Inverter Circuit Including Short Circuit Protected Composite Switch
There are disclosed herein various implementations of a short circuit protected composite switch and a circuit including such a switch. In one exemplary implementation, such a short circuit protected composite switch includes a III-N field-effect transistor (FET) having a drain, a source, and a gate, and a high current group IV FET coupled in series with the III-N FET and configured to limit a current through the III-N FET. The short circuit protected composite switch also includes another group IV FET coupled between the gate and the source of the III-N FET, and another transistor coupled between the gate of the III-N FET and a source of the high current group IV FET.
1 . A short circuit protected composite switch comprising:
a III-N field-effect transistor (FET) including a drain, a source, and a gate;
a high current group IV FET coupled in series with said III-N FET;
said high current group IV FET limiting a current through said III-N FET;
another group IV FET coupled between said gate of said III-N FET and said source of said III-N FET;
another transistor coupled between said gate of said III-N FET and a source of said high current group IV FET.
2 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein said III-N FET is a normally-ON III-N high electron mobility transistor (HEMT).
3 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein said another transistor is a normally-ON transistor.
4 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 3 , wherein said another transistor is a normally-ON III-N HEMT.
5 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein said III-N FET and said another transistor are monolithically integrated.
6 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein said high current group IV FET and said another group IV FET are monolithically integrated.
7 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein said III-N FET, said high current group IV FET, said another group IV FET, and said another transistor are monolithically integrated on a common substrate.
8 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein a saturation current of said high current group IV FET is less than a maximum current that said III-N FET can sustain in a short circuit condition for at least 2.0 μs.
9 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein a gate of said high current group IV FET is tied to a same potential as a gate of said another group IV FET.
10 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , further comprising four external connections, wherein said four external connections include a composite drain, a composite source, a composite gate and a composite short circuit control gate of said short circuit protected composite switch.
11 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein said another transistor is in an OFF-state when an over-current limit condition exists and said short circuit protected composite switch is in an ON-state.
12 . The short circuit protected composite switch of claim 1 , wherein said another transistor is configured to turn OFF in less than approximately 100 ns after a short circuit condition is detected.
13 . A circuit comprising:
a switching block;
at least one short circuit protected composite switch included in said switching block of said circuit, said at least one short circuit protected composite switch comprising:
a III-N field-effect transistor (FET) including a drain, a source, and a gate;
a high current group IV FET coupled in series with said III-N FET;
said high current group IV FET limiting a current through said III-N FET;
another group IV FET coupled between said gate of said III-N FET and said source of said III-N FET;
another transistor coupled between said gate of said III-N FET and a source of said high current group IV FET.
14 . The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said circuit is a three-phase circuit.
15 . The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said circuit is a full bridge circuit.
16 . The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said circuit is a half bridge circuit.
17 . The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said circuit is a motor drive inverter.
18 . The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said circuit is configured to drive an inductive load.
19 . The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said III-N FET and said another transistor of said short circuit protected composite switch are monolithically integrated.
20 . The circuit of claim 13 , wherein said III-N FET, said high current group IV FET, said another group IV FET, and said another transistor of said short circuit protected composite switch are monolithically integrated on a common substrate.