High voltage drive circuit employing capacitive signal coupling and associated devices and methods
US7741896B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jun 22, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 3, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D89/60
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
According to one embodiment, there is provided a high voltage drive circuit comprising drive and sense electrodes formed substantially in a single plane. The device effects signal transfer between drive and receive circuits through the drive and sense electrodes by capacitive means, and permits high voltage devices, such as IGBTs, to be driven thereby without the use of high voltage transistors, thereby eliminating the need to use expensive fabrication processes such as SOI when manufacturing high voltage gate drive circuits and ICs. The device may be formed in a small package using, by way of example, using CMOS or other conventional low-cost semiconductor fabrication and packaging processes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.