Semiconductor Device High Voltage Bootstrap Driver Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional switching regulators face challenges in withstanding high voltage without increasing device size and cost, as they require high-voltage drivers to prevent breakdowns, which can lead to potential explosions or fires, and designing for high voltage results in larger and more expensive power supply ICs.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with an n-channel or npn-type output transistor, a bootstrap circuit for generating enhanced boost voltage, an overvoltage protection circuit for monitoring potential differences, and a switching element to control electrical conduction, allowing the device to be more resistant to high voltage without increasing size or cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driver is designed for high withstand voltage to prevent breakdown, then reliability is improved, but device area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The driver is divided into two separate drivers: a first driver with high withstand voltage capability connected to the bootstrap terminal, and a second driver with lower withstand voltage capability connected to the switch terminal. This segmentation allows each driver to be optimized for its specific voltage requirements, improving overall reliability without requiring the entire driver to be oversized.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the driver system are assigned different voltage withstand capabilities based on their local requirements. The first driver handles high voltage from the bootstrap terminal, while the second driver handles lower voltage from the switch terminal. This local quality approach ensures that only the necessary components are designed for high voltage, reducing total area.
2Reliability
If the driver is designed for high withstand voltage to prevent breakdown, then reliability is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The driver system is segmented into two independent drivers with different voltage ratings. The first driver is designed for high voltage to handle bootstrap terminal fluctuations, while the second driver is designed for lower voltage to handle switch terminal signals. This allows cost optimization by using cheaper, lower-voltage components for the second driver.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage withstand parameter is changed differently for the two drivers: the first driver has high voltage capability while the second driver has lower voltage capability. This parameter differentiation allows the system to achieve necessary reliability without the cost penalty of making the entire driver system high-voltage rated.
3Reliability
If the driver is designed for high withstand voltage to prevent breakdown, then reliability is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The driver functionality is segmented into two separate driver circuits with different voltage capabilities. This segmentation allows the high-voltage first driver to be compact since it only needs to handle the bootstrap terminal, while the second driver can be smaller due to its lower voltage requirements, resulting in a more compact overall IC size.
Solution Approach 2:
High voltage design is applied locally only where necessary (first driver connected to bootstrap terminal) rather than throughout the entire driver system. This localized high-voltage capability reduces the overall volume of the power supply IC while maintaining the reliability needed to prevent breakdowns.
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 enhances the semiconductor device's resistance to high voltage while preventing size and cost increases, enabling a more reliable and cost-effective switching regulator.
Implementation Method 1
a bootstrap circuit for generating a boost voltage enhanced by a predetermined electric potential above the switching voltage
Data Source
AI summary
The semiconductor device according to the present invention has an n-channel output transistor wherein an input voltage is impressed on a drain, and a pulsed switching voltage that corresponds to a switching drive of the transistor is brought out from a source; a bootstrap circuit for generating a boost voltage enhanced by a predetermined electric potential above the switching voltage; an internal circuit for receiving a supply of the boost voltage to generate a switching drive signal, and supplying the signal to a gate of the output transistor; an overvoltage protection circuit for monitoring an electric potential difference between the switching voltage and the boost voltage, and generating an overvoltage detection signal; and a switching element for establishing/blocking electrical conduction between the internal circuit and the end impressed with the boost voltage, in accordance with the overvoltage detection signal.