Half-Bridge Gate Driver Diode Bit Transfer With Low Silicon Area
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high voltage gate drivers require significant silicon area and high power dissipation for transmitting data between low voltage and high voltage regions, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A half-bridge gate driver with a termination region using small width diodes for bit transfer between high-side and low-side regions, allowing for efficient communication while minimizing silicon area and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If level shifter transistors are used to transmit data between LV and HV gate drivers, then data transmission is enabled, but silicon area increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bit transfer function with the existing termination region structure by integrating small width diodes into the termination region, eliminating the need for separate level shifter transistor circuits. This merging approach enables data transmission between LV and HV gate drivers while minimizing additional silicon area occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces small width diodes as intermediary elements within the termination region to facilitate bit transfer between the LV and HV gate drivers. These diodes act as mediators that enable asynchronous digital data transmission without requiring wide level shifter transistors, thus reducing silicon area while maintaining transmission capability.
2Reliability
If level shifter transistors are used to transmit data between LV and HV gate drivers, then data transmission is enabled, but power dissipation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bit transfer function with the termination region structure, utilizing small width diodes that consume significantly less power compared to wide level shifter transistors. This combination enables data transmission while reducing power dissipation in the gate driver system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs small width diodes as simple, low-cost, low-power components for bit transfer. These diodes replace complex, power-consuming level shifter transistor circuits, providing an efficient solution that minimizes power dissipation while enabling reliable data transmission between voltage domains.
3Area of stationary object
If small width diodes are used for bit transfer in termination region, then silicon area is reduced and power dissipation is reduced, but data transmission between HV and LV regions must be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using small width diodes specifically in the termination region where bit transfer is needed, rather than using wide transistors throughout the circuit. This localized approach maintains data transmission capability in the critical termination region while minimizing silicon area occupation overall.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the key parameter of diode width to be small, which reduces both silicon area and power dissipation while maintaining the essential bit transfer function. By adjusting this critical dimension parameter, the invention achieves area-efficient data transmission between HV and LV gate drivers without sacrificing reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A gate driver includes a high-side region that operates in a first voltage domain, a low-side region that operations in a second voltage domain lower than the first voltage domain, a termination region interposed between the high-side region and the low-side region and configured to isolate the first voltage domain from the second voltage domain, a high-side gate driver disposed in the high-side region and configured to drive a high-side power transistor, a low-side gate driver disposed in the low-side region and configured to drive a low-side power transistor, and a plurality of termination diodes disposed in the termination region and configured to transmit information bits between the high-side region and the low-side region, where each of the plurality of termination diodes includes an anode coupled to the low-side region and a cathode coupled to the high-side region.