Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Nxp Usa, Inc.

Exagan

Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

Stmicroelectronics France

Laurent Guillot

Pierre Turpin

Thierry Sutto

Kamel Abouda

Philippe Dupuy

Eric Moreau

Philippe Rosado

Uli Joos

Josef Schnell

Norbert Stuhler

Helmut Henssler

Fabrice Letertre

Thierry Sicard

Evgueniy Nikolov Stefanov

Denis Sergeevich Shuvalov

Philippe Perruchoud

Alain Bailly

Vasily Alekseyevich Syngaevskiy

Hubert Grandry

Alexander Petrovich Soldatov

Hubert Michel Grandy

Jeff Reiter

Domenico Lo Verde

Gérald Augustoni

Françoise Vareilhias

A half-bridge electronic device comprises, in series, a low level switch and a high level switch connected at a central point, and respectively controlled by a first and a second activation/deactivation signal. The device comprises: a first and a second synchronization system configured to interpret a variation in the voltage at the central point, respectively along a falling edge and along a rising edge, and to respectively generate a first and a second synchronization signal separate from the first; a first and a second AND type logic gate respectively combining the first synchronization signal with a first control signal and the second synchronization signal with a second control signal, in order to respectively form the first and second activation/deactivation signals.

Half-bridge electronic device comprising two systems for optimizing dead-time between the switching operations of a high level switch and of a low level switch

A half-bridge electronic device comprises a high level switch and a low level switch in series that are connected at a central point, and a first and a second synchronization system: &#x2022; the first system comprising a first detection circuit configured to interpret a variation, following a falling edge, of the voltage (Vm) at the central point, and the first system being configured to generate a first synchronization signal (ATON-LS) for activating the low level switch; &#x2022; the second system comprising a second detection circuit configured to interpret a variation, following a rising edge, of the voltage (Vm) at the central point, and the second system being configured to generate a second synchronization signal (ATON-HS) for activating the high level switch.

Half-bridge electronic device comprising two systems for minimizing dead-time between the switching operations of a high level switch and of a low level switch

A power circuit switching device comprises two switching terminals, a high-voltage depletion mode transistor and a low-voltage enhancement mode transistor arranged in series between the two switching terminals, a first terminal for receiving a switching signal and electrically connected via a driver circuit to the gate of the high-voltage transistor, and a second terminal for receiving a control signal and electrically connected to the gate of the low-voltage transistor. The device comprises a normally-on protection circuit electrically connected between the second terminal and the gate of the high-voltage transistor to keep the high-voltage transistor in an off-state when the driver circuit is not electrically powered.

Power circuit switching device having a passive protection circuit

An integrated circuit comprises a housing, a plurality of connection pins, a first chip that includes a high-voltage depletion mode transistor, and a second chip that includes a low-voltage enhancement mode transistor. The first chip and second chip each comprise a gate bump contact, a drain bump contact and a source bump contact. The source bump contact of the high-voltage transistor is electrically connected to the drain bump contact of the low-voltage transistor so as to form a central node of the circuit. The circuit includes at least one first Kelvin pin that is electrically connected to the source bump contact of the low-voltage transistor.

Integrated circuit comprising a chip formed by a high-voltage transistor and comprising a chip formed by a low-voltage transistor

An integrated circuit includes a first chip including a high-voltage depletion-mode transistor and a second chip including an enhancement-mode device. The chips have first and second gate contact pads, first and second source contact pads and first and second drain contact pads, respectively, on their front sides. Chips are joined together via their front sides, and the area of the first chip is larger than that of the second chip. The first chip includes an additional contact pad on its front side that is electrically insulated from the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor and that contacts the second gate contact pad. The first gate contact pad contacts the second source contact pad and/or the first source contact pad contacts the second drain contact pad. The first gate contact pad and the additional contact pad extend at least partially into a peripheral portion of the first chip.

Integrated circuit formed from a stack of two series-connected chips

A power circuit switching device includes two switching terminals; a high voltage depletion mode transistor and a low voltage enhancement mode transistor arranged in series between the two switching terminals; a control circuit having a first input for receiving a switching signal and a second input for receiving a signal for activating the device, the control circuit being configured to put the switching device into an inactive state or an active state; a driver circuit for applying the switching signal to the gate of the high voltage transistor, the driver circuit being supplied with a first voltage from a first voltage source (VDR+) and with a second voltage from a second voltage source (VDR&#x2212;), the first and second voltages being respectively higher and lower than the threshold voltage of the high voltage transistor; and at least one programming module associated with the driver circuit, configured to program the incoming current which is to be injected at the gate of the high voltage transistor, and the outgoing current which is to be drawn from the gate; the programming module being able to be connected to a first and a second passive component for programming the incoming current and outgoing current, respectively.

Power circuit switching device

A packaged unidirectional power transistor comprises a package with a number of pins which provide a voltage and/or current connection between the outside and the inside. Inside the package, a bidirectional vertical power transistor is present with a controllable bidirectional current path, through a body of the bidirectional vertical power transistor, between a first current terminal of the bidirectional vertical power transistor connected to the first current pin and a second current terminal of the bidirectional vertical power transistor connected to the second current pin. A control circuit connects the control pin to the body terminal and the control terminal to drive the body and the control terminal, which allows current through the body in a forward direction, from the first current terminal to the second terminal, as a function of the control voltage, and to block current in a reverse direction regardless of the voltage.

Packaged unidirectional power transistor and control circuit therefore

A power switch module comprising a control component. Upon an indicated operating condition fulfilling a protection condition, the control component is arranged to transition the power switch module from an ON state to a latched-OFF state in which the control component is arranged to configure the switching device to be turned off to decouple the load node from the power supply node. Having transition to the latched-Off state, the control component is further arranged to determine whether a voltage level at the load node exceeds a threshold voltage level, and if it is determined that the voltage level at the load node exceeds the threshold voltage level, transition the power switch module from the latched-OFF state to a current-limited state in which the control component is arranged to control the switching device to limit current-flow there through.

Power switch module, smart grid power supply arrangement and method therefor

Embodiments of a transistor control device for controlling a bi-directional power transistor are disclosed. In an embodiment, a transistor control device for controlling a bi-directional power transistor includes a resistor connectable to a body terminal of the bi-directional power transistor and a transistor body switch circuit connectable to the resistor, to a drain terminal of the bi-directional power transistor, and to a source terminal of the bi-directional power transistor. The transistor body switch circuit includes switch devices and alternating current (AC) capacitive voltage dividers connected to control terminals of the switch devices. The AC capacitive voltage dividers are configured to control the switch devices to switch a voltage of the body terminal of the bi-directional power transistor as a function of a voltage between the drain terminal of the bi-directional power transistor and the source terminal of the bi-directional power transistor.

Circuit arrangement for fast turn-off of bi-directional switching device

A half-bridge circuit comprises a high supply contact and a low supply contact. A half-bridge output contact is connectable to drive a load and has a high-side between the high supply contact and the half-bridge output contact and a low-side between the half-bridge output contact and the low supply contact. A high-side bidirectional vertical power transistor at the high-side has a source connected to the high supply contact, and a low-side bidirectional vertical power transistor at the low-side, transistor has a source connected to the low supply contact. The high-side bidirectional vertical power transistor and low-side bidirectional vertical power transistor are connected in cascode and share a common drain connected to the half-bridge output contact, and are controllable to alternatingly allow a current flow from the high supply contact to the half-bridge output contact or from the half-bridge output contact to the low supply contact.

Half-bridge circuit, H-bridge circuit and electronic system

An overcurrent protection device comprises a maximum-allowed-current unit and a power switch. The maximum-allowed-current unit determines a maximum allowed current in real-time. The maximum allowed current is determined at least partially on an instantaneous level of a load voltage. The load voltage is a voltage across a load to be powered. The power switch is connectable with a switch input to a voltage supply and with a switch output to the load, for providing power to said load. The power switch has a conductive state and a nonconductive state, and is arranged to assume the nonconductive state in response to an indication that a current through the power switch is exceeding the maximum allowed current. A method of operating a power switch is also described.

Overcurrent protection device and method of operating a power switch

A circuit having an active mode and a sleep mode includes a power transistor, an amplifier, and a protection circuit. The power transistor has a first current electrode coupled to a first power supply terminal, a second current electrode as an output of the circuit for coupling to a load, and a control electrode, wherein the power transistor is characterized by having a threshold voltage and a leakage current, wherein the leakage current occurs between the control electrode and the first current electrode during the sleep mode. The amplifier has an output coupled to the control electrode of the power transistor that provides an active output during the active mode. The protection circuit detects the leakage current and prevents the leakage current from developing a voltage on the control electrode of the power transistor that exceeds the threshold voltage of the power transistor.

MOS transistor drain-to-gate leakage protection circuit and method therefor

A method is intended to make it possible to drive a PTC electrical load element with a switching unit with the highest possible operational reliability. For this purpose, the electric current is switched off if a predetermined current threshold value is exceeded, the magnitude of the current threshold value being determined from the operating parameters of the load element.

Method for driving a PTC electrical load element

A current driver circuit comprises circuitry having a current adjustment function and operably coupled to a current driver for providing a current to a current consuming device. The circuitry comprises or is operably coupled to a function arranged to determine a current level being drawn by the current consuming device. The current adjustment function varies an over-load limit applied to the current driver in response to a variation in the determined current level. In this manner, the current level being drawn by a current consuming device, such as a light bulb, is used to continuously or intermittently adjusting the current limit of a current driver circuit, such as a lamp driver, to minimize the energy dissipated in case of an overload condition.

Current driver circuit and method of operation therefor

An over-current protection circuit, including a current input for receiving a input current and a current output electrically connectable to a load, for outputting an output current proportional to the input current. A switch connects the current input to the current output. The switch has at least two switch states including an open state in which a current flow from the current input to the current output is interrupted and a closed state in which the current flow is enabled. The switch includes a switch control input for controlling the switch state. The circuit has a sensor for sensing a load current applied to the load and a controller connected to the sensor for controlling the switch to be in the open state when the sensed load current has exceeded a current threshold during a predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time being dependent on an amount with which said sensed load current exceeds the threshold.

Growing community of inventors

Seysses, France

Laurent Guillot