H03K17/14

Gate driver for reliable switching
11689096 · 2023-06-27 · ·

A driver for improving reliability of a switch in a power device, comprising one or more sensors configured to sense an operational parameter of a power device. The driver comprises a controller configured to receive one or more sensor values from the respective sensors. The controller is configured to adjust a driving pulse according to the sensor values. The controller is configured to apply the driving pulse to one or more control terminal of one or more switch of the power device.

Temperature sensor circuits for integrated circuit devices
11689198 · 2023-06-27 · ·

An integrated circuit device having insulated gate field effect transistors (IGFETs) having a plurality of horizontally disposed channels that can be vertically aligned above a substrate with each channel being surrounded by a gate structure has been disclosed. The integrated circuit device may include a temperature sensor circuit and core circuitry. The temperature senor circuit may include at least one portion formed in a region other than the region that the IGFETs are formed as well as at least another portion formed in the region that the IGFETs having a plurality of horizontally disposed channels that can be vertically aligned above a substrate with each channel being surrounded by a gate structure are formed. By forming a portion of the temperature sensor circuit in regions below the IGFETs, an older process technology may be used and device size may be decreased and cost may be reduced.

ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR CURRENT DISTRIBUTION
20230198517 · 2023-06-22 ·

An electronic circuit for uniform distribution of a current includes: a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET, wherein the first MOSFET and the second MOSFET are connected in parallel in order to distribute a current applied to an input terminal, the current flowing towards an output terminal of the electronic circuit, wherein the input terminal is respectively connected to a drain terminal of the first MOSFET and to a drain terminal of the second MOSFET; and a terminal for a control voltage, wherein the control voltage is applied to a gate terminal of the first MOSFET and to a gate terminal of the second MOSFET. The first MOSFET comprises a first resistor at the gate terminal of the first MOSFET, and the second MOSFET comprises a second resistor at the gate terminal of the second MOSFET.

DISCRETE POWER SWITCHING DEVICES WITH REDUCED COMMON SOURCE INDUCTANCE
20170353177 · 2017-12-07 ·

Routing of a gate signal for controlling a discrete power switching device (such as in an inverter for an electric vehicle drive) is configured to compensate for the common source inductance inherent in the switching device as a result of its integrated circuit packaging. The power device has a gate signal path via a gate pin and a power signal path via first and second power pins, wherein the gate signal path and the power signal path have a first mutual inductance. A circuit board apparatus provides a gate wiring loop juxtaposed with the power signal path, wherein the gate wiring loop and the power signal path have a second mutual inductance substantially canceling the first mutual inductance. The resulting reduction in common source inductance avoids the reductions in switching speed and the increased switching losses otherwise introduced by the common source inductance.

Temperature sensor circuits for integrated circuit devices
11515871 · 2022-11-29 · ·

An integrated circuit device having insulated gate field effect transistors (IGFETs) having a plurality of horizontally disposed channels that can be vertically aligned above a substrate with each channel being surrounded by a gate structure has been disclosed. The integrated circuit device may include a temperature sensor circuit and core circuitry. The temperature senor circuit may include at least one portion formed in a region other than the region that the IGFETs are formed as well as at least another portion formed in the region that the IGFETs having a plurality of horizontally disposed channels that can be vertically aligned above a substrate with each channel being surrounded by a gate structure are formed. By forming a portion of the temperature sensor circuit in regions below the IGFETs, an older process technology may be used and device size may be decreased and cost may be reduced.

Adaptive Control of Non-Overlapping Drive Signals

An improved circuit or method generates first and second initial pulses that do not overlap. First and second drive pulses are generated based on the first and second initial pulses, respectively. A first transistor is turned on with the first drive pulses. A second transistor is turned on with the second drive pulses. A current flows in response to an on-time state of the first transistor overlapping with an on-time state of the second transistor. A delay of the second drive pulses is decreased based on a time of the current flow overlapping with one of the first initial pulses; and the delay of the second drive pulses is increased based on the time of the current flow overlapping with one of the second initial pulses.

THERMALLY CONTROLLED ELECTRONIC DEVICE

An electronic device includes at least one electronic component, a gradient heat-flux sensor GHFS based on thermoelectric anisotropy and conducting heat generated by the electronic component, and a controller adapted to manage electrical current of the electronic component at least partly on the basis of an electrical control signal generated by the gradient heat-flux sensor and proportional to a heat-flux through the gradient heat-flux sensor. Therefore, the electrical current and thereby also the heat generation of the electronic component are managed directly on the basis of the heat-flux generated by the electronic component. Thus, the electrical current can be managed without a need for voltage and current measurements which may be challenging to be carried out with a sufficient bandwidth especially when the switching frequency of the electronic component is on a range from hundreds of kHz to few MHz.

THERMALLY CONTROLLED ELECTRONIC DEVICE

An electronic device includes at least one electronic component, a gradient heat-flux sensor GHFS based on thermoelectric anisotropy and conducting heat generated by the electronic component, and a controller adapted to manage electrical current of the electronic component at least partly on the basis of an electrical control signal generated by the gradient heat-flux sensor and proportional to a heat-flux through the gradient heat-flux sensor. Therefore, the electrical current and thereby also the heat generation of the electronic component are managed directly on the basis of the heat-flux generated by the electronic component. Thus, the electrical current can be managed without a need for voltage and current measurements which may be challenging to be carried out with a sufficient bandwidth especially when the switching frequency of the electronic component is on a range from hundreds of kHz to few MHz.

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR OPERATING A SWITCHING ELEMENT
20170331470 · 2017-11-16 ·

The invention relates to a method (10) and to a device (ALE) for operating a switching element (LHS), said method comprising the following steps: a temperature (Tmp) of the switching element (LHS) is determined (22) and said switching element (LHS) is operated (26) in accordance with the determined temperature (TmP).

Power distribution network (PDN) conditioner
09806707 · 2017-10-31 · ·

Systems and methods for conditioning a power rail (e.g., reducing voltage droops and/or voltage overshoots on the power rail) are described herein. In one embodiment, a power circuit comprises a capacitor coupled to a high-voltage rail, and a droop slope limiter (DSL) coupled between the high-voltage rail and a power rail. The DSL is configured to detect a downward voltage slope on the power rail, and to control current flow from the high-voltage rail to the power rail through the DSL based on the detected downward voltage slope.