A radio frequency switch device includes a first transistor and a second transistor; a compensation network coupled between a body terminal of the first transistor and a source/drain terminal of the second transistor; and a bootstrapping network having a first terminal coupled to a first bias terminal, a second terminal coupled to a gate terminal of the first transistor, and a third terminal coupled to the body terminal of the first transistor, wherein the bootstrapping network establishes a low impedance path between the gate terminal and the body terminal of the first transistor in response to a first voltage value of the first bias terminal, and wherein the bootstrapping network establishes a high impedance path between the gate terminal and the body terminal of the first transistor in response to a second voltage value of the first bias terminal.

Integrated circuits (ICs) that avoid or mitigate creation of changes in accumulated charge in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, particularly an SOI substrate having a trap rich layer. In one embodiment, a FET is configured such that, in a standby mode, the FET is turned OFF while maintaining essentially the same V.sub.DS as during an active mode. In another embodiment, a FET is configured such that, in a standby mode, current flow through the FET is interrupted while maintaining essentially the same V.sub.GS as during the active mode. In another embodiment, a FET is configured such that, in a standby mode, the FET is switched into a very low current state (a “trickle current” state) that keeps both V.sub.GS and V.sub.DS close to their respective active mode operational voltages. Optionally, S-contacts may be formed in an IC substrate to create protected areas that encompass FETs that are sensitive to accumulated charge effects.

A system, method and machine-readable instructions for monitoring a power electronics device. The system involves a semiconductor device, at least one sensor and a processor. The processor is configured to monitor a junction temperature of the semiconductor device by determining from the at least one sensor an on-state resistance of the semiconductor device and calculating the junction temperature of the semiconductor device according to a relationship between the on-state resistance of the semiconductor device and the junction temperature of the semiconductor device. The processor may apply an ageing coefficient to the on-state resistance.

A switch actuating device for actuating a switch by eight types of non-tactile gestures performed with an object emitting heat includes a gesture sensor with four pixels configured to detect heat emitted by the object. The pixels include thin films made of pyroelectric sensitive material which generate a signal that has signal deflections corresponding to a temporal intensity curve of the heat detected by the thin film of the corresponding pixel. The types of the gestures are determined with a signal processing unit which controls an actuator to actuate the switch when a performance of one of the types of the gestures is determined. The gesture types are determined during an approach phase when the object approaches the gesture sensor, a waiting phase during when the object remains close to the gesture sensor, and a subsequent translational phase when the object moves in one of eight directions.

A parallel driving device that drives parallel-connected semiconductor elements includes a control unit and a gate driving circuit. The control unit detects a temperature difference between the semiconductor elements on the basis of detected values by temperature sensors that detect temperatures of the individual semiconductor elements. The control unit generates a control signal for changing the timing at which to turn on a first semiconductor element specified from the semiconductor elements on the basis of the temperature difference. The gate driving circuit generates a first driving signal for driving the semiconductor elements, and generates a second driving signal that is the first driving signal delayed on the basis of the control signal, and applies the second driving signal to the first semiconductor element.

A power switch fault detector detects faults in the current paths of power switches. A first operational amplifier detects a drain-source voltage of a first set of parallel connected field-effect transistors in a current path. A second operational amplifier detects a drain-source voltage of a second set of parallel connected field-effect transistors in the current path. A hardware or software processor is configured to compare a difference in magnitude of the drain-source voltages to a threshold voltage to determine whether a field-effect transistor of one of the first set or second set is compromised. The current path is isolated and one of the first set or second set of field-effect transistors is deactivated to determine whether a field-effect transistor of the first set or second set is stuck-open or shorted.

A circuit includes first to third transistors. The first transistor includes a first terminal coupled to a first voltage, and a second terminal coupled to a connection. The second transistor includes a gate terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the first transistor, a first terminal coupled to a second voltage, and a second terminal coupled to the connection. The third transistor includes a first terminal coupled to the connection, a second terminal coupled to a node between the second terminals of the first and second transistors. The third transistor is controlled to be turned ON at a beginning of a first edge of a driving signal on the connection to pull a voltage of the driving signal on the first edge toward a threshold voltage, and be turned OFF in response to and after the voltage of the driving signal on the first edge reaching the threshold voltage.

A circuit includes first to third transistors. The first transistor includes a first terminal coupled to a first voltage, and a second terminal coupled to a connection. The second transistor includes a gate terminal coupled to the gate terminal of the first transistor, a first terminal coupled to a second voltage, and a second terminal coupled to the connection. The third transistor includes a first terminal coupled to the connection, a second terminal coupled to a node between the second terminals of the first and second transistors. The third transistor is controlled to be turned ON at a beginning of a first edge of a driving signal on the connection to pull a voltage of the driving signal on the first edge toward a threshold voltage, and be turned OFF in response to and after the voltage of the driving signal on the first edge reaching the threshold voltage.

Current sharing among bidirectional double-base bipolar junction transistors. One example is a method comprising: conducting current through a first bidirectional double-base bipolar junction transistor (first B-TRAN); conducting current through a second B-TRAN the second B-TRAN coupled in parallel with the first B-TRAN; measuring a value indicative of conduction of the first B-TRAN, and measuring a value indicative of conduction of the second B-TRAN; and adjusting a current flow through the first B-TRAN, the adjusting responsive to the value indicative of conduction of the first B-TRAN being different than the value indicative of conduction of the second B-TRAN.

A radio-frequency switch is disclosed, comprising a set of field-effect transistors disposed between a first node and a second node. In some embodiments, each field-effect transistor of the set of field-effect transistors has a respective source, drain, gate, and body. In some embodiments, the radio-frequency switch includes a compensation circuit coupled in parallel with the set of field-effect transistors, the compensation circuit configured to compensate a non-linearity effect generated by the set of field-effect transistors.