Systems and methods for a gate drive circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10374591-B2
Application number	US-201715397443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2017
Priority date	Jan 3, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods provided herein relate to a gate drive circuit for controlling operation of a wide bandgap semiconductor switch. The systems and methods receive a control signal and configuring an operation signal configured to activate a wide bandgap switch (WBG switch). A profile of the operation signal being based on electrical characteristics of first and second shaping circuits. The systems and methods further deliver the operation signal to the WBG switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gate drive system comprising:
a wide bandgap switch (WBG switch);
a control switch conductively coupled between a first terminal and a gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the WBG switch and the control switch are configured to have a common threshold voltage;
first and second shaping circuits conductively coupled to the control switch and the gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the first and second shaping circuits and the control switch are configured to define an operation signal, the operation signal being configured to activate the WBG switch, a profile of the operation signal being based on electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits;
wherein the first shaping circuit is connected across the first terminal and a second terminal of the control switch; and
wherein the second shaping circuit is connected between the gate terminal of the WBG switch and the second terminal of the control switch.

2. The gate drive system of claim 1 , wherein the operation signal is formed by three shaping phases, a first shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits, a second shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the second shaping circuit and the control switch, and a third shaping phase is defined by the control switch.

3. The gate drive system of claim 2 , wherein during the second shaping phase the control switch is configured to operate within a Miller plateau.

4. The gate drive system of claim 2 , wherein the second shaping circuit includes a capacitor configured in parallel with a resistor, a resistance of the resistor is configured to define an ascending curve of the second shaping phase.

5. The gate drive system of claim 2 , wherein the control switch is configured to clamp a voltage of the operation signal during the third shaping phase.

6. The gate drive system of claim 2 , wherein an electrical characteristic of the second shaping phase is configured to operate the WBG switch within a Miller plateau.

7. The gate drive system of claim 1 , a gate terminal of the control switch is conductively coupled to a voltage source.

8. The gate drive system of claim 7 , wherein the voltage source is a diode, a capacitor, or a control signal.

9. The gate drive system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second shaping circuits are configured to have a common temperature coefficient.

10. The gate drive system of claim 1 , further comprising a shut off circuit conductively coupled to the gate terminal of the WBG switch and the first terminal, wherein the shut off circuit is configured to clamp the gate terminal.

11. The gate drive system of claim 1 , wherein the WBG switch and the control include Silicon Carbide, Aluminum Gallium Nitride, Gallium Nitride, or Gallium Oxide.

12. A method, comprising:
receiving a control signal at a first terminal of a control switch;
configuring an operation signal via the control switch, wherein the operation signal is configured to activate a wide bandgap switch (WBG switch), wherein a profile of the operation signal is based on electrical characteristics of first and second shaping circuits;
delivering the operation signal to the WBG switch;
wherein the first shaping circuit is connected across the first terminal and a second terminal of the control switch; and
wherein the second shaping circuit is connected between a gate terminal of the WBG switch and the second terminal of the control switch.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the configuring operation includes forming three shaping phases of the operation signal, the first shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits, the second shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the second shaping circuit and a control switch, and a third shaping phase is defined by the control switch.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second shaping circuit includes a capacitor configured in parallel with a resistor, a resistance of the resistor is configured to define a curve of the second shaping phase.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising clamping a voltage of the operation signal during the third shaping phase.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising operating the WBG switch within a Miller plateau during the second shaping phase.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising delivering electrical power to a gate terminal of the control switch, wherein the electrical power is delivered from a diode, a capacitor, or a control signal.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first and second shaping circuits are configured to have a common temperature coefficient.

19. A gate drive system comprising:
a wide bandgap switch (WBG switch);
a control switch conductively coupled between a first terminal and a gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the WBG switch and the control switch are configured to have a common activation threshold, the control switch having a gate terminal conductively coupled to a voltage source, the voltage source being a diode, a capacitor, or a control signal;
first and second shaping circuits conductively coupled to the control switch and the gate terminal of the WBG switch, wherein the first and second shaping circuits and the control switch are configured to define an operation signal, the operation signal being formed by three shaping phases, a first shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits, a second shaping phase is defined by the electrical characteristics of the second shaping circuit and the control switch, and a third shaping phase is defined by the control switch, wherein the operation signal is configured to activate the WBG switch, a profile of the operation signal being based on electrical characteristics of the first and second shaping circuits;
wherein the first shaping circuit is connected across the first terminal and a second terminal of the control switch; and
wherein the second shaping circuit is connected between the gate terminal of the WBG switch and the second terminal of the control switch.

20. The gate drive system of claim 19 , wherein the WBG switch and the control include Silicon Carbide, Aluminum Gallium Nitride, Gallium Nitride, or Gallium Oxide.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Ramabhadran Ramanujam
• Acharya Sayan
• Peng Han
• Todorovic Maja Harfman
• Elasser Ahmed
• Thomas Robert

Classifications

• H01L29/24

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H03K17/08122 Primary

  in field-effect transistor switches · CPC title

• H03K17/08128

  in composite switches · CPC title

• H01L29/778

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L29/2003

  Electricity · mapped topic