GaN Half Bridge Oscillator for Shoot-Through Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current half bridge power conversion circuits face challenges in achieving high frequency and high efficiency operations, particularly in integrating driver circuits and level shift circuits, while also managing false triggering and shoot-through conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
The development of a half bridge power conversion circuit utilizing GaN-based substrates with integrated GaN transistors and logic circuitry, including low side and high side power transistors, drivers, and logic circuitry, which generate non-overlapping pulses with dead time to prevent false triggering and optimize power delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If driver circuits and level shift circuits are integrated into half bridge power conversion circuits, then circuit functionality and efficiency are improved, but circuit complexity and difficulty of managing false triggering and shoot-through conditions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the driver circuit and level shift circuit into a single unified structure on the GaN substrate. The driver circuit receives control signals and generates gate drive signals, while the level shift circuit adjusts voltage levels between different circuit stages. By merging these functions into one integrated block, the patent improves power conversion efficiency while managing complexity through systematic design of the integrated circuit architecture.
2Productivity
If high frequency operations are implemented, then power conversion efficiency is improved, but power dissipation and stress on transistors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes GaN (gallium nitride) material instead of traditional silicon, which fundamentally changes the electrical parameters of the transistors. GaN transistors have higher electron mobility and broader bandgap, enabling them to operate at higher frequencies with lower power dissipation. The material parameter change allows the circuit to achieve high efficiency while reducing the negative effects of high-frequency operation.
3Reliability
If non-overlapping pulses with dead time are generated, then shoot-through conditions are prevented, but timing precision and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The driver circuit is designed to generate non-overlapping gate drive signals with a predetermined dead time interval before the transistors switch states. This preliminary timing arrangement ensures that one transistor is fully off before the other turns on, preventing shoot-through conditions. The dead time is built into the circuit architecture, automating the timing precision requirement.
Data Source
AI summary
A half bridge circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes a GaN-based substrate, an oscillator on the substrate, and one or more components forming one or more of a low side power transistor, a low side driver, low side logic circuitry, a high side power transistor, a high side driver, and high side logic circuitry. At least one of the low side power transistor, the low side driver, the low side logic circuitry, the high side power transistor, the high side driver, and the high side logic circuitry is at least partially formed on the substrate. The oscillator is configured to generate non-overlapping pulses, and the non-overlapping pulses are separated by a dead time.