Stacked Oxide Gate Driver for Compact Power Transistor Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing driver circuits for high-power transistors face challenges in achieving small size, low power consumption, high integration, preventing malfunctions, and controlling manufacturing costs while ensuring high-speed switching and wide temperature operation.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device incorporating stacked transistors with metal oxide channels, including indium and zinc, and a gate driver with comparator circuits to convert PWM signals into high-voltage signals for driving power transistors, utilizing a gate driver with transistors stacked over a silicon substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silicon transistors are used to convert PWM signals to high-voltage signals, then the power transistor can be driven, but the device size increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the transistor from silicon to oxide semiconductor, which fundamentally alters the electrical characteristics and enables smaller device size with lower power consumption while maintaining the capability to drive power transistors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hybrid structure combining oxide semiconductor transistors with other semiconductor materials, creating a composite device that leverages the advantages of different materials to achieve both small size and reliable power transistor driving
2Productivity
If more transistors are added to achieve high integration, then the degree of integration increases, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple transistor functions into a unified oxide semiconductor transistor structure, reducing the total number of discrete components needed while achieving high integration through the inherent capabilities of the oxide semiconductor material
3Use of energy by stationary object
If oxide semiconductor transistors are used, then power consumption decreases and device size reduces, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical/thermal processing methods with plasma-based processing techniques for oxide semiconductor layer formation, achieving the required manufacturing precision through controlled plasma reactions rather than traditional high-temperature processing
Data Source
AI summary
A small semiconductor device is provided. A semiconductor device with low power consumption is provided. A semiconductor device with a high degree of integration is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first transistor, an insulating layer over the first transistor, a conductive layer, and a gate driver; part of the conductive layer is provided to be embedded in the insulating layer; the gate driver includes a second transistor and a third transistor; the second transistor and the third transistor are stacked and provided over the first transistor; the second transistor and the third transistor each contain a metal oxide in a channel formation region; one of a source and a drain of the second transistor and one of a source and a drain of the third transistor are electrically connected to a gate of the first transistor through the conductive layer; the gate driver is supplied with a first potential and a second potential; and the gate driver has a function of selecting the first potential or the second potential and supplying the selected potential to the gate of the first transistor.