Negative bias circuit for power device driving

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12388434-B2
Application number	US-202318121528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2023
Priority date	Mar 14, 2023
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a negative bias circuit for power device driving. An apparatus may include a power source, a gate impedance path, a capacitor in series with the gate impedance path, and a clamping circuit for a transistor gate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit for power device driving comprising:
a totem pole driver;
a gate impedance path, wherein the totem pole driver is connected with the gate impedance path, wherein the gate impedance path comprises a first path comprising an On resistor and a second path in parallel with the first path, wherein the second path comprises an Off resistor positioned upstream of and in series with a diode, wherein the Off resistor is directly connected to a cathode of the diode;
a capacitor in series with the gate impedance path;
a clamping circuit, wherein the clamping circuit clamps voltage of a transistor gate and the clamping circuit comprises a plurality of Zener diodes in a back-to-back series arrangement; and
the transistor gate.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the clamping circuit is positioned between the totem pole driver and the gate impedance path.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the clamping circuit is positioned between the gate impedance path and the transistor gate.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the transistor gate comprises a silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) or n-channel MOSFET.

5. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the transistor gate comprises a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor or insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the circuit is integrated into an electronic component of an electric vehicle, the electronic component comprising a direct current-direct current (DC-DC) converter.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor charges during an on-state of the circuit.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the circuit is integrated into an electronic component of an automobile.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor is positioned between a power source and the gate impedance path.

10. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein:
the capacitor is positioned between a power source and the gate impedance path, and
the clamping circuit is positioned between the gate impedance path and the transistor gate.

11. A circuit for power device driving comprising:
a gate impedance path, wherein the gate impedance path comprises a first path comprising an On resistor and a second path in parallel with the first path, wherein the second path comprises an Off resistor positioned upstream of and in series with a diode, wherein the Off resistor is directly connected to a cathode of the diode;
a capacitor in series with the gate impedance path;
a clamping circuit, wherein the clamping circuit clamps voltage of a transistor gate and the clamping circuit comprises a plurality of Zener diodes in a back-to-back series arrangement; and
the transistor gate.

12. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the clamping circuit creates a charging current for the capacitor during an on-state of the circuit.

13. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the clamping circuit is positioned between the gate impedance path and the transistor gate.

14. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the transistor gate comprises a silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

15. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the transistor gate comprises a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor.

16. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the circuit is integrated into an electronic component of an electric vehicle, the electronic component comprising an on-board charger (OBC).

17. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the circuit is integrated into an electronic component of an electric vehicle.

18. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the circuit is integrated into an electronic component of an electric vehicle, the electronic component comprising an electronic inverter.

19. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the capacitor is positioned between a power source and the gate impedance path.

20. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein:
the capacitor is positioned between a power source and the gate impedance path, and
the clamping circuit is positioned between the gate impedance path and the transistor gate.

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Shi Yuxiang
• Mahmood Muhammad Mobeen
• Umachandran Prashanth Morkonda
• Schulz Steven

Classifications

• H03K17/693

  Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors (logic circuits H03K19/00; code converters H03M5/00, H03M7/00) · CPC title

• H03K17/162

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

• H03K17/6871 Primary

  the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor · CPC title

• H03K17/063 Primary

  in field-effect transistor switches · CPC title