The present application relates to AC power supplies and in particular to power factor correction circuits in AC-DC converters. The application provides an active power factor correction circuit in which zero voltage switching is inherently achieved using a passive snubbing approach employing a saturable transformer.

A power converter for converting electrical power from a power source to a load, including: a boosting device including a boost rectifier configured to prevent a backflow of a current from the load to the power source, the boosting device being configured to change a voltage of electrical power from the power source to a predetermined voltage; and a commutation device including: a commutation operation device configured to perform a commutation operation of directing a current flowing through the boosting device to an other path; and a commutation rectifier including a plurality of rectifiers and connected in series on the other path, the commutation rectifier being configured to rectify a current relating to commutation, thereby reducing a capacitance component.

It is an object to provide a technique where a snubber capacitor having an appropriate capacitance is usable. A power module includes: a third lead having one end electrically connected to a first connection point and the other end exposed from a package, where the third lead is shorter than a first lead; and a fourth lead having one end electrically connected to a second connection point and the other end exposed from the package, where the fourth lead is shorter than a second lead. A snubber capacitor is attachable to and detachable from the other ends of the third lead and fourth lead.

A converter module is provided with a first power delivery circuit, a second power delivery circuit, and a controller. The first power delivery circuit supplies current from a first direct current (DC) source to a resonant stage in a first direction. The first power delivery circuit comprises at least two first switches. The second power delivery circuit supplies the current from the first DC source to the resonant stage in a second direction, opposite the first direction. The controller includes memory, and a processor that is programmed to: enable the first power delivery circuit and the second power delivery circuit alternately to provide power as a periodic waveform to the resonant stage; and disable the at least two first switches individually in a sequence to generate a phase shift in the periodic waveform and to disable the first power delivery circuit.

A semiconductor device in which an increase in circuit area is inhibited is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first circuit layer and a second circuit layer over the first circuit layer; the first circuit layer includes a first transistor; the second circuit layer includes a second transistor; a gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor; a source and a drain of the second transistor are electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the first transistor; and a semiconductor layer of the second transistor contains a metal oxide.

A power converter includes a first rectifier circuit having a pair of first rectifier circuit output terminals and a second rectifier circuit having a pair of second rectifier circuit output terminals, a snubber circuit comprising a first diode and a first capacitor connected to each other at a first node and connecting the pair of first rectifier circuit output terminals, a second diode and a second capacitor connected to each other at a second node and connecting the pair of second rectifier circuit output terminals, a third diode connecting the first node to one of the pair of second rectifier output terminals, and a fourth diode connecting the second node to one of the pair of first rectifier output terminals.

In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes a snubber circuit configured to be coupled to outputs of n half-bridge driver circuits that are coupled to n corresponding inductive loads, such that n is an integer greater than one. The snubber circuit includes n diodes and n capacitors. Each of the n diodes are coupled between a corresponding output of the n half-bridge driver circuits and a floating common node, and each of the n capacitors coupled between a corresponding output of the n half-bridge driver circuits and the floating common node.

The connection distance between a first snubber circuit and the positive electrode of a first semiconductor element is shorter than the connection distance between the first snubber circuit and the positive electrode of a third semiconductor element. The connection distance between the first snubber circuit and the negative electrode of a fourth semiconductor element is shorter than the connection distance between the first snubber circuit and the negative electrode of a second semiconductor element. The connection distance between a second snubber circuit and the positive electrode of the third semiconductor element is shorter than the wiring distance between the second snubber circuit and the positive electrode of the first semiconductor element, and the connection distance between the second snubber circuit and the negative electrode of the second semiconductor element is shorter than the wiring distance between the second snubber circuit and the negative electrode of the fourth semiconductor element.

An electrical component having a DC link capacitor and an EMC filter. The electrical component includes an input port and an output port. The EMC filter includes a first filter stage and a second filter stage. The first filter stage is arranged between the input port and the DC link capacitor, and the second filter stage is arranged between the output port and the DC link capacitor. Another aspect concerns a method for manufacturing an electronic component.

A high voltage generator is provided. The high voltage generator includes an inverter circuit coupled to receive a direct-current (DC) input voltage, a resonant circuit coupled to the inverter circuit, a transformer coupled to the resonant circuit and also coupled to provide a high voltage output to a high voltage device, and a phase control circuit coupled to receive a voltage across and a current through the resonant circuit and also coupled to the inverter circuit. The phase control circuit generates control signals to drive the inverter circuit. The control signals drive the inverter circuit to keep the resonant circuit operating in an inductive region.