Semiconductor electronic components and circuits
An electronic component includes a high-voltage depletion-mode transistor and a low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor both encased in a single package. A source electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor, a drain electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to an additional lead of the single package, and a source electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a conductive structural portion of the single package.
1. An electronic component, comprising:
a depletion-mode transistor;
an enhancement-mode transistor; and
a single package enclosing both the depletion-mode transistor and the enhancement-mode transistor, wherein
a source electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor, a drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to an additional lead of the single package, a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a conductive structural portion of the single package, and the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is not electrically connected to any electrodes of any transistors enclosed in the single package.
2. The electronic component of claim 1 , wherein the single package further comprises a source lead.
3. The electronic component of claim 2 , wherein the source lead is electrically connected to the conductive structural portion of the single package.
4. The electronic component of claim 2 , wherein a short-circuit survivability of the electronic component is at least 10 microseconds when a voltage of the gate lead relative to a voltage of the source lead of the single package is greater than a threshold voltage of the electronic component, a high voltage is applied to the drain lead relative to the source lead of the single package, and a voltage of the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is less than the voltage of the source lead of the single package.
5. The electronic component of claim 4 , wherein the high voltage is at least 300V.
6. The electronic component of claim 4 , wherein a voltage of the additional lead is at least 1V less than the voltage of the source lead of the single package.
7. The electronic component of claim 2 , wherein a maximum current that can flow through the electronic component is smaller when a voltage of the additional lead is less than a voltage of the source lead as compared to when the voltage of the additional lead is equal to the voltage of the source lead.
8. The electronic component of claim 1 , further comprising a capacitor, wherein a first end of the capacitor is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor, and a second end of the capacitor is electrically connected to the source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor.
9. The electronic component of claim 8 , wherein the single package encloses the capacitor.
10. The electronic component of claim 1 , wherein the depletion-mode transistor is a III-Nitride transistor.
11. The electronic component of claim 1 , wherein the enhancement-mode transistor is a silicon-based transistor or a III-Nitride transistor.
12. The electronic component of claim 1 , further comprising a resistor, wherein a first end of the resistor is electrically connected to the additional lead of the single package, and a second end of the resistor is electrically connected to the conductive structural portion of the single package.
13. The electronic component of claim 12 , wherein the single package further comprises a source lead that is electrically connected to the conductive structural portion of the single package, and the second end of the resistor is directly connected to the source lead.
14. The electronic component of claim 13 , wherein the resistor is external to the single package.
15. The electronic component of claim 1 , wherein a short-circuit survivability of the electronic component is at least 10 microseconds when a voltage of the gate lead relative to a voltage of the conductive structural portion of the single package is greater than a threshold voltage of the electronic component, a high voltage is applied to the drain lead relative to the conductive structural portion of the single package, and a voltage of the additional lead is less than the voltage of the conductive structural portion of the single package.
16. The electronic component of claim 15 , wherein the high voltage is at least about 300V.
17. The electronic component of claim 15 , wherein the voltage of the additional lead is at least about 1V less than the voltage of the conductive structural portion of the single package.
18. The electronic component of claim 1 , wherein a maximum current that can flow through the electronic component is smaller when a voltage of the additional lead is less than a voltage of the conductive structural portion of the single package as compared to when the voltage of the additional lead is equal to the voltage of the conductive structural portion of the single package.
19. A method of operating the electronic component of claim 1 , comprising:
at a first time applying a positive voltage to the drain lead relative to the conductive structural portion of the single package of the electronic component of claim 1 ,
applying a voltage to the gate lead relative to the conductive structural portion of the single package that is less than a threshold voltage of the electronic component; and
applying a voltage to the additional lead that is less than a voltage of the conductive structural portion of the single package.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the positive voltage is at least about 300V.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the voltage applied to the additional lead is at least about 1V less than the voltage of the conductive structural portion of the single package.
22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising at a second time switching the voltage of the gate lead relative to the conductive structural portion of the single package to a value that is greater than the threshold voltage of the electronic component, allowing a current to flow through the electronic component.
23. An electronic component, comprising:
a depletion-mode transistor;
an enhancement-mode transistor; and
a single package enclosing both the depletion-mode transistor and the enhancement-mode transistor, wherein
a source electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor, a drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to an additional lead of the single package, a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a source lead of the single package, and the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is not electrically connected to any electrodes of any transistors enclosed in the single package.
24. The electronic component of claim 23 , wherein the source lead is not electrically connected to a conductive structural portion of the single package.
25. The electronic component of claim 24 , wherein a short-circuit survivability of the electronic component is at least 10 microseconds when a voltage of the gate lead relative to a voltage of the source lead of the single package is greater than a threshold voltage of the electronic component, a high voltage is applied to the drain lead relative to the source lead of the single package, and a voltage of the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is less than the voltage of the source lead of the single package.
26. The electronic component of claim 25 , wherein the high voltage is at least about 300V.
27. The electronic component of claim 25 , wherein a voltage of the additional lead is at least 1V less than the voltage of the source lead of the single package.
28. The electronic component of claim 24 , wherein a maximum current that can flow through the electronic component is smaller when a voltage of the additional lead is less than a voltage of the source lead as compared to when the voltage of the additional lead is equal to the voltage of the source lead.
29. The electronic component of claim 24 , further comprising a capacitor, wherein a first end of the capacitor is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor, and a second end of the capacitor is electrically connected to the source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor.
30. The electronic component of claim 29 , wherein the single package encloses the capacitor.
31. The electronic component of claim 23 , wherein the depletion-mode transistor is a III-Nitride transistor.
32. The electronic component of claim 23 , wherein the enhancement-mode transistor is a silicon-based transistor or a III-Nitride transistor.
33. An electronic component, comprising:
a depletion-mode transistor;
an enhancement-mode transistor; and
a single package enclosing both the depletion-mode transistor and the enhancement-mode transistor, wherein a source electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor, a drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to an additional lead of the single package, a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a conductive structural portion of the single package, and the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is not electrically connected to any electrodes of any of the transistors enclosed in the single package, wherein the depletion-mode transistor is a high-voltage transistor and the enhancement-mode transistor is a low-voltage transistor.
34. An electronic component, comprising:
a depletion-mode transistor;
an enhancement-mode transistor; and
a single package enclosing both the depletion-mode transistor and the enhancement-mode transistor, wherein
a source electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor, a drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to an additional lead of the single package, a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a source lead of the single package, and the gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is not electrically connected to any electrodes of any of the transistors enclosed in the single package, wherein the depletion-mode transistor is a high-voltage transistor and the enhancement-mode transistor is a low-voltage transistor.
35. The electronic component of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component is configured to achieve the same or similar output characteristics as a single high-voltage enhancement-mode device.
36. The electronic component of claim 23 , wherein the electronic component is configured to achieve the same or similar output characteristics as a single high-voltage enhancement-mode device.
37. An electronic component, comprising:
a high-voltage depletion-mode transistor;
a low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor;
a device consisting of a capacitor or a resistor, the device having a first end and a second end; and
a single package enclosing the depletion-mode transistor, the enhancement-mode transistor, and the device; wherein
a source electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor, a gate electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to the first end of the device, and a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to the second end of the device.
38. The electronic component of claim 37 , wherein a drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, and a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a source lead of the single package.
39. The electronic component of claim 38 , wherein the electronic component is configured to achieve the same or similar output characteristics as a single high-voltage enhancement-mode device.
40. The electronic component of claim 37 , wherein a drain electrode of the depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain lead of the single package, a gate electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a gate lead of the single package, and a source electrode of the enhancement-mode transistor is electrically connected to a conductive structural portion of the single package.
41. The electronic component of claim 40 , wherein the electronic component is configured to achieve the same or similar output characteristics as a single high-voltage enhancement-mode device.
42. The electronic component of claim 37 , wherein the depletion-mode transistor is a III-Nitride transistor.
43. The electronic component of claim 42 , wherein the enhancement-mode transistor is a silicon-based transistor.
44. The electronic component of claim 42 , wherein the enhancement-mode transistor is a III-Nitride transistor.
45. The electronic component of claim 37 , wherein the device limits a slew rate after an input voltage of the electronic component is switched.