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:
Jun. 05, 2012
Filed:
Nov. 02, 2009
Qingchun Zhang, Cary, NC (US);
James Theodore Richmond, Hillsborough, NC (US);
Anant K. Agarwal, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Sei-hyung Ryu, Cary, NC (US);
Qingchun Zhang, Cary, NC (US);
James Theodore Richmond, Hillsborough, NC (US);
Anant K. Agarwal, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Sei-Hyung Ryu, Cary, NC (US);
Cree, Inc., Durham, NC (US);
Abstract
Semiconductor switching devices include a wide band-gap power transistor, a wide band-gap surge current transistor that coupled in parallel to the power transistor, and a wide band-gap driver transistor that is configured to drive the surge current transistor. Substantially all of the on-state output current of the semiconductor switching device flows through the channel of the power transistor when a drain-source voltage of the power transistor is within a first voltage range, which range may correspond, for example, to the drain-source voltages expected during normal operation. In contrast, the semiconductor switching device is further configured so that in the on-state the output current flows through both the surge current transistor and the channel of the power transistor when the drain-source voltage of the power transistor is within a second, higher voltage range.