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:
Oct. 23, 2012
Filed:
May. 08, 2009
Qingchun Zhang, Cary, NC (US);
James Theodore Richmond, Hillsborough, NC (US);
Robert J. Callanan, Raleigh, NC (US);
Qingchun Zhang, Cary, NC (US);
James Theodore Richmond, Hillsborough, NC (US);
Robert J. Callanan, Raleigh, NC (US);
Cree, Inc., Durham, NC (US);
Abstract
An electronic device includes a wide bandgap thyristor having an anode, a cathode, and a gate terminal, and a wide bandgap bipolar transistor having a base, a collector, and an emitter terminal. The emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor is directly coupled to the anode terminal of the thyristor such that the bipolar transistor and the thyristor are connected in series. The bipolar transistor and the thyristor define a wide bandgap bipolar power switching device that is configured to switch between a nonconducting state and a conducting state that allows current flow between a first main terminal corresponding to the collector terminal of the bipolar transistor and a second main terminal corresponding to the cathode terminal of the thyristor responsive to application of a first control signal to the base terminal of the bipolar transistor and responsive to application of a second control signal to the gate terminal of the thyristor. Related control circuits are also discussed.