This invention relates to power switching circuits, specifically ones for which an inductive load is used.
A single-sided switch is a switching configuration where a switching device is used either to connect the load to a node at a lower potential—a “low-side” switch—or to a node at a higher potential—a “high-side” switch. The low-side configuration is shown in
Ideally, the freewheeling diodes 11 used in the circuits of
An alternative to the configurations illustrated in
As shown in
Many power switching circuits contain one or more high-side or low-side switches. One example is the boost-mode power-factor correction circuit shown in
In one aspect, a switch is described that includes a first switching device in series with an assembly comprising a load and a second switching device, the first switching device including a first channel, the second switching device including a second channel, wherein in a first mode of operation the second switching device is capable of blocking a voltage applied across the second switching device in a first direction, in a second mode of operation a substantial current flows through the second channel of the second switching device when a voltage is applied across the second switching device in a second direction and a gate of the second switching device is biased below a threshold voltage of the second switching device, and in a third mode of operation a substantial current flows through the second channel of the second switching device when a voltage is applied across the second switching device in the second direction and the gate of the second switching device is biased above the threshold voltage of the second switching device.
The switch or the assembly can be free of any diodes.
In another aspect, a method of operating a switch is described. At a first time, a gate of a first switching device of a switch is biased higher than a threshold voltage of the first switching device and a gate of a second switching device is biased lower than a threshold voltage of the second switching device, allowing current to flow from a high voltage side of the switch to a low voltage or ground side of the switch through the load. At a second time immediately following the first time, a bias on the gate of the first switching device is changed to be lower than the threshold voltage of the first switching device, causing the second switching device to operate in diode mode and blocking current from flowing to ground. At a third time immediately following the second time, a bias on the gate of the second switching device is changed to be higher than the threshold voltage of the second switching device, wherein changing the bias at the third time reduces conduction loss in comparison to switch operation between the second time and the third time.
In another aspect, a boost-mode power-factor correction circuit is described. The circuit includes a first switching device comprising a first channel, an inductive load, a capacitor, and a second switching device comprising a second channel, wherein the first switching device is connected to a node between the inductive load and a floating gate drive circuit, the second switching device is configured to be connected to the floating gate drive circuit, and the second switching device is between the inductive load and the capacitor.
In yet another aspect, a method of operating the boost-mode power-factor correction circuit is described. The method includes causing a load current through the inductive load to be continuous; at a first time, biasing a gate of the first switching device higher than a threshold voltage of the first switching device and biasing a gate of the second switching device lower than a threshold voltage of the second switching device, allowing current to flow through the first switching device; at a second time immediately following the first time, changing a bias on the gate of the first switching device to be lower than the threshold voltage of the first switching device, causing the first switching device to operate in blocking mode and the second switching device to operate in diode mode, allowing current to flow through the second switching device; at a third time immediately following the second time, changing a bias on the gate of the second switching device to be higher than the threshold voltage of the second switching device, wherein changing the bias at the third time reduces conduction loss in comparison to switch operation between the second time and the third time.
In another aspect, a method of operating the boost-mode power-factor correction circuit is described. The method includes causing a load current through the inductive load to be discontinuous, sensing the load current, and when the load current approaches zero, changing a bias on a gate of the second switching device from a voltage higher than a threshold voltage of the second switching device to a voltage lower than the threshold voltage of the second switching.
In yet another aspect a method of operating the boost-mode power-factor correction circuit is described. The method includes sensing a load current passing through the inductive load, causing the load current to approach zero and immediately increase after approaching zero, and when the load current approaches zero, switching the second switching device from on to off and switching the first switching device from off to on.
In some embodiments, the following features are present. The first mode of operation can comprise biasing the gate of the first switching device above a threshold voltage of the first switching device. The second mode of operation can comprise biasing the gate of the first switching device below a threshold voltage of the first switching device. The first switching device can have a first terminal and a second terminal on opposite sides of the gate, and the first terminal can be adjacent to the assembly and at a higher voltage than the second terminal of the first switching device during operation. The first switching device can have a first terminal and a second terminal on opposite sides of the gate, and the first terminal can be adjacent to the assembly and at a lower voltage than the second terminal of the first switching device during operation. A first node can be between the assembly and the first switching device, a second node can be at a high voltage side of the switch, and the second switching device can be capable of blocking a voltage when voltage at the first node is lower than voltage at the second node. A first node can be between the assembly and the first switching device, a second node can be at a low voltage or ground side of the switch, and the second switching device can be capable of blocking a voltage when voltage at the first node is higher than voltage at the second node. The second switching device can be capable of blocking a same voltage as the first switching device is capable of blocking. The second switching device can be capable of blocking voltage in two directions. When the gate of the first switching device is biased lower than a threshold voltage of the first switching device, the second switching device can be capable of conducting current. When the gate of the first switching device is biased lower than the threshold voltage of the first switching device, substantially all current can flow through a single primary channel of the second switching device. When the gate of the second switching device is biased higher than the threshold voltage of the second switching device, the voltage drop across the second switching device can be reduced as compared to when the gate of the second switching device is biased lower than the threshold voltage of the second switching device. The second switching device can have a positive threshold voltage. The first switching device can have a positive threshold voltage. The second switching device can be a HEMT. The second switching device can be a III-Nitride HEMT. The first switching device can be a HEMT. The first switching device can be a III-Nitride HEMT. The second switching device can be structurally the same as the first switching device. A voltage drop across the second switching device can be smaller in the third mode of operation as compared to in the second mode of operation. The load can be an inductive load. The first switching device or the second switching device can comprise a high-voltage depletion mode device and a low-voltage enhancement mode device, the second channel can be a channel of the high-voltage depletion mode device, and the threshold voltage of the second switching device can be a threshold voltage of the low-voltage enhancement mode device. The low-voltage enhancement mode device can at least block a voltage equal to an absolute value of a threshold voltage of the high-voltage depletion mode device. The high-voltage depletion mode device can be a III-Nitride HEMT. The low-voltage enhancement mode device can be a III-Nitride HEMT. The low-voltage enhancement mode device can be a Si MOS device. The device can include a diode connected antiparallel to the low-voltage enhancement mode device. The first switching device can comprise a high-voltage depletion mode device and a low-voltage enhancement mode device, the first channel can be a channel of the high-voltage depletion mode device, and a threshold voltage of the first switching device can be a threshold voltage of the low-voltage enhancement mode device.
Boost-mode power-factor correction circuits can include one or more of the following features. The first switching device can be a III-N HEMT. The second switching device can be a III-N HEMT.
Operating a boost-mode power-factor correction circuit can include causing a load current through the inductive load to be discontinuous, sensing the load current, and when the load current approaches zero, changing a bias on a gate of the second switching device from a voltage higher than a threshold voltage of the second switching device to a voltage lower than the threshold voltage of the second switching device. A load current passing through the inductive load, causing the load current to approach zero and immediately increase after approaching zero is sensed. When the load current approaches zero, the second switching device is switched from on to off and the first switching device is switched from off to on.
Methods described herein may include one or more of the following features or steps. Changing the bias at the third time can reduce conduction loss in comparison to switch operation at the second time.
a-c show schematics of a low-side switch, and current paths for various bias conditions.
a-c show schematics of a high-side switch, and current paths for various bias conditions.
a-e show schematics of high-side switches with a MOSFET connected across the inductive load, and current paths for various bias conditions.
a-c show schematics of a boost-mode power-factor correction circuit and current paths for various bias conditions.
a-d show schematics of a low-side switch, along with current paths for various bias conditions.
e shows a biasing scheme for the switching devices in the circuits of
a-d show schematics of a high-side switch, along with current paths for various bias conditions.
e shows a biasing scheme for the switching devices in the circuits of
a-d show schematics of a boost-mode power-factor correction circuit, along with current paths for various bias conditions.
e shows a biasing scheme for the switching devices in the circuits of
a-c show the input current as a function of time for various operating conditions for the circuit in
Low-side and high-side switches and the circuits which they comprise, wherein the freewheeling diode shown in
Additionally, switching device 41 must have the following characteristics. It must be able to block significant voltage when the voltage at terminal 45/55 is lower than the voltage at terminal 46/56. This condition occurs when switching device 42 is biased high, as shown in
The detailed operation of the circuit in
Depending on the current level and the threshold voltage of switching device 41, the power dissipation through this device could be unacceptably high when operating in the diode mode. In this case, a lower power mode of operation may be achieved by applying a voltage VGS41>Vth41 to the gate of switching device 41, as shown in
In the circuit of
The detailed operation of the circuit in
Examples of devices that meet the criteria specified above for switching device 41 are metal-semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) of any material system, junction field effect transistors (JFETs) of any material system, high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs or HFETs) of any material system, including vertical devices such as current aperture vertical electron transistors (CAVETs), and bidirectional switches comprised of the devices listed above, such as those described U.S. application Ser. No. 12/209,581, filed Sep. 12, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference throughout. Common material systems for HEMTs and MESFETs include GaxAlyIn1-x-yNmAsnP1-m-n or III-V materials, such as III-N materials, III-As materials, and III-P materials. Common materials for JFETs include III-V materials, SiC, and Si.
Preferably, switching device 41 is an enhancement mode device to prevent accidental turn on, in order to avoid damage to the device or other circuit components. III-Nitride (III-N) devices, such as III-Nitride HFETs, are especially desirable due to the large blocking voltages that can be achieved with these devices. The device preferably also exhibits a high access region conductivity (such as sheet resistance <750 ohms/square) along with high breakdown voltage (600/1200 Volts) and low on resistance (<5 or <10 mohm-cm2 for 600/1200 V respectively). The device can also include any of the following: a surface passivation layer, such as SiN, a field plate, such as a slant field plate, and an insulator underneath the gate. In other embodiments, switching device 41 is a SiC JFET.
A variation on switching device 41, which can be used with any of the embodiments described herein, embodiment is shown in
A boost-mode power-factor correction circuit is shown in
As with the circuits in
If the load current is continuous, then the timing of the gate signals to switching devices 42 and 41 is similar to that of the circuits in
The current in the inductor can become discontinuous or negative if the energy stored in it is completely transferred, either to the output capacitor or through switching device 42, before the commencement of the next switching cycle. In circuits where the switching device 41, or flyback transistor, is connected in parallel to the load, such as those in
The third case, the critical mode, is essentially the same as the discontinuous mode, with the difference that the switching device 42 turns back on as soon as the load current approaches zero. This implies that the switching frequency is not fixed, but adjustable, as in a hysteretic controller. The control circuit is therefore very different from the discontinuous case, but the requirement regarding the switching sequence of the switching devices 42 and 41 is the same. The current must be sensed to know when it has approached zero, and switching device 41 must be turned off when the current approaches zero.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20130320939 A1 | Dec 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61099451 | Sep 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13618726 | Sep 2012 | US |
Child | 13959483 | US | |
Parent | 12556438 | Sep 2009 | US |
Child | 13618726 | US |