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:
May. 24, 2005
Filed:
Jun. 11, 2003
Martin E. Beck, Manhattan Beach, CA (US);
Martin E. Beck, Manhattan Beach, CA (US);
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and methodology for semiconductor device gate control utilizing a gate driver circuithaving opposing current inhibiting elementscapable of controlling current flow until a predetermined voltage level is obtained across the current inhibiting element opposing the current flow. A difference of an isolated input voltage level and the predetermined voltage level approximates a gate voltage potential employed to drive a gate input of a semiconductor device. This is accomplished, in one instance of the present invention, by employing Zener diodes in an opposing fashion to produce the gate voltage potential. Zener diode breakdown voltages provide the predetermined voltage levels necessary to properly control the gated semiconductor device during gate charge and discharge cycles.