Patent · US Active

Optically triggered wide bandgap bipolar power switching devices and circuits

US7679223B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
12References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 27, 2006
Grant dateMar 16, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 29, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10F77/124
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An electronic circuit includes a primary wide bandgap bipolar power switching device configured to supply a load current in response to a control signal applied to a control terminal thereof, and a driver device configured to generate the control signal. At least one of the primary switching device or the driver device may include an optically triggered switching device. A discrete wide bandgap semiconductor device includes a primary bipolar device stage configured to switch between a conducting state and a nonconducting state upon application of a control current, and a bipolar driver stage configured to generate the control current and to supply the control current to the primary bipolar device stage. At least one of the primary bipolar device stage and the bipolar driver stage may include an optically triggered wide bandgap switching device.

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