Adjustable Charge Pump Gate Driver for Active dv/dt Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active gate drivers for wide bandgap devices require additional passive components, switches, power supplies, and dedicated timing control, leading to increased complexity and cost, which limits their use.
Innovation Solution
A charge pump gate driver circuit with an adjustable pump voltage that enables active dv/dt and di/dt control without the need for extra power supplies or dedicated timing control, allowing for flexible regulation of switching speeds during each cycle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional passive components, switches, and power supplies are added to existing active gate drivers, then dv/dt control capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the charge pump circuit and gate driver into a single integrated device. The charge pump generates adjustable pump voltages that directly control the gate driver output, merging voltage generation and gate driving functions into one unit, thereby achieving dv/dt control without adding separate power supplies or control circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated charge pump gate driver performs multiple functions: it generates the gate driving voltage, provides dv/dt control through adjustable pump voltage, and eliminates the need for external timing control circuits. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity while maintaining control capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional passive components, switches, and power supplies are added to existing active gate drivers, then dv/dt control capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the charge pump and gate driver into a single device, the patent reduces the total component count and assembly steps. This consolidation lowers manufacturing costs by eliminating the need to source, test, and assemble separate power supplies, control circuits, and gate driver components.
3Productivity
If dedicated timing control is added to existing active gate drivers, then switching speed regulation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated charge pump gate driver generates its own pump voltage internally without requiring external timing control signals. The device autonomously regulates the pump voltage to achieve the desired dv/dt control, eliminating the need for separate timing control circuits and reducing system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces circuit costs and space requirements while providing fast and flexible control over switching speeds, addressing the limitations of existing active GDs.
Implementation Method 1
charge pump gate driver circuit with an adjustable pump voltage
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to devices, systems and methods implementing a charge pump gate driver (CPGD) that offers adjustable pump voltage, enabling online and active dv/dt and di/dt control for power devices, including the wide bandgap devices, such as SiC MOSFETs and GaN HEMTs. The disclosed CPGD allows a flexible pump voltage adjustment through the pre-charging interval control. Both the turn-on and turn-off switching speed (both dv/dt and di/dt) of power devices can be online regulated rapidly within each switching cycle, without interrupting the power converter operation. The disclosed CPGD has a simple structure and eliminates the extra power supplies to reduce circuit cost and footprint.