Integrated III-nitride power converter circuit

1. A power circuit comprising:

a power conversion bridge between a bus voltage and ground, and including a switched node for supplying current to an output circuit;

a driver section configured to drive said power conversion bridge that includes a first section and a second section, said first section being between a negative supply voltage and ground, and said second section being between said switched node and a derived voltage below said switched node, said derived voltage being derived from said negative supply voltage.

2. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein said power conversion bridge includes a high side III-nitride switch and a low side III-nitride switch series connected with said high side III-nitride switch to form a half-bridge.

3. The power circuit of claim 2 , wherein said high side and low side III-nitride switches are depletion mode devices.

4. The power circuit of claim 2 , wherein said first section and said second section each includes a driver bridge comprised of two series connected III-nitride switches in a half-bridge arrangement having an output thereof coupled to a respective gate of one of said high side III-nitride switch and said III-nitride low side switch.

5. The power circuit of claim 4 , wherein said series connected III-nitride switches in each said first section and said second section are enhancement mode devices.

6. The power circuit of claim 4 , wherein said series connected III-nitride switches in each said first section and said second section are depletion mode devices.

7. The power circuit of claim 4 , wherein each said first and said second section includes a logic circuit comprising of a plurality of parallel connected bridges, each bridge including an enhancement mode III-nitride switch and a depletion mode III-nitride switch in series therewith, said parallel connected bridges serving to selectively operate one of said two series connected III-nitride switches in a driver bridge based on an externally supplied PWM signal.

8. The power circuit of claim 1 , wherein said driver section includes a first level shifter and a second level shifter each coupled to receive an external PWM signal, and each coupled to supply a level shifted signal to a respective section in said driver section.

9. The power circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a boot strap arrangement to derive said derived voltage.

10. The power circuit of claim 9 , wherein said bootstrap arrangement includes a bootstrap capacitor, a transistor, and a bootstrap diode all series connected between said switched node and said negative supply voltage.

11. A power circuit comprising:

a driver section configured to drive a power conversion bridge, said power conversion bridge between first and second voltage potentials, said first voltage potential greater than said second voltage potential, said power conversion bridge including a switched node for supplying current to an output circuit;

said driver section including a first section and a second section, said first section being between a negative supply voltage and ground, and said second section being between said switched node and a derived voltage below said switched node, said derived voltage being derived from said negative supply voltage.

12. The power circuit of claim 11 , wherein said power conversion bridge includes a high side III-nitride switch and a low side III-nitride switch series connected with said high side III-nitride switch to form a half-bridge.

13. The power circuit of claim 12 , wherein said high side and low side III-nitride switches are depletion mode devices.

14. The power circuit of claim 12 , wherein said first section and said second section each includes a driver bridge comprised of two series connected III-nitride switches in a half-bridge arrangement having an output thereof coupled to a respective gate of one of said high side III-nitride switch and said III-nitride low side switch.

15. The power circuit of claim 14 , wherein said series connected III-nitride switches in each said first section and said second section are enhancement mode devices.

16. The power circuit of claim 14 , wherein said series connected III-nitride switches in each said first section and said second section are depletion mode devices.

17. The power circuit of claim 14 , wherein each said first and said second section includes a logic circuit comprising of a plurality of parallel connected bridges, each bridge including an enhancement mode III-nitride switch and a depletion mode III-nitride switch in series therewith, said parallel connected bridges serving to selectively operate one of said two series connected III-nitride switches in a driver bridge based on an externally supplied PWM signal.

18. The power circuit of claim 11 , wherein said driver section includes a first level shifter and a second level shifter each coupled to receive an external PWM signal, and each coupled to supply a level shifted signal to a respective section in said driver section.

19. The power circuit of claim 11 , further comprising a boot strap arrangement to derive said derived voltage.

20. The power circuit of claim 19 , wherein said bootstrap arrangement includes a bootstrap capacitor, a transistor, and a bootstrap diode all series connected between said switched node and said negative supply voltage.