Patent · US Active

Driver circuit for gallium nitride (GaN) heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs)

US8054110B2 · kind B2 · utility

25Cited by
2References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 20, 2010
Grant dateNov 8, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/018521
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A driver circuit and integrated circuit implementation of a driver circuit for driving a GaN HFET device is disclosed. The driver circuit includes a resonant drive circuit having an LC circuit with an inductance and a capacitance. The capacitance of the LC circuit includes the gate-source capacitance of the GaN HFET device. The driver circuit further includes a level shifter circuit configured to receive a first signal and to amplify the first signal to a second signal suitable for driving a GaN HFET device. The resonant drive circuit is controlled based at least in part on the second signal such that the resonant drive circuit provides a first voltage to the GaN HFET device to control the GaN HFET device to operate in a conducting state and to provide a second voltage to the GaN HFET device to control the GaN HFET device to operate in a non-conducting state.

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