Paralleling power switches using a differential mode choke in the gate drive loop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10461733-B2
Application number	US-201615565398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

In one aspect, a device includes a first power switch having a first gate, a second power switch paralleled with the first power switch and having a second gate, a gate driver to output a gate drive signal to drive both the first gate and the second gate, a first conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the first gate, a second conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the second gate, and a distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal to the first and second power switches. The distribution choke has a first winding disposed in the first conduction path and a second winding disposed in the second conduction path. The distribution choke is coupled in a differential mode.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A power module, comprising:
a first power switch having a first gate;
a second power switch paralleled with the first power switch and having a second gate;
a third power switch paralleled with the first and the second power switches and having a third gate;
a terminal coupled to receive a gate drive signal from a gate driver;
a first conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the first gate;
a second conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the second gate;
a third conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the third gate;
a distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal to the first and second power switches, the distribution choke having a first winding disposed in the first conduction path and a second winding disposed in the second conduction path, the distribution choke coupled in a differential mode;
a second distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal, the second distribution choke comprising a third winding disposed in the first conduction path and a fourth winding disposed in the third conduction path; and
a third distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal, the third distribution choke comprising a fifth winding disposed in the second conduction path.

2. The power module of claim 1 , wherein the third distribution choke comprises a sixth winding disposed in the third conduction path.

3. The power module claim 1 , wherein all parts are integrated in one power module.

4. The power module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second power switches are IGBTs.

5. The power module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second power switches are MOSFETs.

6. The power module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second power switches are HEMTs.

7. The power module of claim 1 , wherein:
the first conduction path comprises a first gate resistance; and
the second conduction path comprises a second gate resistance.

8. The power module of claim 1 , wherein:
the first conduction path and the second conduction path comprise a common gate resistance.

9. The power module of claim 1 , wherein:
the gate driver is a common gate driver including a common power switch driver, the gate driver including one or more gate signal outputs or with separated Hi/Lo gate outputs.

10. A power module, comprising:
a first power switch having a first gate;
a second power switch paralleled with the first power switch and having a second gate;
a first conduction path to couple a gate drive signal to the first gate;
a second conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the second gate; and
a distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal to the first and second power switches, the distribution choke having a first winding disposed in the first conduction path and a second winding disposed in the second conduction path, the distribution choke coupled in a differential mode,
wherein the power module comprises an equal number of paralleled power switches and chokes, and
wherein each of the conduction paths includes at least two windings.

11. A device comprising:
a first IGBT having a first gate;
a second IGBT coupled in parallel with the first IGBT and having a second gate;
a third IGBT coupled in parallel with the first and the second IGBTs and having a third gate;
an IGBT driver to output a gate drive signal;
a first conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the first gate;
a second conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the second gate;
a third conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the third gate;
a distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal to the first and second IGBTs, the distribution choke having a first winding disposed in the first conduction path and a second winding disposed in the second conduction path, the distribution choke coupled in a differential mode;
a second distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal, the second distribution choke comprising a third winding disposed in the first conduction path and a fourth winding disposed in the third conduction path; and
a third distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal, the third distribution choke comprising a fifth winding disposed in the second conduction path.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the third distribution choke comprises a sixth winding disposed in the third conduction path.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein:
the first conduction path comprises a first gate resistance; and
the second conduction path comprises a second gate resistance.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein:
the first conduction path and the second conduction path comprise one or more first conductors between the IGBT driver and the distribution choke;
the first conduction path comprises one or more second conductors between the distribution choke and the first gate;
the second conduction path comprises one or more third conductors between the distribution choke and the second gate;
the one or more second conductors are longer than the one or more first conductors; and
the one or more third conductors are longer than the one or more first conductors.

15. A power module comprising:
a plurality of power switches comprising a first power switch, a second power switch, and a third power switch;
a plurality of parallel conduction paths comprising:
a first conduction path to a gate of the first power switch;
a second conduction path to a gate of the second power switch; and
a third conduction path to a gate of the third power switch;

a plurality of distribution chokes comprising:
a first distribution choke comprising a first winding disposed in the first conduction path and a second winding disposed in the second conduction path;
a second distribution choke comprising a third winding disposed in the second conduction path and a fourth winding disposed in the third conduction path; and
a third distribution choke comprising a fifth winding disposed in the third conduction path and a sixth winding disposed in the first conduction path.

16. The power module of claim 15 , wherein:
the first conduction path is coupled from a gate driver output to the gate of the first power switch;
the second conduction path is coupled from the gate driver output to the gate of the second power switch; and
the third conduction path is coupled from the gate driver output to the gate of the third power switch.

17. The power module of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of power switches comprises an IGBT.

18. The power module of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of power switches comprises a MOSFET.

19. The power module of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of power switches comprises a HEMT.

20. The power module of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of conduction paths comprises at least one discrete capacitor.

21. The power module of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of power switches comprises an IGBT.

22. The power module of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of power switches comprises a MOSFET.

23. The power module of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of power switches comprises a HEMT.

Assignees

• Power Integrations Inc

Inventors

• Fink Karsten
• Dustert Christoph
• Volke Andreas
• Hornkamp Michael
• Ulbrich Martin

Classifications

• H02M1/08

  Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters · CPC title

• H03K17/08146

  in bipolar transistor switches · CPC title

• H03K17/168

  in composite switches · CPC title

• H03K17/041 Primary

  without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit {(H03K17/0403, H03K17/0406 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H03K17/145

  in field-effect transistor switches · CPC title