduct value at mid-level loads for peak efficiency, and at the lowest Qvalue at light loads for reduced switching losses.

Power converter with adaptative stages and gate driver

A power converter includes a charge pump in which transistors transition between conducting and non-conducting states thereby causing said pump capacitors to be interconnected in different arrangements at different times. Among the transistors is one that transitions into a conducting state when a source and gate of that transistor are at equal potentials.

Driving circuit for switches used in a charge pump

Methods and devices to address start up of half-bridge circuits including D-mode power FETs are disclosed. The disclosed devices overcome possible issues of output overload or excess current through gate-source of power FETs during start up. Voltage monitoring is used to address the issue of output overload and pre-charging of coupling capacitors are described as solutions to uncontrolled pre-charging of coupling capacitors. Pre-charging of coupling capacitors are implemented using current sources.

Reliability in start up sequence for D-mode power FET driver

Methods and devices to address start up of half-bridge circuits including D-mode power FETs are disclosed. The disclosed devices overcome possible issues of output overload or excess current through gate-source of power FETs during start up. Methods and devices based on monitoring coupling capacitors voltages and pre-charging such coupling capacitors using current sources are also described. The current sources can be implemented using negative voltages provided by negative voltage sources such as charge pumps.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Arezu Bagheri