Cascode circuit having a gate of a low-side transistor coupled to a high-side transistor
In an aspect, a cascode circuit can include a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor. The source of the high-side transistor can be coupled to the drain of the low-side transistor; and the gate of the high-side transistor can be coupled to each of the source and the gate of the low-side transistor. In another aspect, an electronic device can include a high-side transistor, a low-side transistor, and a field electrode. The low-side transistor can include a drain region coupled to the source electrode of the high-side transistor. The field electrode can overlie and be capacitively coupled to a channel layer of the high-side transistor, wherein the field electrode is configured to be at a voltage between the voltages of the high-side and low-side power supply terminals.
1. A cascode circuit comprising:
a high-side transistor including a source, a gate, and a body; and
a low-side transistor including a drain, a source, and a gate; and
a first coupling element having a first terminal and a second terminal,
wherein:
the source of the high-side transistor is coupled to the drain of the low-side transistor,
the gate of the high-side transistor is coupled to the source of the low-side transistor,
the body of the high-side transistor is coupled to the gate of the low-side transistor,
the first terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the high-side transistor,
the second terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the source of the low-side transistor, and
the first coupling element includes an impendence element, a charge storage element, or an electrical connection.
2. The cascode circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the body of the high-side transistor, and the second terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the low-side transistor.
3. The cascode circuit of claim 2 , wherein the first coupling element is a capacitor.
4. The cascode circuit of claim 1 , wherein the high-side transistor is a high electron mobility transistor.
5. The cascode circuit of claim 1 , wherein the high-side transistor is a depletion-mode transistor.
6. The cascode circuit of claim 5 , wherein the low-side transistor is an enhancement-mode transistor.
7. The cascode circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein:
the high-side transistor is a depletion-mode high electron mobility transistor,
the low-side transistor is an enhancement-mode metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor,
the first electrode of the capacitor is electrically connected to the body of the high-side transistor,
the second electrode of the capacitor is electrically connected to the gate of the low-side transistor, and
the gate of the high-side transistor is electrically connected to the source of the low-side transistor.
8. The cascode circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a second coupling element having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the high-side transistor, and the second terminal of the second coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the low-side transistor.
9. The cascode circuit of claim 8 , wherein the second coupling element is a capacitor.
10. A cascode circuit comprising:
a high-side transistor including a source and a gate;
a low-side transistor including a drain, a source, and a gate;
a first coupling element having a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a second coupling element having a first terminal and a second terminal,
wherein:
the source of the high-side transistor is coupled to the drain of the low-side transistor,
the gate of the high-side transistor is coupled to each of the source and the gate of the low-side transistor,
the first terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the high-side transistor,
the second terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the low-side transistor,
the first coupling element includes an impendence element, a charge storage element, or an electrical connection,
the first terminal of the second coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the high-side transistor, and
the second terminal of the second coupling element is electrically connected to the source of the low-side transistor.
11. The cascade circuit of claim 10 , wherein the first coupling element is a charge storage element.
12. The cascade circuit of claim 10 , wherein the second coupling element is an electrical connection.
13. A cascode circuit comprising:
a high-side transistor including a source, a gate, and a body;
a low-side transistor including a drain, a source, and a gate;
a first coupling element having a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a second coupling element having a first terminal and a second terminal,
wherein:
the source of the high-side transistor is coupled to the drain of the low-side transistor,
the gate of the high-side transistor is coupled to the source of the low-side transistor,
the body of the high-side transistor is coupled to the gate of the low-side transistor,
the first terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the high-side transistor,
the second terminal of the first coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the low-side transistor,
the first terminal of the second coupling element is electrically connected to the gate of the high-side transistor, and
the second terminal of the second coupling element is electrically connected to the source of the low-side transistor.