The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 02, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 31, 1997
Pieder Jorg, Domat/Ems, CH;
ABB Research Ltd, Zurich, CH;
Abstract
A method for the turn-on regulation of an IGBT and an apparatus for carrying out the method are specified. In contrast to the prior art, the gate current is used as controlled variable rather than the gate voltage. Said gate current acts on the gate electrode according to a desired-actual comparison of an actual voltage value present at the gate electrode and of a corresponding desired value. The regulation guides the load current on a predetermined trajectory during the switching operation. Nevertheless, no current detection is necessary on the load side. Instead, use is made of the fact that, during the turn-on of the MOSFETs in the IGBT, the behavior of the latter predominates. It can be shown that there is a quadratic relationship between the gate voltage and the load current as soon as the gate voltage is greater than the threshold voltage. This is true until the full load current flows. Regulation of the gate voltage to a specific trajectory from the off state to the on state enables the load current to rise quadratically proportionally thereto. Conversely, the gate voltage profile can easily be calculated to a desired load current profile. The fact that no measuring apparatuses on the load side are required is also particularly advantageous.