semiconductor circuits

Abstract

The present invention discloses a semiconductor circuit for driving a three-phase inverter bridge. The circuit comprises a high-voltage drive circuit, a low-voltage drive circuit, and a power supply circuit. The power supply circuit includes a charge pump circuit having a voltage input terminal and a voltage output terminal. The voltage input terminal is electrically connected to a power supply, and the voltage output terminal is electrically connected to the power supply terminal of the high-voltage drive circuit and the power supply terminal of the low-voltage drive circuit, respectively. The charge pump circuit is configured to boost the voltage inputted to the voltage input terminal and output the boosted voltage from the voltage output terminal. The technical solution of the present invention increases the speed at which the semiconductor circuit drives the power semiconductor device to shut down, thereby reducing the switching loss of the power semiconductor device and improving its operating efficiency and high-frequency anti-interference capability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a semiconductor circuit. Background Art

[0002] HVICs, or high-voltage integrated driver ICs, are high-voltage ICs that directly drive power semiconductor devices (such as MOSFETs and IGBTs) using input signals from a microcontroller. They can replace common pulse transformers and optocouplers. HVICs achieve dielectric insulation within the semiconductor chip through a level rectifier circuit. HVICs incorporate various built-in protection features (such as undervoltage protection, interlocking, input signal filtering, and error output) to enhance device reliability. Consequently, HVICs are widely used in general-purpose inverters, AC servo motors, brushless DC motors, fluorescent and HID lighting, LED lighting, IH cooking heaters, air conditioners, washing machines, and various intelligent power modules (IPMs).

[0003] Currently, HVICs used in general-purpose inverters, AC servo motors, brushless DC motors, fluorescent lamps, HID lighting, LED lighting, IH cooking heaters, air conditioners, washing machines, and other products, as well as HVICs used in IPMs, all use a 15V power supply and output a 15V gate drive voltage to drive power semiconductor devices. The disadvantage of this HVIC is that it drives power semiconductor devices to turn off slowly, resulting in slow switching speeds, high switching losses, low operating efficiency, and poor anti-interference capabilities during high-frequency operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor circuit, which aims to increase the speed at which the semiconductor circuit drives the power semiconductor device to turn off, so as to reduce the switching loss of the power semiconductor device, improve the operating efficiency and high-frequency operation anti-interference ability.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the semiconductor circuit proposed in the present invention is used to drive a three-phase inverter bridge, including a high-voltage drive circuit, a low-voltage drive circuit and a power supply circuit. The power supply circuit includes a charge pump circuit, and the charge pump circuit has a voltage input end and a voltage output end. The voltage input end is used to be electrically connected to a power supply, and the voltage output end is electrically connected to the power supply end of the high-voltage drive circuit and the power supply end of the low-voltage drive circuit respectively; the charge pump circuit is used to boost the voltage inputted from the voltage input end and output the boosted voltage from the voltage output end.

[0006] Preferably, the output voltage of the voltage output end of the charge pump circuit is 18V, the three high-voltage drive output ends of the high-voltage drive circuit all output 18V drive PWM signals, and the three low-voltage drive output ends of the low-voltage drive circuit all output 18V drive PWM signals.

[0007] Preferably, the charge pump circuit includes a boost unit and a voltage stabilizing unit, the voltage input end is electrically connected to the voltage output end via the boost unit, and the voltage stabilizing unit is electrically connected to the voltage output end; the boost unit boosts the input voltage of the voltage input end and outputs it from the voltage output end, and the voltage stabilizing unit is used to stabilize the output voltage of the voltage output end at a preset value.

[0008] Preferably, the boost unit includes an oscillating circuit, a first switching tube, a second switching tube, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, a first diode and a second diode;

[0009] The voltage input end is electrically connected to the voltage output end via the first capacitor;

[0010] The voltage input end is electrically connected to the first conduction end and the on-off control end of the first switch tube via the first diode, and the voltage input end is electrically connected to the first conduction end and the on-off control end of the second switch tube via the second diode;

[0011] The second conducting end of the first switching tube and the second conducting end of the second opening tube are both electrically connected to the voltage output end;

[0012] The first output end of the oscillation circuit is electrically connected to the on / off control end of the first switch tube via the second capacitor, and the second output end of the oscillation circuit is electrically connected to the on / off control end of the second switch tube via the third capacitor.

[0013] Preferably, the voltage stabilizing unit includes a voltage stabilizing diode with a voltage stabilizing value of 18V, and the voltage output end is grounded via the voltage stabilizing diode.

[0014] Preferably, the power supply circuit also includes an LDO circuit and a bandgap reference circuit, the LDO circuit is electrically connected to the high-voltage drive circuit and the low-voltage drive circuit, respectively, to provide a 5V voltage for the high-voltage drive circuit and the voltage drive circuit; the bandgap reference circuit is electrically connected to the high-voltage drive circuit and the low-voltage drive circuit, respectively, to provide a 1.2V voltage reference for the high-voltage drive circuit and the voltage drive circuit.

[0015] Preferably, the semiconductor circuit further includes a power supply undervoltage protection circuit, and the power supply undervoltage protection circuit is electrically connected to the power supply circuit.

[0016] Preferably, the semiconductor circuit further includes an interlock and dead zone circuit, and the high-voltage driving circuit is electrically connected to the voltage driving circuit via the interlock and dead zone circuit.

[0017] Preferably, the semiconductor circuit also includes an overcurrent protection circuit, an overvoltage protection circuit and an overtemperature protection circuit, and the high-voltage drive circuit and the low-voltage drive circuit are both electrically connected to the overcurrent protection circuit, the overvoltage protection circuit and the overtemperature protection circuit.

[0018] Preferably, the semiconductor circuit also includes an error reporting circuit, which is electrically connected to the overcurrent protection circuit, the overvoltage protection circuit, and the overtemperature protection circuit respectively; the error reporting circuit outputs an error signal when the overcurrent protection circuit detects overcurrent, and / or the overvoltage protection circuit detects overvoltage, and / or the overtemperature protection circuit detects overtemperature.

[0019] The technical solution of the present invention is to build a charge pump circuit into the power supply circuit, boost the voltage of the power supply through the charge pump circuit, and output it to the high-voltage drive circuit and the low-voltage drive circuit, so that the drive voltages output by the three high-voltage drive output ends of the high-voltage drive circuit and the three low-voltage drive output ends of the low-voltage drive circuit are all raised, thereby driving the power semiconductor device (MOSFET) of the three-phase inverter bridge to turn off faster, thereby improving the overall switching speed of the power semiconductor device, reducing the switching loss of the power semiconductor device, and improving the operating efficiency and high-frequency operation anti-interference capability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a circuit module of a semiconductor circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a circuit module of a second embodiment of a semiconductor circuit according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 A circuit diagram of an embodiment of a charge pump circuit of a semiconductor circuit of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a circuit module of a third embodiment of a semiconductor circuit according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a circuit module of a semiconductor circuit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0027] It should also be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed on" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element.

[0028] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0029] The semiconductor circuit mentioned in the present invention is a circuit module that integrates power switching devices and high-voltage drive circuits and is sealed and packaged on the outside. It is widely used in the field of power electronics, such as inverters for driving motors, various inverter voltages, variable frequency speed regulation, metallurgical machinery, electric traction, variable frequency home appliances, and other fields. The semiconductor circuit here has many other names, such as Modular Intelligent Power System (MIPS), Intelligent Power Module (IPM), or other names such as hybrid integrated circuit, power semiconductor module, power module, etc. In the following embodiments of the present invention, it is collectively referred to as Modular Intelligent Power System (MIPS).

[0030] The present invention provides a semiconductor circuit for driving a three-phase inverter bridge.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 In this embodiment, the semiconductor circuit includes a high-voltage driving circuit 10, a low-voltage driving circuit 20 and a power supply circuit 30. The power supply circuit 30 includes a charge pump circuit 31. The charge pump circuit 31 has a voltage input terminal Vi and a voltage output terminal Vo. The voltage input terminal Vi is used to be electrically connected to a power supply, and the voltage output terminal Vo is electrically connected to the power supply terminal of the high-voltage driving circuit 10 and the power supply terminal of the low-voltage driving circuit 20 respectively; the charge pump circuit 31 is used to boost the voltage inputted by the voltage input terminal Vi and output the boosted voltage from the voltage output terminal Vo.

[0032] Among them, the high-voltage drive circuit 10 includes three high-voltage drive output terminals Ho, and the low-voltage drive circuit 20 includes three voltage drive high output terminals. The three high-voltage drive output terminals Ho are respectively electrically connected to the three upper bridge arms of the three-phase inverter bridge, and the three low-voltage drive output terminals Lo are respectively electrically connected to the three lower bridge arms of the three-phase inverter bridge.

[0033] The semiconductor circuit of this embodiment has a built-in charge pump circuit 31 in the power supply circuit 30. After the charge pump circuit 31 boosts the voltage of the power supply, the output is supplied to the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20, so that the drive voltages output by the three high-voltage drive output terminals Ho of the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the three low-voltage drive output terminals Lo of the low-voltage drive circuit 20 are all raised, thereby driving the power semiconductor devices (MOSFETs) of the three-phase inverter bridge to turn off faster, thereby improving the overall switching speed of the power semiconductor devices, reducing the switching losses of the power semiconductor devices, and improving the operating efficiency and high-frequency operation anti-interference capability.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the output voltage of the voltage output terminal Vo of the charge pump circuit 31 is 18V, the three high-voltage drive output terminals Ho of the high-voltage drive circuit 10 all output 18V drive PWM signals, and the three low-voltage drive output terminals Lo of the low-voltage drive circuit 20 all output 18V drive PWM signals. The charge pump circuit 31 raises the power supply voltage to 18V and supplies it to the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20, so that the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the third drive circuit each output three 18V drive PWM signals, thereby improving the drive capability and being able to drive different semiconductor power devices with greater compatibility. Compared to the existing 15V drive PWM signal, the 18V drive PWM signal significantly speeds up the semiconductor device's shutdown speed and increases the semiconductor device's switching speed, thereby reducing switching losses and achieving higher efficiency and anti-interference capabilities for higher frequency operation.

[0035] It should be noted that, in other embodiments, the voltage output terminal Vo of the charge pump circuit 31 can also output other voltage values ​​greater than 15V (for example, 17.5V, 18.5V, 19V, etc.), so that the three high-voltage drive output terminals Ho of the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the three low-voltage drive output terminals Lo of the low-voltage drive circuit 20 all output drive PWM signals of corresponding voltage magnitudes.

[0036] Further, refer to Figure 2 In this embodiment, the charge pump circuit 31 includes a boost unit 311 and a voltage stabilizing unit 312. The voltage input terminal Vi is electrically connected to the voltage output terminal Vo via the boost unit 311, and the voltage stabilizing unit 312 is electrically connected to the voltage output terminal Vo. The boost unit 311 boosts the input voltage of the voltage input terminal Vi and outputs it from the voltage output terminal Vo. The voltage stabilizing unit 312 is used to stabilize the output voltage of the voltage output terminal Vo at a preset value. The boost unit 311 boosts the input voltage of the voltage input terminal Vi and then outputs it from the voltage output terminal Vo. The voltage stabilizing unit 312 stabilizes the voltage of the voltage output terminal Vo at a preset value (e.g., 18V), maintaining a stable voltage at the voltage output terminal Vo. This ensures that the voltage output of the voltage output terminal Vo does not reach twice the input voltage of the voltage input terminal Vi, thereby preventing the voltage output of the voltage output terminal Vo from outputting an excessively high voltage.

[0037] Further, refer to Figure 3 In this embodiment, the boost unit 311 includes an oscillating circuit, a first switch tube Q1, a second switch tube Q2, a first capacitor C1, a second capacitor C2, a third capacitor C3, a first diode D1 and a second diode D2; wherein:

[0038] The voltage input terminal Vi is electrically connected to the voltage output terminal Vo via the first capacitor C1;

[0039] The voltage input terminal Vi is electrically connected to the first conduction terminal and the on-off control terminal of the first switch tube Q1 via the first diode D1, and the voltage input terminal Vi is electrically connected to the first conduction terminal and the on-off control terminal of the second switch tube Q2 via the second diode D2;

[0040] The second conduction end of the first switch tube Q1 and the second conduction end of the second opening tube are both electrically connected to the voltage output end Vo;

[0041] The first output terminal of the oscillation circuit is electrically connected to the on / off control terminal of the first switch tube Q1 via the second capacitor C2 , and the second output terminal of the oscillation circuit is electrically connected to the on / off control terminal of the second switch tube Q2 via the third capacitor C3 .

[0042] The working principle of the boost unit 311 of this embodiment is as follows: when powered on, the 15V voltage of the power supply charges the first capacitor C1, and the voltage on the first capacitor C1 quickly rises to close to the 15V of the power supply. When the power supply rises from 0 to 15V, the oscillation circuit begins to oscillate, alternately charging the second capacitor C2 and the third capacitor C3. At the same time, the first switch Q1 and the second switch Q2 are alternately turned on (i.e., when the first switch Q1 is turned on, the second switch Q2 is turned off, and when the second switch Q2 is turned on, the first switch Q1 is turned off). The potential of the negative electrode of the first capacitor C1 is raised to close to the 15V of the power supply. At this time, the potential of the positive electrode of the first capacitor C1 has exceeded the voltage of the power supply and is higher than the voltages at the terminals of the second capacitor C2 and the third capacitor C3, continuously charging the first capacitor C1. Due to the presence of the voltage stabilizing unit 312, the voltage at the terminal of the first capacitor C1 is charged to a preset value (e.g., 18V), and the voltage stabilizing unit 312 stabilizes the voltage at the terminal of the first capacitor C1 at the preset value.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the first switch Q1 and the second switch Q2 are both NPN transistors, and the first conduction terminal, the second conduction terminal, and the on / off control terminal of the first switch Q1 and the second switch Q2 correspond to the collector, the emitter, and the base, respectively. Of course, in other embodiments, the first switch Q1 and the second switch Q2 may also be other switch transistors or devices with the same function, such as MOS transistors.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the voltage stabilizing unit 312 includes a Zener diode D3 with a regulated voltage of 18V. The voltage output terminal Vo is grounded via the Zener diode D3. When the terminal voltage of the first capacitor C1 is charged to 18V, the Zener diode D3 stabilizes the voltage at 18V, thereby providing a stable 18V power supply to the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20. Of course, in other embodiments, the voltage stabilizing unit 312 may also utilize other devices or circuits that achieve the same function as the Zener diode D3.

[0045] Reference Figure 4 In this embodiment, the power supply circuit 30 further includes an LDO circuit 32 and a bandgap reference circuit 33. The LDO circuit 32 is electrically connected to the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20, respectively, to provide a 5V voltage for the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the voltage drive circuit; the bandgap reference circuit 33 is electrically connected to the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20, respectively, to provide a 1.2V voltage reference for the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the voltage drive circuit.

[0046] Reference Figure 5 In this embodiment, the semiconductor circuit further includes a power supply undervoltage protection circuit 40, which is electrically connected to the power supply circuit 30 to implement a power supply undervoltage protection function and improve the safety of the semiconductor circuit. In one embodiment, the semiconductor circuit further includes an enabling circuit to implement an enabling function.

[0047] In some embodiments, the semiconductor circuit further includes an interlock and dead zone circuit 50, and the high-voltage drive circuit 10 is electrically connected to the voltage drive circuit via the interlock and dead zone circuit 50. The interlock and dead zone circuit 50 implements the functions of interlock and dead zone. In order to avoid the situation where the upper bridge drive input signal and the lower bridge drive input signal of the semiconductor circuit are simultaneously high, the upper bridge drive output signal and the lower bridge drive output signal are simultaneously high, thereby causing the MOSFETs of the upper and lower bridge arms to be turned on at the same time and causing overcurrent, an interlock circuit is introduced. When the upper bridge drive input signal and the lower bridge drive input signal are simultaneously high, the upper bridge drive output signal and the lower bridge drive output signal are simultaneously set to a low level.

[0048] In some embodiments, the semiconductor circuit further includes an overcurrent protection circuit 60, an overvoltage protection circuit 70, and an overtemperature protection circuit 80. The high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20 are electrically connected to the overcurrent protection circuit 60, the overvoltage protection circuit 70, and the overtemperature protection circuit 80. The overcurrent protection circuit 60 monitors whether the current in the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20 is overcurrent, and performs overcurrent protection processing when an overcurrent condition occurs; the overvoltage protection circuit 70 monitors whether the current in the high-voltage drive circuit 10 and the low-voltage drive circuit 20 is overvoltage, and performs overvoltage protection processing when an overvoltage condition occurs; and the overtemperature protection circuit 80 monitors the temperature of the semiconductor circuit and performs overtemperature protection processing when an overheating or overcooling condition occurs. By adding the overcurrent protection circuit 60, the overvoltage protection circuit 70, and the overcurrent protection circuit 60, the safety of the semiconductor circuit is effectively guaranteed.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the semiconductor circuit also includes an error reporting circuit 90, which is electrically connected to the overcurrent protection circuit 60, the overvoltage protection circuit 70, and the overtemperature protection circuit 80, respectively. The error reporting circuit 90 outputs an error signal when the overcurrent protection circuit 60 detects an overcurrent, / or the overvoltage protection circuit 70 detects an overvoltage, and / or the overtemperature protection circuit 80 detects an overtemperature. When an abnormality (e.g., overcurrent, overvoltage, or overtemperature) is detected in the semiconductor circuit, the error reporting circuit 90 outputs an error signal, allowing the user to promptly discover and address the abnormality, thereby avoiding serious consequences caused by the abnormality not being discovered in time.

[0050] The above description is only a partial or preferred embodiment of the present invention. Neither the text nor the drawings can limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformation made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the overall concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields, is included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor circuit for driving a three-phase inverter bridge, characterized in that: The invention comprises a high-voltage drive circuit, a low-voltage drive circuit and a power supply circuit, wherein the power supply circuit comprises a charge pump circuit, and the charge pump circuit has a voltage input terminal and a voltage output terminal, wherein the voltage input terminal is used to be electrically connected to a power supply, and the voltage output terminal is electrically connected to the power supply terminal of the high-voltage drive circuit and the power supply terminal of the low-voltage drive circuit respectively; the charge pump circuit is used to boost the voltage inputted from the voltage input terminal and output the boosted voltage from the voltage output terminal; The output voltage of the voltage output end of the charge pump circuit is 18V, the three high-voltage drive output ends of the high-voltage drive circuit all output 18V drive PWM signals, and the three low-voltage drive output ends of the low-voltage drive circuit all output 18V drive PWM signals; The charge pump circuit includes a boost unit and a voltage stabilizing unit, the voltage input end is electrically connected to the voltage output end via the boost unit, and the voltage stabilizing unit is electrically connected to the voltage output end; The boost unit boosts the input voltage of the voltage input end and outputs the voltage from the voltage output end, and the voltage stabilizing unit is used to stabilize the output voltage of the voltage output end at a preset value; The boost unit includes an oscillating circuit, a first switching tube, a second switching tube, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, a first diode and a second diode; The voltage input end is electrically connected to the voltage output end via the first capacitor; The voltage input end is electrically connected to the first conduction end and the on-off control end of the first switch tube via the first diode, and the voltage input end is electrically connected to the first conduction end and the on-off control end of the second switch tube via the second diode; The second conductive end of the first switch tube and the second conductive end of the second switch tube are both electrically connected to the voltage output end; The first output end of the oscillation circuit is electrically connected to the on-off control end of the first switching tube via the second capacitor, and the second output end of the oscillation circuit is electrically connected to the on-off control end of the second switching tube via the third capacitor. The oscillation circuit controls the first switching tube and the second switching tube to be alternately turned on to alternately charge the second capacitor and the third capacitor.

2. The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The voltage stabilizing unit includes a voltage stabilizing diode with a voltage stabilizing value of 18V, and the voltage output end is grounded via the voltage stabilizing diode.

3. The semiconductor circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that The power supply circuit also includes an LDO circuit and a bandgap reference circuit. The LDO circuit is electrically connected to the high-voltage drive circuit and the low-voltage drive circuit, respectively, to provide a 5V voltage for the high-voltage drive circuit and the voltage drive circuit; the bandgap reference circuit is electrically connected to the high-voltage drive circuit and the low-voltage drive circuit, respectively, to provide a 1.2V voltage reference for the high-voltage drive circuit and the voltage drive circuit.

4. The semiconductor circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that It also includes a power supply undervoltage protection circuit, which is electrically connected to the power supply circuit.

5. The semiconductor circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that It also includes an interlock and dead zone circuit, and the high-voltage driving circuit is electrically connected to the voltage driving circuit via the interlock and dead zone circuit.

6. The semiconductor circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that It also includes an overcurrent protection circuit, an overvoltage protection circuit and an overtemperature protection circuit. The high-voltage drive circuit and the low-voltage drive circuit are both electrically connected to the overcurrent protection circuit, the overvoltage protection circuit and the overtemperature protection circuit.

7. The semiconductor circuit according to claim 6, wherein: It also includes an error reporting circuit, which is electrically connected to the overcurrent protection circuit, the overvoltage protection circuit, and the overtemperature protection circuit respectively; the error reporting circuit outputs an error signal when the overcurrent protection circuit detects overcurrent, and / or the overvoltage protection circuit detects overvoltage, and / or the overtemperature protection circuit detects overtemperature.

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