Patent · US Expired

DC/DC switching regulator having reduced switching loss

US6686729B1 · kind B1 · utility

23Cited by
14References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 15, 2002
Grant dateFeb 3, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 15, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B70/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A DC/DC switching regulator has a semiconductor switch coupled to an inductor, a first capacitor and a rectifier. A circuit to improve the switching efficiency of the semiconductor switch has a transmission gate coupled between the gate of the semiconductor switch and a second capacitor. The transmission gate is turned ON only when the gate of the semiconductor switch is about to make a positive or negative transition and isolated from the first and second voltage sources. A portion of the charge stored in the parasitic capacitance of the gate of the semiconductor switch can be stored in the second capacitor and reused to partially drive the semiconductor switch from the second to the first ON/OFF state. A further embodiment employs this technique with a synchronous rectifier in the regulator circuit.

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