Circuit system and manufacturing and operating method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12316092-B2
Application number	US-202217989611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2022
Priority date	Nov 17, 2022
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A circuit system includes a power circuit and an operation circuit. The operation circuit is electrically connected to the power circuit. The operation circuit is configured to control operation of the power circuit, detect a first signal of the power circuit during the operation, and protect the power circuit in response to the first signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit system, comprising:
a power circuit comprising a first switch transistor; and
an operation circuit, electrically connected to the power circuit and configured to control operation of the power circuit, detect a first signal of the power circuit during the operation, and protect the power circuit in response to the first signal;
wherein the operation circuit comprises:
a second switch transistor;
a gate driver, configured to drive the second switch transistor;
a detection circuit, configured to detect the first signal flowing through the first switch transistor, wherein the detection circuit comprises a current mirror circuit configured to generate a second signal in proportion to the first signal; and
an overcurrent protection circuit, configured to receive the second signal and generate a third signal to the gate driver according to the second signal to turn off the second switch transistor;
wherein the overcurrent protection circuit comprises:
a plurality of comparators, each non-inverting input terminal of the plurality of comparators is configured to receive the second signal; and
a logic gate, configured to generate a third signal according to outputs of the plurality of comparators.

2. The circuit system according to claim 1 , wherein the first switch transistor comprising:
a substrate;
a first nitride semiconductor layer, arranged on the substrate; and
a second nitride semiconductor layer, arranged on the first nitride semiconductor layer, a band gap of the second nitride semiconductor layer being larger than a band gap of the first nitride semiconductor layer.

3. The circuit system according to claim 1 , wherein the gate driver is electrically connected to a gate of the second switch transistor, and a drain of the second switch transistor is electrically connected to a source of the first switch transistor.

4. The circuit system according to claim 3 , wherein the operation circuit comprises:
an overtemperature protection circuit, configured to turn off the second switch transistor when a temperature of the second switch transistor is too high.

5. The circuit system according to claim 4 , wherein the overtemperature protection circuit comprises a thermistor defined with a negative temperature coefficient.

6. The circuit system according to claim 3 , wherein the operation circuit comprises:
an overvoltage protection circuit, configured to turn off the second switch transistor when a voltage of the second switch transistor is too high.

7. The circuit system according to claim 6 , wherein the overvoltage protection circuit comprises:
a first resistor;
a second resistor, connected in series with the first resistor and configured to detect a partial voltage; and
a voltage comparator, having a non-inverting input terminal configured to receive the partial voltage and turn off the second switch transistor when the voltage of the second switch transistor is too high.

8. The circuit system according to claim 1 , wherein an operating voltage of the first switch transistor is greater than an operating voltage of the second switch transistor.

9. The circuit system according to claim 1 , wherein the power circuit comprises a plurality of first switch transistors, drains of the plurality of first switch transistors being electrically connected to each other, and sources of the plurality of first switch transistors being electrically connected to each other.

10. The circuit system according to claim 1 , wherein the power circuit and the operation circuit are packaged separately.

11. The circuit system according to claim 1 , wherein the power circuit and the operation circuit are packaged together.

12. A circuit system, comprising:
a first power circuit, comprising a plurality of first switch transistors, the plurality of first switch transistors being connected in parallel; and
an operation circuit, electrically connected to the first power circuit and configured to control the plurality of first switch transistors, an operating voltage of the operation circuit being less than an operating voltage of the plurality of first switch transistors;
wherein the operation circuit comprises:
a third switch transistor;
a gate driver, configured to drive the third switch transistor;
a detection circuit, configured to detect a first signal flowing through the first switch transistor, wherein the detection circuit comprises a current mirror circuit configured to generate a second signal in proportion to the first signal; and
an overcurrent protection circuit, configured to receive the second signal and generate a third signal to the gate driver according to the second signal to turn off the third switch transistor;
wherein the overcurrent protection circuit comprises:
a plurality of comparators, each non-inverting input terminal of the plurality of comparators is configured to receive the second signal; and
a logic gate, configured to generate a third signal according to outputs of the plurality of comparators.

13. The circuit system according to claim 12 , comprising:
a second power circuit, comprising a plurality of second switch transistors, the plurality of second switch transistors being connected in parallel, and the operation circuit being configured to control the plurality of second switch transistors.

14. The circuit system according to claim 13 , wherein the first power circuit, the second power circuit, and the operation circuit are packaged separately.

15. The circuit system according to claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of first switch transistors comprises a GaN transistor.

Assignees

• Innoscience Zhuhai Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Yan-Cun
• Sun Yi

Classifications

• H02H5/04

  responsive to abnormal temperature {(specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852)} · CPC title

• H02H1/0007

  concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445) · CPC title

• H03K17/122

  in field-effect transistor switches · CPC title

• H03K2217/0027

  Measuring means of, e.g. currents through or voltages across the switch · CPC title

• H03K17/14

  Modifications for compensating variations of physical values, e.g. of temperature · CPC title