Driving circuit for a transistor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9344006-B2
Application number	US-201213481982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2012
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

In various embodiments, a driving circuit for a transistor is provided, wherein the transistor may include a transistor having a control terminal, a diode, a capacitance with a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal may be coupled to the control terminal and the second terminal may be coupled to a reference potential via the diode, and a resistor, which is coupled in parallel to the capacitance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving circuit for a transistor, comprising: a transistor comprising a control terminal and an emitter terminal; a diode; a capacitor with a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the control terminal and the second terminal is coupled to a reference potential via the diode; and a resistor, which is coupled in parallel to the capacitor; wherein the driving circuit is coupled between the control terminal and the emitter terminal; wherein the capacitance value of the capacitor is larger than a sum of parasitic capacitances of the driving circuit at least by a factor of 5.

2. The driving circuit for a transistor of claim 1 ,
wherein the transistor is configured as a power transistor.

3. The driving circuit for a transistor of claim 1 ,
wherein the transistor is configured as an IGBT.

4. The driving circuit for a transistor of claim 1 ,
wherein the control terminal of the transistor comprises a gate of the transistor.

5. The driving circuit for a transistor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a switch circuit configured to generate a switching signal, wherein an output of the switch circuit is coupled to the control terminal of the transistor.

6. The driving circuit for a transistor of claim 1 ,
wherein the driving circuit is configured to delay a potential increase at the control terminal induced by a switching on signal provided to the control terminal when the transistor is to be switched on.

7. A control circuit for a transistor, comprising: a transistor comprising a gate terminal and an emitter terminal; a diode; a capacitor with a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is coupled to the gate terminal and the second side is coupled to a reference potential via the diode; and a resistor with a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the gate terminal and the second terminal is coupled to the electrical path between the capacitor and the diode; wherein the control circuit is coupled between the gate terminal and the emitter terminal; wherein the capacitance value of the capacitor is larger than a sum of parasitic capacitances of the driving circuit at least by a factor of 5.

8. The control circuit for a transistor of claim 7 ,
wherein the transistor is configured as a power transistor.

9. The control circuit for a transistor of claim 7 ,
wherein the transistor is configured as an IGBT.

10. The control circuit for a transistor of claim 7 ,
wherein the transistor further comprises a gate which is coupled to the gate terminal.

11. The control circuit for a transistor of claim 7 , further comprising:
a switch circuit configured to switch on and switch off the transistor, wherein an output of the switch circuit is coupled to the gate terminal of the transistor.

12. The control circuit for a transistor of claim 11 ,
wherein a gate resistor is coupled between the control terminal and the output of the switch circuit.

13. The control circuit for a transistor of claim 7 ,
wherein the driving circuit is configured to delay a potential increase at the gate terminal induced by a switching on signal provided to the gate terminal when the transistor is to be switched on.

Assignees

• Kimmer Thomas
• Infineon Technologies Austria

Inventors

• Kimmer Thomas

Classifications

• H02M2001/0054

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M7/537 Primary

  using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters · CPC title

• H03K2217/0072

  Low side switches, i.e. the lower potential [DC] or neutral wire [AC] being directly connected to the switch and not via the load · CPC title

• H03K2217/0036

  Means reducing energy consumption · CPC title

• Y02B70/1491

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic