A semiconductor apparatus may include logic circuits and a control logic. The control logic may be configured to monitor characteristics of the logic circuits to allow the semiconductor apparatus to perform at different operating speeds.

A temperature sensing circuit a switched capacitor circuit selectively samples ΔVbe and Vbe voltages and provides the sampled voltages to inputs of an integrator. A quantization circuit quantizes outputs of the integrator to produce a bitstream. When a most recent bit of the bitstream is a logic zero, operation includes sampling and integration of ΔVbe a first given number of times to produce a voltage proportional to absolute temperature. When the most recent bit of the bitstream is a logic one, operation includes cause sampling and integration of Vbe a second given number of times to produce a voltage complementary to absolute temperature. A low pass filter and decimator filters and decimates the bitstream produced by the quantization circuit to produce a signal indicative of a temperature of a chip into which the temperature sensing circuit is placed.

A drive circuit of a power semiconductor element comprises a gate drive voltage generator to generate, based on an ON/OFF drive timing signal input to an input terminal, a gate drive voltage to be applied to a gate electrode of a switching element having the gate electrode for controlling a main current that flows between a first main electrode and a second main electrode, wherein the gate drive voltage generator includes a gate current limiting circuit in which a current limiter to limit a current and a voltage limiter to limit the magnitude of a voltage applied to both ends of the current limiter are connected in parallel.

A technique for powering gate drivers in a half-bridge configuration uses a single external power supply to power each gate driver. A single on-chip regulator regulates the positive turn-on voltage for each switch. The regulator overhead, is also used as the negative voltage for turn-off, thus transferring the low-frequency variation of the external power supply to the negative turn-off voltage. Accordingly, a single on-chip regulator generates both the positive turn-on voltage and the negative turn-off voltage. In at least one embodiment, reuse of the switch turn-off current further reduces on-chip power dissipation. The on-chip regulator's output filter capacitor discharges during turn-on of the external power switching device. During turn-off, the current that discharges the switch gate capacitance recharges the regulator filter capacitor.

The invention relates to a method and an actuation assembly (3) for actuating a MOSFET (1), in particular a MOSFET (1) based on a semiconductor with a wide band gap. According to the invention, a characteristic block is generated in which a change (ΔU1, ΔU2, ΔR1, ΔR2) in at least one actuation variable (U1, U2, R1, R2) for actuating the MOSFET (1) with respect to a reference actuation value of the actuation variable (U1, U2, R1, R2) is stored on the basis of at least one operating characteristic variable (U, T) which influences the switching behavior of the MOSFET (1), said change counteracting a change in the switching behavior as a result of the at least one operating characteristic variable (U, T). During the operation of the MOSFET (1), an actual value of the at least one operating characteristic variable (U, T) is ascertained, and the reference actuation value of the at least one actuation variable (U1, U2, R1, R2) is changed according to the characteristic block depending on the actual value of the at least one operating characteristic variable (U, T).

High accuracy current sense circuitry for power switching devices comprising GaN power transistors provides for current feedback functions, e.g. current loop control, over-current protection (OCP) and short-circuit protection (SCP). The current sense circuitry comprises a current mirror sense GaN transistor (Sense_GaN) and a power GaN transistor (Power_GaN) and a sampling circuit. The sampling circuit comprises first and second stage operational amplifiers to provide fast response and improved current sense accuracy, e.g. better than 1%, over a range of junction temperatures Tj. The Sense_GaN, Power_GaN and first stage operational amplifier have a common ground referenced to a Kelvin Source of the Power_GaN, so that the Sense_GaN and Power_GaN operate with the same gate-to-source voltage Vgs, to provide an accurate current ratio. Applications include current sensing for switching mode power supplies that need high speed and lossless current sense for current protection and feedback.

A gate driver includes a variable strength driver circuit that provides an output signal to drive a high power device. The gate driver receives an update request from a host controller during an operating mode in which switching operations occur and updates one or more operating parameters associated with driving the high power device. The operating parameters including turn-on parameters, turn-off parameters, and soft shutdown parameters. The variable strength driver circuit uses the turn-on parameters for turn-on phases for the output signal, uses the turn-off parameters for turn-off phases for the output signal, and uses the soft shutdown parameters for soft shutdown phases for the output signal. The update request adjusts current, voltage, and/or time for one or more phases of the turn-on, turn-off and/or soft shutdown parameters.

A power control switch assembly. The assembly may include a thyristor device, where the thyristor device includes a first device terminal, a second device terminal, and a gate terminal> The assembly may include a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) device, electrically coupled to the gate terminal of the thyristor device on a first end, and electrically coupled to the first device terminal of the thyristor device on a second end, wherein the NTC device is thermally coupled to the thyristor device.

Systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of power switches are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a power switch comprising an outer housing; a power electronics board disposed within the housing and including a semiconductor switch structured to selectively conduct a current between a first power terminal and a second power terminal; a first heat sink coupled to the power electronics board; a plurality of thermally conductive connectors; a second heat sink coupled to the plurality of thermally conductive connectors, a control electronics board structured to control the semiconductor switch, the control electronics board being located within an enclosure formed of the second heat sink, the plurality of thermally conductive connectors, and the power electronics board.

Systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of power switches are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a power switch comprising an outer housing; a power electronics board disposed within the housing and including a semiconductor switch structured to selectively conduct a current between a first power terminal and a second power terminal; a first heat sink coupled to the power electronics board; a plurality of thermally conductive connectors; a second heat sink coupled to the plurality of thermally conductive connectors, a control electronics board structured to control the semiconductor switch, the control electronics board being located within an enclosure formed of the second heat sink, the plurality of thermally conductive connectors, and the power electronics board.