Switch control clamping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11683024-B2
Application number	US-202017121480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2020
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A method of controlling a switch, including: a) applying a control signal to a control terminal of the switch, said control signal exhibiting at least one first switching between a switch turn-on control state and a switch turn-off control state; and b) applying a switch turn-off potential on said control terminal after a first delay starting at said first switching, the first delay being greater than the turn-off time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method of controlling a switch, said method comprising steps of:
a) applying a control signal to a control terminal of the switch, said control signal exhibiting at least one first switching between a switch turn-on control state and a switch turn-off control state, the switch switching to an off state within a turn-off time from the first switching; and
b) applying a switch turn-off potential to said control terminal after a first delay starting at said first switching, the first delay being longer than the turn-off time, wherein:
the first switching marks a beginning of a first period during which said control signal is only in the turn-off control state;
a second period comprises alternations of states of control of the turning off and the turning on of the switch;
the first delay is longer than a cycle time of the alternations;
said control signal exhibits, during said application of the turn-off potential, at least one second switching between the turn-off control state and the turn-on control state; and
said application of the turn-off potential is interrupted within a second delay starting at said second switching and shorter than the first delay.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the first switching forms an edge between a turn-on level and a turn-off level.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the first delay is shorter than 1% of a duration of the first period.

4. Method according to claim 3 , wherein the first delay is shorter than 0.2% of a duration of the first period.

5. Method according to claim 3 , wherein the first delay is shorter than 0.05% of the first period.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein:
said control signal has, outside of said application of the turn-off potential, a third switching between the turn-off control state and the turn-on control state, the switch switching to an on state within a turn-on time from the third switching; and
the second delay is shorter than the turn-on time.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein:
said application of said control signal is performed by means of a link having a first impedance; and
during the implementation of said application of the turn-off potential, a second impedance between a node for delivering said turn-off potential and said control terminal is smaller than the first impedance.

8. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the second delay is shorter than approximately 1 μs.

9. Device for controlling a switch, said device, comprising:
a circuit coupled to the switch, the circuit comprising:
another switch coupling a control terminal to a node for delivering a turn-off potential;
a capacitive element coupling said delivery node to another control terminal of said another switch; and
a resistive element and a diode electrically in parallel between said another control terminal and a node of reception of a signal representative of a control signal,

wherein the circuit is configured to:
a) apply the control signal to the control terminal of the switch, said control signal exhibiting at least one first switching between a switch turn-on control state and a switch turn-off control state, the switch switching to an off state within a turn-off time from the first switching; and
b) apply the switch turn-off potential to said control terminal after a first delay starting at said first switching, the first delay being longer than the turn-off time, wherein:
the first switching marks a beginning of a first period during which said control signal is only in the turn-off control state;
a second period comprises alternations of states of control of the turning off and the turning on of the switch;
the first delay is longer than a cycle time of the alternations;
said control signal exhibits, during said application of the turn-off potential, at least one second switching between the turn-off control state and the turn-on control state; and
said application of the turn-off potential is interrupted within a second delay starting at said second switching and shorter than the first delay.

10. Device according to claim 9 , wherein said delivery node is defined by a conduction terminal of said switch.

11. Device according to claim 9 , comprising a capacitive element coupling a conduction terminal of said switch to said delivery node, and a voltage source having two terminals coupled to two terminals of the capacitive element.

12. Device according to claim 9 , comprising an inverter configured to receive said control signal, said reception node being defined by an output of the inverter.

13. Device according to claim 9 , comprising a circuit configured to output said control signal.

14. Device according to claim 9 , wherein
the device further comprises sub-circuitry, sub-circuitry is configured to:
receive a signal representative of said control signal; and
implement step b) based on said control signal,

said sub-circuitry is monolithic, and
the device further comprises another sub-circuitry configured to implement step a).

15. Device according to claim 14 , wherein the device is a converter.

16. Device according to claim 9 , wherein the device is a converter.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Lefevre Guillaume
• Perez Gaëtan
• Piquet-Boisson Guillaume

Classifications

• H03K3/012 Primary

  Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption · CPC title

• H03K17/162

  without feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit · CPC title

• H03K2017/066

  Maximizing the OFF-resistance instead of minimizing the ON-resistance · CPC title

• H02M1/38

  Means for preventing simultaneous conduction of switches · CPC title

• H02M1/08

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