A semiconductor control device includes a switching element including a main element, and a sense element connected in parallel with the main element; and a control circuit configured to bias a sense electrode of the sense element by a negative voltage, and to detect a leakage current of another switching element connected in series with the main element. The control circuit biases the sense electrode by the negative voltage, for example, so as to turn on the sense element, without turning on the main element.

A radio frequency apparatus and a voltage generating device thereof are provided. The voltage generating device includes a first switch and a second switch. A first terminal of the first switch receives a first voltage. A control terminal of the first switch receives a second voltage. A first terminal of the second switch receives the second voltage. A control terminal of the second switch receives the first voltage. A second terminal of the second switch and a second terminal of the first switch are coupled to an output node, wherein the output node outputs an output voltage related to at least one of the first voltage and the second voltage.

Disclosed herein is a power supply circuit for a gate driver. The power supply circuit for the gate driver includes a negative voltage generator configured to generate a negative voltage by receiving an input voltage, wherein the negative voltage generator includes a tank capacitor configured to be charged by receiving the input voltage through a charge path, a discharge switch configured to form a discharge path when the tank capacitor is discharged, and a negative voltage generation capacitor arranged on the discharge path and configured to generate the negative voltage by storing electric charges discharged from the tank capacitor when the tank capacitor is discharged.

A device can include a first circuit configured to be exposed to a first environment, the first circuit comprising one or more first transfer inductors, and a second circuit isolated from the first circuit and configured to be exposed to a second environment, the second circuit comprising one or more second transfer inductors. The second environment can be a harsh environment. The first circuit and the second circuit can be wirelessly coupled via the one or more first transfer inductors and the one or more second transfer inductors to allow transfer of power and/or signals between the first circuit and the second circuit.

Described are apparatus and methods for a load switch with reset and deep sleep capability. The slew rate control methods of the PMOS load switches contained in the load switch configuration is also described. A preferred slew rate control circuit includes a power PMOS transistor that is capable of handling load currents of several amperes along with an integrated controller. The integrated reset and deep sleep functions allow the user to control the basic timing control of the voltages that are required by the system and to save battery power in an extended deep sleep mode such as storage and shipping.

An apparatus is adapted to drive an insulating gate-type semiconductor element by a first control voltage and a second control voltage, that are supplied to a first insulating gate and a second insulating gate, respectively, and includes a first noise filter inputting a signal about current that passes through the insulating gate-type semiconductor element, a first comparator making a comparison between an output signal of the first noise filter and a first reference signal and outputting a first comparison result, a first control voltage output circuit, and a second control voltage output circuit, the second control voltage output circuit being adapted to reduce the second control voltage when it is determined from the first comparison result that overcurrent passes through the insulating gate-type semiconductor element, the first control voltage output circuit being adapted to reduce the first control voltage after the second control voltage is reduced.

A technique of operating a device comprising a patterned conductor layer defining source electrode circuitry and drain electrode circuitry for a plurality of transistors; a semiconductor layer providing a respective semiconductor channel for each transistor between source electrode circuitry and drain electrode circuitry; and gate electrode circuitry overlapping the semiconductor channels of the plurality of transistor devices for switching the semiconductor channels between two or more levels of conductance; wherein the technique comprises using one or more further conductors independent of said gate electrode circuitry to capacitatively induce a reduction in conductivity of said one or more areas of said semiconductor layer outside of said semiconductor channels.

A circuit for comparing a voltage with a threshold, including: first and second nodes of application of the voltage; a first branch including a first transistor series-connected with a first resistor between first and second nodes; a second branch parallel to the first branch, including second and third series-connected resistors forming a voltage dividing bridge between the first and second nodes, the midpoint of the dividing bridge being connected to a control node of the first transistor; and a third branch including a second transistor in series with a resistive and/or capacitive element, between the control node of the first transistor and the first or second node, a control node of the second transistor being connected to the junction point of the first transistor and of the first resistor.

A radio-frequency switch includes a first field-effect transistor disposed between a first node and a second node, the first field-effect transistor having a source, a drain, a gate, and a body. The switch further includes a coupling path connected between the body of the first field-effect transistor and the gate of the first field-effect transistor, the coupling path including a diode. The switch further includes an adjustable impedance network connected between the body of the first field-effect transistor and a ground reference, the adjustable impedance network being configured to reduce radio-frequency distortion in the first field-effect transistor.

In a cascode switching device, avalanche breakdown of a control transistor and loss of soft switching or zero voltage switching in a high voltage normally-on depletion mode transistor having a negative switching threshold voltage and the corresponding losses are avoided by providing additional capacitance in parallel with a parallel connection of drain-source parasitic capacitance of the control transistor and gate-source parasitic capacitance of the high voltage, normally-on transistor to form a capacitive voltage divider with the drain-source parasitic capacitance of the high voltage, normally-on transistor such that the avalanche breakdown voltage of the control transistor cannot be reached. The increased capacitance also assures that the drain source parasitic capacitance of the high voltage, normally-on transistor is fully discharged before internal turn-on can occur.