Systems and apparatuses for electrically switching current include a first conductor formed of an electrically conductive material and having a first longitudinal axis; a second conductor formed of the electrically conductive material and having a second longitudinal axis; a set of switching components, each component selectively configured to electrically couple the first conductor to the second conductor; and a printed circuit board on which the first and second conductors are disposed. The width of the first conductor along the first longitudinal axis varies such that the current density in the first conductor is substantially constant along the first longitudinal axis and the width of the second conductor along the second longitudinal axis varies such that the current density in the second conductor is substantially constant along the second longitudinal axis.

A gate driver circuit includes a comparator and a gate driver. The comparator is configured to detect a short circuit in a first power field effect transistor (FET). The gate driver is configured to drive a gate of the first power FET by generating a first signal at a first drive current. In response to the comparator detecting a short circuit in the first power FET, the gate driver is further configured to pulse the first signal at a first pulldown current. After the pulse has ended, the gate driver is further configured to drive the gate of the first power FET at a first hold current. The first hold current is less than the first pulldown current.

Power switch cells (20) respectively includes power switches (21), each of which is capable of performing switching between electrical connection and disconnection between a global power supply line (11) and a local power supply line (8) in accordance with a control signal (CTR). The power switches (21) are connected in a chain state to constitute a chain connection through which the control signal (CTR) is sequentially transmitted. A starting point switch (21a) in the chain connection has a greater distance to an edge (BE) of a region occupied by a power domain than an ending point switch (21b).

An object of the present invention is to increase the reliability of a power module and a power converter and to extend their life. In order to achieve this, a power module includes: two switching devices each including a diode and a transistor, the two switching devices being electrically connected in parallel; and an insulating substrate on which the two switching devices are mounted. Further, a gate electrode of MOFET that each of the two switching device has is electrically connected to a gate resistance. Further, of the two switching devices, the gate resistance that is electrically connected to the switching device, whose current value is smaller when a predetermined voltage is applied in the forward direction of the body diode, is greater than the gate resistance that is electrically connected to the switching device whose current value is larger.

Disclosed herein are switching or other active field-effect transistor (FET) configurations that implement independently controlled main-auxiliary branch designs. Such designs include a circuit assembly for performing a switching function that includes a branch with a plurality of main FET devices in parallel with a plurality of auxiliary FET devices. The circuit assembly can include a plurality of gate bias networks where each controls one or more of the main FET devices. The circuit assembly includes a second plurality of gate bias networks that each controls one or more of the auxiliary FET devices.

In one embodiment, an impedance matching network includes at least one electronically variable capacitor (EVC), each EVC comprising discrete capacitors having corresponding switches, the switches configured to switch in and out the discrete capacitors to alter a total capacitance of the EVC. Each switch includes a first terminal operably coupled to the corresponding discrete capacitor, a second terminal, and a switching circuit coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, the switching circuit comprising a switching transistor. A tuning inductor is coupled parallel to the switching circuit. A value for the tuning inductor enables the tuning inductor to cancel a cumulative parasitic capacitance of the switching circuit.

A device includes a laterally diffused MOSFET, which in turn includes n-type source and drain regions in a p-type semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is located over the semiconductor substrate between the source region and the drain region. An isolation region is laterally spaced apart from the source region, and is bounded by an n-type buried layer and an n-type well region that reaches from a surface of the substrate to the buried layer. A p-type doped region and an n-type doped region are disposed within the isolation region, the p-type doped region and the n-type doped region forming a diode. A first conductive path connects the n-type doped region to the source region, and a second conductive path connects the p-type doped region to the gate electrode.

A power switching apparatus includes a plurality of semiconductor switching devices connected in parallel with each other and a plurality of balance resistor units. The plurality of balance resistor units each have one end connected to a control electrode of an associated semiconductor switching device and the other end to which a common control signal is input. Each balance resistor unit is configured to have a resistance value switched between different values depending on whether the plurality of semiconductor switching devices are turned on or turned off in accordance with the control signal.

An IC chip, a system and a method of operating the IC chip in response to an event trigger are provided. The method includes responsive to the event trigger, coupling a pin to a source of constant current to charge an external capacitor coupled to the pin and monitoring a capacitor voltage on the pin. If the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is greater than a rising threshold, detection of a falling threshold is enabled. If the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is greater than a voltage threshold, a first response is triggered and the pin is coupled to the lower rail to discharge the external capacitor. If detection of the falling threshold is enabled and the magnitude of the capacitor voltage is less than the falling threshold, the first response is also triggered.

A hot swap controller circuit includes a comparator and current control circuitry. The comparator is configured to compare voltage across a power transistor controlled by the hot swap controller circuit to a predetermined threshold voltage. The current control circuitry is coupled to the comparator. The current control circuitry is configured to limit current through the power transistor to no higher than a predetermined high current based on the voltage across the transistor being less than the predetermined threshold voltage. The current control circuitry is also configured to limit the current through the transistor to be no higher than a predetermined low current based on the voltage across the transistor being greater than the predetermined threshold voltage. The predetermined high current is greater than the predetermined low current.