High-side intelligent electronic switch, integrated circuit chip, chip product and electromechanical device

By introducing unidirectional conduction and current limiting elements into the high-side intelligent electronic switch, the problem of power switch control failure caused by reverse current is solved, and reliable conduction and leakage current reduction are achieved under reverse current conditions.

CN119921740BActive Publication Date: 2025-12-12WUXI WINSEMI MICROELECTRONICS CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411762676.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-12-03
Publication Date
2025-12-12
Estimated Expiration
2044-12-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing high-side intelligent electronic switches cannot reliably control the power switch conduction under reverse current conditions, leading to control failure.

Method used

A unidirectional conducting element and a current limiting element are introduced. The unidirectional conducting element cuts off during reverse current to prevent the parasitic transistor from conducting, while the current limiting element limits the current during reverse current to ensure that the power switch can conduct stably.

Benefits of technology

Under reverse current conditions, the power switch can reliably turn on, avoiding the influence of parasitic transistors, ensuring the normal operation of the switch control module, and reducing leakage current.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The application provides a high-side intelligent electronic switch, comprising: a power supply positive terminal, a power supply negative terminal, a load output terminal and a switch control module, wherein the power supply positive terminal is used for being connected with a positive electrode of a power supply, the power supply negative terminal is used for being connected with a negative electrode of the power supply, and the load output terminal is used for being connected with a load; a power switch, a first end of which is connected with the power supply positive terminal, a second end of which is connected with the load output terminal, and a control end of which is connected with the switch control module, the switch control module being used for controlling the power switch to be turned on or turned off; and a unidirectional conduction element, a first end of which is connected with the power supply positive terminal, and a second end of which is connected with a node associated with a parasitic current, the unidirectional conduction element being reversely turned off when there is a reverse current from the load output terminal to the power supply positive terminal on the power switch, so that the power switch can be turned on. The application further provides an integrated circuit chip, a chip product and a mechatronic device.
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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of intelligent semiconductor switches, in particular to a high-side intelligent electronic switch, an integrated circuit chip, a chip product and a mechatronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The high-side intelligent electronic switch is usually used to couple a load with a battery, and is an electronic component for controlling the on-off of a load circuit. The high-side intelligent electronic switch also has one or more diagnostic capabilities and protection features, such as against over-temperature, overload, over-current and short-circuit events. For example, the high-side intelligent electronic switch has a power switch therein, and the power switch is turned off in the event of over-temperature, overload, over-current or short-circuit, so that the path between the battery and the load is disconnected. The high-side intelligent electronic switch is widely used in the fields of automotive electronics, industrial automation, medical devices, etc.

[0003] The high-side intelligent electronic switch includes a power supply end, a load output end, a power switch, and a switch control module. The first end of the power switch is connected to the positive pole of a power supply via the power supply end, the second end of the power switch is connected to one end of a load via the load output end, the other end of the load is connected to the negative pole of the power supply, and the switch control module is used to control whether the power switch is turned on or off. In this circuit structure, when a reverse current from the load output end to the power supply end occurs, the voltage at the load output end will be greater than the voltage at the power supply end, and a parasitic transistor in the switch control module will be turned on. When the power switch needs to be turned on due to various reasons, for example, one of the reasons is to reduce the loss of the power switch, it may not be possible to control the power switch to be turned on, that is, whether the power switch is turned on or off is not controlled. SUMMARY

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present application is to provide a high-side intelligent electronic switch, an integrated circuit chip, a chip product and a mechatronic device to solve the problems of the prior art. Even if a reverse current occurs, the power switch can be stably turned on as needed.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the first aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a high-side intelligent electronic switch, comprising:

[0006] a power supply end, a power ground end, a load output end and a switch control module, wherein the power supply end is used to be connected to the positive pole of a power supply, the power ground end is used to be connected to the negative pole of the power supply, and the load output end is used to be connected to a load;

[0007] a power switch, a first end of the power switch is connected to the power supply end, a second end of the power switch is connected to the load output end, and a control end of the power switch is connected to the switch control module, and the switch control module is used to control the power switch to be turned on or off;

[0008] A unidirectional conducting element is connected to a power supply end at a first end and connected to a node associated with a parasitic current at a second end, and when a reverse current from a load output end to the power supply end exists on a power switch, the unidirectional conducting element is reverse blocked to enable the power switch to be turned on.

[0009] Optionally, the unidirectional conducting element comprises a diode.

[0010] Optionally, the high-side intelligent electronic switch further comprises a current limiting element, a first end of the current limiting element being connected to the power supply end and a second end of the current limiting element being connected to the node associated with the parasitic current.

[0011] Optionally, the switch control module comprises a turn-on switch, a turn-off switch, an upper pull current source, a lower pull current source and a logic control unit, wherein the turn-on switch and the upper pull current source are connected in series to form a first branch, one end of the first branch is connected to a voltage boosting unit, a second end of the first branch is connected to a control end of the power switch, the turn-off switch and the lower pull current source are connected in series to form a second branch, a first end of the second branch is connected to the control end of the power switch, a second end of the second branch is connected to the load output end, a control end of the turn-on switch and a control end of the turn-off switch are intercepted by the logic control unit.

[0012] The node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type buried layer itself or an end of the n-type buried layer, the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type buried layer, and the n-type buried layer is located in a p-type substrate; or

[0013] The node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type substrate, and the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type substrate.

[0014] Optionally, when the reverse current from the load output end to the power supply end exists on the power switch, and the logic control unit controls the turn-on switch to be turned on and controls the turn-off switch to be turned off, a current flowing through the current limiting element is less than an output current of the upper pull current source.

[0015] The unidirectional conducting element is provided in the embodiment, when the reverse current from the load output end to the power supply end exists, the voltage of the load output end is greater than the voltage of the power supply end, the unidirectional conducting element is blocked, so that the parasitic transistor is not continuously turned on, and the parasitic current path between the control end of the power switch and the power supply end is disconnected, thereby when the reverse current exists and the power switch needs to be turned on, the voltage of the control end of the power switch is not lowered due to the existence of the parasitic transistor, and the power switch can be reliably controlled to be turned on. Moreover, when the reverse current does not exist, the unidirectional conducting element is turned on, the node associated with the parasitic current is kept in communication with the power supply end, thereby not affecting the normal use of the switch control module.

[0016] The second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a high-side intelligent electronic switch, comprising:

[0017] a power supply positive terminal, a power supply negative terminal, a load output terminal and a switch control module, wherein the power supply positive terminal is used for being connected with a positive electrode of a power supply, the power supply negative terminal is used for being connected with a negative electrode of the power supply, and the load output terminal is used for being connected with a load;

[0018] a power switch, a first end of which is connected with the power supply positive terminal, a second end of which is connected with the load output terminal, and a control end of which is connected with the switch control module, and the switch control module is used for controlling the power switch to be turned on or turned off;

[0019] the switch control module comprises a turn-on switch, a turn-off switch, an upper pull current source, a lower pull current source and a logic control unit, wherein the turn-on switch and the upper pull current source are connected in series to form a first branch, one end of the first branch is connected with a voltage boosting unit, a second end of the first branch is connected with the control end of the power switch, the turn-off switch and the lower pull current source are connected in series to form a second branch, a first end of the second branch is connected with the control end of the power switch, and a second end of the second branch is connected with the load output terminal, and the control end of the turn-on switch and the control end of the turn-off switch are intercepted by the logic control unit;

[0020] a current limiting element, a first end of which is connected with the power supply positive terminal, and a second end of which is connected with a node associated with a parasitic current, when there is a reverse current from the load output terminal to the power supply positive terminal on the power switch, and the logic control unit controls the turn-on switch to be turned on and controls the turn-off switch to be turned off, a pull-down capability of the current limiting element is less than an upper pull capability of the upper pull current source.

[0021] Optionally, the node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type buried layer itself or an end portion thereof, the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type buried layer, and the n-type buried layer is located in a p-type substrate; or,

[0022] the node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type substrate, and the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type substrate.

[0023] Optionally, the current limiting element is a second current limiting resistor, and a product of a current output by the upper pull current source and a resistance value of the second current limiting resistor is equal to a sum of a turn-on voltage of a parasitic transistor and a voltage required for the power switch to be completely turned on; or,

[0024] the current limiting element is a second current limiting resistor, and the resistance value of the second current limiting resistor ranges from 200 kΩ to 5 MΩ.

[0025] The embodiment sets a current limiting element, and a pull-down capability of the current limiting element is less than a pull-up capability of the pull-up current source. When there is a reverse current from the load output end to the power supply end, the voltage of the load output end is greater than the voltage of the power supply end, and the parasitic transistor is continuously turned on. When the power switch needs to be turned on in the presence of the reverse current, the current limiting element limits the current, and part of the current output by the pull-up current source is output to the power supply end through the parasitic transistor and the current limiting element, and another part of the current output by the pull-up current source is output to the control end of the power switch, so that the power switch can be stably turned on. Moreover, the current limiting element can pull up the voltage of the node associated with the parasitic current to the voltage of the power supply end, and no leakage current occurs.

[0026] The third aspect of the embodiment of the application provides an integrated circuit chip, comprising the high-side intelligent electronic switch, wherein the power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, and the load output end is a load output pin.

[0027] Optionally, the power switch is a MOS tube, and three terminals of the MOS tube of the intelligent electronic switch are located in the same plane.

[0028] The fourth aspect of the embodiment of the application provides a chip product, comprising the high-side intelligent electronic switch, wherein elements of the high-side intelligent electronic switch except the power switch are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the power switch is located on a second integrated circuit chip.

[0029] The power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, the load output end is a load output pin, the first integrated circuit chip comprises the power supply pin and the power ground pin, and the second integrated circuit chip comprises the load output pin.

[0030] Optionally, three terminals of the MOS tube of the first integrated circuit chip are located in the same plane.

[0031] The fifth aspect of the embodiment of the application provides a mechatronic device, comprising the high-side intelligent electronic switch, the integrated circuit chip or the chip product.

[0032] The mechatronic device further comprises a power supply, a load and a microprocessor, wherein a positive electrode of the power supply is connected with the power supply end, a negative electrode of the power supply is connected with the power ground end, one end of the load is connected with the load output end, the other end of the load is connected with the power ground end, and the microprocessor is connected with the intelligent electronic switch.

[0033] Optionally, the mechatronic device comprises an automobile. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description only only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative labor.

[0035] Figure 1 is a circuit module diagram of the electromechanical device circuit module of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2a is a circuit module diagram of the high-side intelligent electronic switch of the related art;

[0037] Figure 2b is a partial film layer cross-sectional view of the high-side intelligent electronic switch of the related art;

[0038] Figure 3a is a circuit module diagram of the high-side intelligent electronic switch of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 3b is a partial film layer cross-sectional view of the high-side intelligent electronic switch of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 4 is a partial film layer cross-sectional view of the first integrated circuit chip of another embodiment of the present application

[0041] Figure 5 is a circuit module diagram of the high-side intelligent electronic switch of the second embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 6 is a circuit module diagram of the high-side intelligent electronic switch of the third embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0044] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, appearing in this application specification, claims, and drawings, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used to distinguish different objects and are not used to describe a specific order. Connections in this application include direct connections and indirect connections. An indirect connection refers to the presence of other electronic components, pins, etc., between the two connected components. The XX pin mentioned in this application may or may not be an actual pin, such as simply a pin of a component or a pin of a wire. The mention of "and / or including" in this application includes three cases, such as A and / or B, including A, B, and A and B.

[0045] First Embodiment

[0046] This application provides an embodiment of an electromechanical device, such as an automobile, medical device, industrial automation equipment, aerospace equipment, etc. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The electromechanical equipment includes a power supply 110, a load 120, a microprocessor 300, and a high-side intelligent electronic switch 200. The power supply 110 is generally a battery, typically a rechargeable battery, providing voltages of 12V, 24V, 36V, 48V, 60V, etc., but can also be other types of batteries or power supplies, such as AC / DC (alternating current / direct current) converters or DC / DC (direct current / direct current) converters. The load 120 includes at least one of resistive, inductive, and capacitive loads. Resistive loads include, for example, seat adjustment devices, auxiliary heating devices, window heating devices, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), rear lighting, or other resistive loads. Inductive loads include, for example, pumps, actuators, motors, anti-lock braking systems (ABS), electronic braking systems (EBS), fans, or other systems that include inductive loads for one or more wiper systems. Capacitive loads include, for example, lighting elements such as xenon arc lamps. In the diagram, load 120 is shown as a single element for illustration only. Load 120 is typically a more complex load, such as a module or subsystem with numerous components. Microprocessor 300 is connected to intelligent electronic switch 200 to control the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200. Simultaneously, the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200 feeds back its status and relevant parameter information to microprocessor 300, such as diagnostic parameters, current parameters, and voltage parameters, for processing by microprocessor 300.

[0047] In the embodiment, the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200 includes a power supply terminal VCC, a power ground terminal GND, and a load output terminal OUT, wherein the power supply terminal VCC is connected to the positive pole of the power supply 110, the power ground terminal GND is connected to the negative pole of the power supply 110, and one end of the load 120 is connected to the load output terminal OUT, and the other end of the load 120 is connected to the negative pole of the power supply 110. In addition, in other embodiments of the present application, an anti-reverse connection diode and a first current-limiting resistor can be connected in parallel between the power ground terminal GND and the negative pole of the power supply 110.

[0048] In the embodiment, the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200 further includes a power switch M1 and a switch control module 220. One end of the power switch M1 is connected in series with the load 120 via the load output terminal OUT, the other end of the power switch M1 is connected to the power supply terminal VCC, and the control end of the power switch M1 is connected to the switch control module 220. The switch control module 220 is used to control whether the power switch M1 is turned on or not. In the embodiment, the power switch M1 is an NMOS tube, a PMOS tube, a junction FET, or an IGBT, etc. In the illustration, an NMOS tube is taken as an example for description. The power switch M1 can be implemented as a silicon device, or can be implemented using other semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide (GaAs), or gallium nitride (GaN), etc. In the embodiment, the power switch M1 is connected as a high-side switch, which is a switch connected between the power supply terminal VCC and the load 120.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2a and Figure 2b In the related art, the switch control module 220 includes a turn-on switch M2, a turn-off switch M3, an upper pull current source 224, a lower pull current source 225, and a logic control unit 222. The first end of the turn-on switch M2 is connected to the boost unit 221 via the upper pull current source 224, the second end of the turn-on switch M2 is connected to the control end of the power switch M1, the control end of the turn-on switch M2 is connected to the logic control unit 222, the positions of the turn-on switch M2 and the upper pull current source 224 can be interchanged, the first end of the turn-off switch M3 is connected to the control end of the power switch M1, the second end of the turn-off switch M3 is connected to the load output terminal OUT via the lower pull current source 225, the control end of the turn-off switch M3 is connected to the logic control unit 222, the positions of the turn-off switch M3 and the lower pull current source 225 can be interchanged, and the turn-on switch M2 and the turn-off switch M3 constitute a so-called totem pole drive circuit. Generally, the turn-on switch M2 is a PMOS tube, the turn-off switch M3 is an NMOS tube, the boost unit 221 is connected to the power supply terminal VCC, the boost unit 221 is a charge pump or other boost element, and the output voltage of the boost unit 221 is greater than the voltage of the power supply terminal VCC.

[0050] In the above structure, when the voltage at the load output terminal OUT is greater than the voltage at the power supply terminal VCC due to some reasons, such as reverse connection of the power supply 110, effect of the inductor when the power switch Ml is off, and the like, due to the existence of the parasitic diode in the power switch Ml, a reverse current will occur even when the power switch Ml is off, and in some cases it is desirable to turn on the power switch Ml when the reverse current occurs, such as to reduce the heat generated due to the flow of the reverse current in the parasitic diode in the power switch Ml, and the like, thereby improving the reliability of the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200. However, due to the existence of the parasitic transistor 223 (shown in dashed lines in the figure) in the off switch M3, when the reverse current occurs, the parasitic transistor 223 will be turned on, which can cause the power switch Ml to fail to be effectively turned on.

[0051] Specifically, referring to Figure 2a and Figure 2b , Figure 2b shows a cross-sectional view of the related art on switch M2, off switch M3 and power switch Ml, the intelligent electronic switch 200 includes a p-type substrate 411, a first n-type buried layer 412 (NBL) is formed on the p-type substrate 411, the on switch M2 and the off switch M3 are formed in the first n-type buried layer 412, that is, the PMOS and NMOS in the figure. Specifically, a deep p-well 413 is formed in the first n-type buried layer 412, and then a first n-well 414 and a first p-well 415 are formed in the deep p-well 413, a first n+ doped region, a first p+ doped region and a second p+ doped region are formed in the first n-well 414, a second n+ doped region, a second n+ doped region and a second p+ doped region are formed in the first p-well 415, wherein the first p+ doped region (source) is coupled to the boost unit 221, the second p+ doped region (drain) is connected to the control terminal of the power switch Ml, the first n-well 414 is connected to the boost unit 221 via the first n+ doped region, the second n+ doped region (source) is connected to the load output terminal OUT, the second n+ doped region (drain) is connected to the control terminal of the power switch Ml, the second p+ doped region is connected to the load output terminal OUT, and the first p-well 415 is connected to the load output terminal OUT via the second p+ doped region. In the figure, the PMOS is formed in the first n-well 414, the NMOS is formed in the first p-well 415, the first n-type buried layer 412 is connected to the power supply terminal VCC, and the p-type substrate 411 is connected to the power ground terminal GND. Figure 2bIn the structure, the NMOS transistor exists a parasitic transistor 223 (shown by a dashed line in the figure) formed by the second n+ doped region, the first p-well 415, the deep p-well 413 and the first n-type buried layer 412. The parasitic transistor 223 is an npn-type transistor. The base of the parasitic transistor 223 is connected to the load output terminal OUT. The emitter of the parasitic transistor 223 is connected to the power supply terminal VCC. The collector of the parasitic transistor 223 is connected to the control terminal of the power switch M1. When the reverse current appears, the voltage of the load output terminal OUT is greater than the voltage of the power supply terminal VCC, which causes the parasitic transistor 223 to be turned on. In this case, when the power switch M1 needs to be turned on, the logic control unit 222 controls the switch M2 to be turned on and the switch M3 to be turned off. Since the parasitic transistor 223 is turned on, the parasitic transistor 223 will pull down the voltage of the control terminal of the power switch M1, which causes the power switch M1 to be unable to be turned on, which is undesirable.

[0052] To solve the above problems, in the embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3a 、 Figure 3b The switch control module 220 includes a unidirectional conduction element 230. The second end of the unidirectional conduction element 230 is connected to the node associated with the parasitic current. The first end of the unidirectional conduction element 230 is connected to the power supply terminal VCC. In the embodiment, the unidirectional conduction element 230 is a diode. The first end of the unidirectional conduction element 230 is the anode of the diode. The second end of the unidirectional conduction element 230 is the cathode of the diode. In other embodiments of the present application, the function of the diode can also be realized by a MOS transistor or a transistor, which is a conventional technology in the field, and will not be described here.

[0053] In the embodiment, the parasitic current refers to the current formed from the control terminal of the power switch M1 to the power supply terminal VCC because the parasitic transistor 223 is turned on. The node associated with the parasitic current is the emitter of the parasitic transistor 223. Therefore, when the unidirectional conduction element 230 is reverse biased (turned off), the path between the emitter of the parasitic transistor 223 and the power supply terminal VCC is disconnected. When the voltage of the power supply terminal VCC is greater than the voltage of the load output terminal OUT, the emitter of the parasitic transistor 223 and the power supply terminal VCC are connected through the unidirectional conduction element 230. In the embodiment, the emitter of the parasitic transistor 223 is the first n-type buried layer 412. The node associated with the parasitic current is the first n-type buried layer 412 itself or the end thereof.

[0054] In the embodiment, when the reverse current occurs, at this time, the voltage of the load output terminal OUT is greater than the voltage of the power supply terminal VCC, at this time, the parasitic transistor 223 can be briefly turned on, the unidirectional conduction element 230 is reverse-biased and cut off, the node associated with the parasitic current is floating, when the power switch M1 needs to be turned on (originally off), the logic control unit 222 controls the switch M2 to be turned on and the switch M3 to be turned off, at this time, the parasitic transistor 223 can still be briefly turned on, but as the voltage of the node associated with the parasitic current is pulled up (the unidirectional conduction element is reverse-biased and cut off), the parasitic transistor 223 is turned off and remains off, and thereafter the voltage of the control terminal of the power switch M1 can be stably raised to turn on the power switch M1.

[0055] In the embodiment, the unidirectional conduction element 230 is provided, when the reverse current from the load output terminal OUT to the power supply terminal VCC exists, the voltage of the load output terminal OUT is greater than the voltage of the power supply terminal VCC, the unidirectional conduction element 230 is cut off, so that the parasitic transistor 223 is not continuously turned on, and the parasitic current path between the control terminal of the power switch M1 and the power supply terminal VCC is disconnected, so that when the power switch M1 needs to be turned on in the presence of the reverse current, the voltage of the control terminal of the power switch M1 is not pulled down due to the presence of the parasitic transistor 223, and thus the power switch M1 can be reliably turned on. Moreover, when the reverse current does not exist, the unidirectional conduction element 230 is turned on, the node associated with the parasitic current is in communication with the power supply terminal VCC, and thus the normal use of the switch control module 220 is not affected.

[0056] Please continue to refer to Figure 3a and Figure 3b In the embodiment, the intelligent electronic switch 200 is manufactured by a planar BCD (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) process, at this time, the three terminals of the power switch M1 and other MOS transistors are located in the same plane, and the three terminals of the MOS transistor refer to the source, the drain and the control terminal of the MOS transistor. Specifically, a second n-type buried layer 416 (NBL) is further formed on the p-type substrate 411, an N-doped layer 417 and a P-doped layer 418 are formed in the second n-type buried layer 416, a third one n+ doped region (drain) is formed in the N-doped layer 417, a third two n+ doped region (source) and a third p+ doped region are formed in the P-doped layer 418, and thereafter the control terminal is formed thereon, wherein the third two n+ doped region (source) is connected to the load output terminal OUT, the third one n+ doped region (drain) is connected to the power supply terminal VCC, the third p+ doped region is connected to the load output terminal OUT, and the second n-type buried layer 416 is connected to the power supply terminal VCC. The power switch M1 is not shown in all film layers and is a simplified model, and the formation of the power switch M1 is known in the art, which will not be described herein.

[0057] In the embodiment, the unidirectional conducting element 230 is a diode, and the diode is also located in the first n-type buried layer 412, specifically, a fourth p-well 419 is formed in the first n-type buried layer 412, wherein a fourth p+ doped region (anode) is coupled to the power supply end VCC, and the fourth p-well 419 and the first n-type buried layer 412 form a diode. In the embodiment, the first n-type buried layer 412 and the second n-type buried layer 416 have the function of electrical isolation.

[0058] The embodiment of the present application further provides an integrated circuit chip, which comprises the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200 described above, that is, the intelligent electronic switch 200 described above is made on the same semiconductor substrate. Wherein, the power supply end VCC is a power supply pin, the power ground end GND is a power ground pin, and the load output end OUT is a load output pin.

[0059] The embodiment of the present application further provides a chip product, which comprises the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200 described above, wherein the elements of the intelligent electronic switch 200 except the power switch M1 are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the power switch M1 is located on a second integrated circuit chip, that is, the first integrated circuit chip is made on one semiconductor substrate, and the second integrated circuit chip is made on another semiconductor substrate. Wherein, the power supply end VCC is a power supply pin, the power ground end GND is a power ground pin, and the load output end OUT is a load output pin, the first integrated circuit chip comprises the power supply pin and the power ground pin, the second integrated circuit chip comprises the power supply pin and the load output pin, that is, the power supply pin is provided on both the first integrated circuit chip and the second integrated circuit chip. The first integrated circuit chip and the second integrated circuit chip can further add other pins according to the needs. Here, the first integrated circuit chip and the second integrated circuit chip are packaged into one product. Here, the film layer structure of the first integrated circuit chip is generally referred to Figure 4The first integrated circuit chip includes an n-type substrate 421, and the on switch M2 and the off switch M3, i.e., the PMOS and NMOS in the figure, are formed in the n-type substrate 421. Specifically, a fifth p-well 425 is formed in the n-type substrate 421, and a fifth first n+ doped region, a fifth second n+ doped region, and a fifth p+ doped region are formed in the fifth p-well 425. The fifth first n+ doped region (source) is connected to the load output terminal OUT, the fifth second n+ doped region (drain) is connected to the control terminal of the power switch M1, the fifth p+ doped region is connected to the load output terminal OUT, and the fifth p-well 425 is connected to the load output terminal OUT via the fifth p+ doped region. Moreover, a sixth n-well 424 is formed in the fifth p-well 425, and a sixth n+ doped region, a sixth first p+ doped region, and a sixth second p+ doped region are formed in the sixth n-well 424. The sixth first p+ doped region (source) is coupled to the boost unit 221, the sixth second p+ doped region (drain) is connected to the control terminal of the power switch M1, and the sixth n-well 424 is connected to the boost unit 221 via the sixth n+ doped region. Moreover, a fourth p-well 419 is formed in the n-type substrate 421, and the fourth p-well 419 and the n-type substrate 421 form a diode. Here, the power switch in the second integrated circuit chip can be a VDMOS (Vertical Double-diffused Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor), a LDMOS (Lateral Double-diffused MOSFET), or the like, which is not limited here. Here, the n-type substrate 421 of the first integrated circuit chip can be connected to a power supply pin as needed or not connected to the power supply pin, which does not affect the second integrated circuit chip.

[0060] In addition, in other embodiments of the present application, the intelligent electronic switch 200, the integrated circuit chip, and the chip product of the present embodiment are not limited to be used in automotive electronics, but can also be used in industrial automation, aerospace, and the like.

[0061] In the present embodiment, generally, in a normal situation, the voltage of the power supply terminal VCC is greater than the voltage of the load output terminal OUT. Since there is a one-way conduction element 230 composed of a diode between the two, the voltage drop between the anode and the cathode of the diode is about 0.7 V, which may cause a weak leakage current of the first n-type buried layer 412 to be about 0.7 V lower than the voltage of the power supply terminal VCC. In order to solve this problem, the present application provides a second embodiment.

[0062] Second Embodiment

[0063] Please refer to Figure 5 ,Figure 5 is a circuit module diagram of the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200 of the second embodiment of the present application, the present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, therefore the parts not described in the present embodiment can refer to the first embodiment, the main difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that a current limiting element is additionally provided.

[0064] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 In the present embodiment, the switch control module 220 further comprises a current limiting element, the second end of the current limiting element is connected with the node associated with the parasitic current, and the first end of the current limiting element is connected with the power supply end VCC, that is, the current limiting element is connected in parallel with the unidirectional conduction element 230. In the present embodiment, the current limiting element is a second current limiting resistor 240, of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the current limiting element can also be other current limiting elements known to those skilled in the art.

[0065] In the present embodiment, when the reverse current does not occur, the voltage of the power supply end VCC is greater than the voltage of the load output end OUT, at first, the unidirectional conduction element 230 and the current limiting element communicate the node associated with the parasitic current with the power supply end VCC, when the voltage difference between the node associated with the parasitic current and the power supply end VCC is less than 0.7V, at this time the unidirectional conduction element 230 is cut off, but the current limiting element will continue to conduct between the two ends, continue to pull up the node associated with the parasitic current, and finally make the voltage of the node associated with the parasitic current reach the voltage of the power supply end VCC, that is, the voltage of the first n-type buried layer 412 is the same as the voltage of the power supply end VCC, by such setting, the weak leakage current can be avoided. When the reverse current occurs, the voltage of the load output end OUT is greater than the voltage of the power supply end VCC, at this time the unidirectional conduction element 230 is reverse-biased and cut off, at the same time, the parasitic transistor 223 will be turned on, when it is needed to turn on the power switch M1, the logic control unit 222 controls the switch M2 to be turned on to be turned on and the switch M3 to be turned off to be cut off, at this time the parasitic transistor 223 will still be turned on, the control end of the power switch M1 reaches the power supply end VCC via the parasitic transistor 223 and the current limiting element, that is, a path will be formed, in order to weaken the pull-down of the path to the voltage of the control end of the power switch M1, in the present embodiment, the pull-down capability of the current limiting element is less than the pull-up capability of the pull-up current source 224, that is, the current flowing through the current limiting element when the parasitic transistor 223 is turned on is less than the current of the pull-up current source 224, by such processing, even if the parasitic transistor 223 is still turned on, but the power switch M1 can still be turned on as needed, and at the same time the leakage current can be reduced.

[0066] In order to make the pull-down capability of the current limiting element less than the pull-up capability of the pull-up current source 224 when the parasitic transistor 223 is turned on, in the present embodiment, the resistance value of the second current limiting resistor 240 ranges from 200kΩ to 5MΩ, for example, 200kΩ, 500kΩ, 700kΩ, 900kΩ, 1MΩ, 3MΩ, 5MΩ, etc. By adding a resistor with a large resistance value, when the power switch M1 needs to be turned on after the current is reversed, the current flowing through the parasitic transistor 223 is very small, part of the current of the pull-up current source 224 flows through the parasitic transistor 223 and the second current limiting resistor 240 to the power supply terminal VCC, and the remaining part of the current of the pull-up current source 224 is output to the control terminal of the power switch M1, thereby realizing the turning on of the power switch M1.

[0067] In order to ensure that the power switch M1 can be completely turned on, in the present embodiment, the product of the current output by the pull-up current source 224 and the resistance value of the second current limiting resistor 240, and the sum of the on voltage of the parasitic transistor 223, can make the power switch M1 completely turned on, and the voltage is greater than the threshold voltage of the power switch M1, thereby ensuring that the power switch can be completely turned on.

[0068] Third embodiment

[0069] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 is the circuit module diagram of the high-side intelligent electronic switch 200 of the third embodiment of the present application. The present embodiment is similar to the second embodiment, and therefore the parts not described in the present embodiment can be referred to the second embodiment. The main difference between the present embodiment and the second embodiment is that the unidirectional conduction element is not needed.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 6 The difference between the present embodiment and the second embodiment is that the unidirectional conduction element 230 is not needed, which can reduce the cost, and also can realize the reliable turning on of the power switch M1 when the power switch M1 needs to be turned on in the presence of reversed current. For details, please refer to the second embodiment, which will not be described here.

[0071] The embodiment sets a current limiting element, and the pull-down capability of the current limiting element is less than the pull-up capability of the pull-up current source 224. When there is a backflow current from the load output end OUT to the power supply end VCC, the voltage of the load output end OUT is greater than the voltage of the power supply end VCC, and the parasitic transistor 223 is continuously turned on. When the power switch M1 needs to be turned on in the presence of the backflow current, the current limiting element limits the current, and part of the current output by the pull-up current source 224 is output to the power supply end VCC through the parasitic transistor 223 and the current limiting element, and another part of the current output by the pull-up current source 224 is output to the control end of the power switch M1, so that the power switch M1 can be stably turned on. Moreover, the current limiting element can pull up the voltage of the node associated with the parasitic current to the voltage of the power supply end VCC, and no leakage current occurs.

[0072] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, only the division of the above functional units and modules is exemplified, and in actual application, the above functions can be completed by different functional units and modules according to needs, that is, the internal structure of the device is divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. Each functional unit and module in the embodiment can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can be physically present separately, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. The above integrated unit can be realized in the form of hardware or software functional unit. In addition, the specific names of each functional unit and module are only for easy distinction, and do not limit the protection scope of the application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0073] It should be understood that "a plurality of" as referred to herein means two or more. Other embodiments of the application will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the application disclosed herein. The application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the application following the general principles thereof and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known use or custom in the art to which the application pertains. The specification and examples are to be regarded as illustrative only, and the true scope and spirit of the application is indicated by the following claims.

[0074] It should be noted that each of the embodiments in the specification is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same and similar parts between each embodiment can be referred to each other. For the device embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, it is described more simply, and the relevant parts can be referred to the part of the method embodiment.

[0075] The above merely provides the preferred embodiment of the application, and cannot allude the scope of the application; therefore, any equivalent changes made according to the claims of the application shall still fall within the scope of the application.

Claims

1. A high side intelligent electronic switch, characterized in that, The high-side intelligent electronic switch comprises a power supply end, a power ground end, a load output end and a switch control module, wherein the power supply end is used for being connected with a positive pole of a power supply, the power ground end is used for being connected with a negative pole of the power supply, and the load output end is used for being connected with a load; a power switch, a first end of which is connected with the power supply end, a second end of which is connected with the load output end, and a control end of which is connected with the switch control module, the switch control module being used for controlling the power switch to be turned on or turned off; a unidirectional conduction element, a first end of which is connected with the power supply end, and a second end of which is connected with a node associated with a parasitic current, when there is a reverse current from the load output end to the power supply end on the power switch, the unidirectional conduction element is reversely turned off, so that a path from the control end of the power switch to the power supply end via the node associated with the parasitic current is disconnected, so that the power switch can be turned on; wherein the node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type buried layer itself or an end portion thereof, or the node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type substrate. The unidirectional conduction element comprises a diode.

2. The intelligent electronic switch of claim 1, wherein, The high-side intelligent electronic switch further comprises a current limiting element, a first end of the current limiting element being connected with the power supply end, and a second end of the current limiting element being connected with the node associated with the parasitic current.

3. The intelligent electronic device of claim 2, wherein, The switch control module comprises a turn-on switch, a turn-off switch, an upper pull current source, a lower pull current source and a logic control unit, wherein the turn-on switch and the upper pull current source are connected in series to form a first branch, one end of the first branch is connected with a voltage boosting unit, a second end of the first branch is connected with the control end of the power switch, the turn-off switch and the lower pull current source are connected in series to form a second branch, a first end of the second branch is connected with the control end of the power switch, a second end of the second branch is connected with the load output end, and control ends of the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are intercepted by the logic control unit; 4. The intelligent electronic device of claim 3, wherein, The node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type buried layer itself or an end portion thereof, the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type buried layer, and the n-type buried layer is located in a p-type substrate; or The node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type substrate, and the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type substrate. When there is a reverse current from the load output end to the power supply end on the power switch, and the logic control unit controls the turn-on switch to be turned on and controls the turn-off switch to be turned off, a current flowing through the current limiting element is smaller than an output current of the upper pull current source.

5. The intelligent electronic device of claim 4, wherein, The high-side intelligent electronic switch comprises a power supply end, a power ground end, a load output end and a switch control module, wherein the power supply end is used for being connected with a positive pole of a power supply, the power ground end is used for being connected with a negative pole of the power supply, and the load output end is used for being connected with a load; 6. A high side intelligent electronic switch, characterized in that, a power switch, a first end of which is connected with the power supply end, a second end of which is connected with the load output end, and a control end of which is connected with the switch control module, the switch control module being used for controlling the power switch to be turned on or turned off; ​ ​ The switch control module comprises a turn-on switch, a turn-off switch, an upper pull current source, a lower pull current source and a logic control unit, wherein the turn-on switch and the upper pull current source are connected in series to form a first branch, one end of the first branch is connected with the voltage boosting unit, the second end of the first branch is connected with the control end of the power switch, the turn-off switch and the lower pull current source are connected in series to form a second branch, the first end of the second branch is connected with the control end of the power switch, the second end of the second branch is connected with the load output end, the control end of the turn-on switch and the control end of the turn-off switch are intercepted by the logic control unit; The first end of the current limiting element is connected with the power supply end, and the second end of the current limiting element is connected with the node associated with the parasitic current, when the reverse current from the load output end to the power supply end exists on the power switch, and the logic control unit controls the turn-on switch to be turned on and controls the turn-off switch to be turned off, the pull-down capability of the current limiting element is smaller than the pull-up capability of the upper pull current source, so that the current on the path from the control end of the power switch to the power supply end through the node associated with the parasitic current is small, so that the power switch can be turned on. The node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type buried layer itself or an end portion thereof, or the node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type substrate, and the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the layer where the node associated with the parasitic current is located.

7. The intelligent electronic device of claim 6, wherein, The node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type buried layer itself or an end portion thereof, and the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type buried layer, and the n-type buried layer is located in a p-type substrate; or The node associated with the parasitic current comprises an n-type substrate, and the turn-on switch and the turn-off switch are located in the n-type substrate.

8. The intelligent electronic device of claim 6, wherein, The current limiting element is a second current limiting resistor, and the product of the current output by the upper pull current source and the resistance value of the second current limiting resistor is equal to the sum of the turn-on voltage of the parasitic transistor, so that the power switch is completely turned on; or The current limiting element is a second current limiting resistor, and the resistance value of the second current limiting resistor ranges from 200kΩ to 5MΩ.

9. An integrated circuit chip, characterized by The high-side intelligent electronic switch comprises the high-side intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, and the load output end is a load output pin.

10. The integrated circuit chip of claim 9, wherein, The power switch is a MOS tube, and the three terminals of the MOS tube of the intelligent electronic switch are located in the same plane.

11. A chip product, characterized by The high-side intelligent electronic switch comprises the high-side intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the elements of the high-side intelligent electronic switch except the power switch are located on a first integrated circuit chip, and the power switch is located on a second integrated circuit chip. The power supply end is a power supply pin, the power ground end is a power ground pin, the load output end is a load output pin, the first integrated circuit chip comprises the power supply pin and the power ground pin, and the second integrated circuit chip comprises the load output pin.

12. The chip product according to claim 11, characterized by The three terminals of the MOS tube of the first integrated circuit chip are located in the same plane.

13. An electromechanical device, characterized by The high-side intelligent electronic switch according to any one of claims 1-8 or the integrated circuit chip according to claim 9 or 10 or the chip product according to claim 11 or 12. The high-side intelligent electronic switch further comprises a power supply, a load and a microprocessor, wherein a positive pole of the power supply is connected to the power supply power supply end, a negative pole of the power supply is connected to the power supply ground end, one end of the load is connected to the load output end, the other end of the load is connected to the power supply ground end, and the microprocessor is connected to the intelligent electronic switch.

14. The electromechanical device of claim 13, wherein, The electromechanical device comprises a vehicle.

Citation Information

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