Patent · US Expired

Power MOSFET safe operating area current limiting device

US5282107A · kind A · utility

71Cited by
3References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 1, 1992
Grant dateJan 25, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 1, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/0822
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention is a switching power supply that includes a full-wave bridge rectifier to rectify incoming AC line voltage, a transformer having a primary winding and two secondary windings and a switched mode power supply chip that includes an integrated high voltage power MOSFET with a low voltage tap in the drift region. The MOSFET controls power switching of the primary winding of the transformer and has a high voltage present during initial power-up. This high voltage is dropped across the JFET part of the MOSFET and supplies a safe operating area protection circuit with a low voltage signal that will shut-off the MOSFET if the current passing through the MOSFET produces a voltage drop at the tap that exceeds a predetermined maximum.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.