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:
Sep. 02, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 06, 2001
Method and device for disconnecting a cascode circuit with voltage-controlled semiconductor switches
Applicant:
Inventors:
Eric Baudelot, Weisendorf, DE;
Manfred Bruckmann, Nürnberg, DE;
Heinz Mitlehner, Uttenreuth, DE;
Benno Weis, Hemhofen, DE;
Assignee:
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, , DE;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H03L 5/00 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H03L 5/00 ;
Abstract
A method and an apparatus for turning off a cascode circuit comprising a series circuit formed by a low-blocking-capability and high-blocking-capability semiconductor switch, are described. When a turn-off command arrives, the gate voltage of the low-blocking-capability semiconductor switch is controlled in such a way that its drain voltage is held constant in the active range of the low-blocking-capability semiconductor switch. Consequently, an impermissible overvoltage at high potential of the cascode circuit at low potential is detected and actively limited.