HALF-BRIDGE CIRCUIT USING MONOLITHIC FLIP-CHIP GAN POWER DEVICES
GaN-based half bridge power conversion circuits employ control, support and logic functions that are monolithically integrated on the same devices as the power transistors. In some embodiments a low side GaN device communicates through one or more level shift circuits with a high side GaN device. Various embodiments of level shift circuits and their inventive aspects are disclosed.
1 . A power converter system, comprising:
a first electronic package including:
a first gallium-nitride based transistor;
an electrically insulative encapsulant at least partially enclosing the first gallium-nitride based transistor;
a first drain terminal at an exterior of the first electronic package and electrically connected to a drain of the first gallium-nitride based transistor;
a first source terminal at an exterior of the first electronic package and electrically connected to a source of the first gallium-nitride based transistor;
a second electronic package including:
a second gallium-nitride based transistor;
an electrically insulative encapsulant at least partially enclosing the second gallium-nitride based transistor;
a second drain terminal at an exterior of the second electronic package and electrically connected to a drain of the second gallium-nitride based transistor;
a second source terminal at an exterior of the second electronic package and
electrically connected to a source of the second gallium-nitride based transistor;
wherein, the first and second electronic packages are configured to attach to a circuit board that electrically connects the first drain terminal to the first source terminal.
2 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the first and the second electronic packages form at least a portion of a half-bridge circuit.
3 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the first electronic package includes a first driver circuit connected to a gate of the first gallium-nitride based transistor.
4 . The power converter system of claim 3 wherein the first driver circuit receives a level-shifted control signal.
5 . The power converter system of claim 4 wherein the level-shifted control signal is transmitted from the second electronic package.
6 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the second electronic package includes a second driver circuit connected to a gate of the second gallium-nitride based transistor.
7 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the first gallium-nitride based transistor is connected to a first electro-static discharge circuit.
8 . The power converter system of claim 7 wherein the first gallium-nitride based transistor is disposed on a first semiconductor device and wherein the first electro-static discharge circuit is formed on the first semiconductor device.
9 . The power converter system of claim 7 wherein the first electro-static discharge circuit is formed from one or more transistors.
10 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the second gallium-nitride based transistor is connected to a second electro-static discharge circuit.
11 . The power converter system of claim 10 wherein the second gallium-nitride based transistor is disposed on a second semiconductor device and wherein the second electro-static discharge circuit is formed on the second semiconductor device.
12 . The power converter system of claim 10 wherein the second electro-static discharge circuit is formed from one or more transistors.
13 . A power converter system comprising:
a first electronic device including:
a first gallium-nitride based transistor disposed on a first semiconductor die, the first semiconductor die formed from at least one layer of gallium-nitride disposed on a layer of silicon;
an exterior surface at least partially formed from an electrically insulative encapsulant;
a first drain terminal at an exterior of the first electronic device and electrically connected to a drain of the first gallium-nitride based transistor;
a first source terminal at an exterior of the first electronic device and electrically connected to a source of the first gallium-nitride based transistor; and
a second electronic device including:
a second gallium-nitride based transistor disposed on a second semiconductor die, the second semiconductor die formed from at least one layer of gallium-nitride disposed on a layer of silicon;
an exterior surface at least partially formed from an electrically insulative encapsulant;
a second drain terminal at an exterior of the second electronic device and electrically connected to a drain of the second gallium-nitride based transistor;
a second source terminal at an exterior of the second electronic device and electrically connected to a source of the second gallium-nitride based transistor;
wherein, the first drain terminal of the first electronic device is configured to be electrically connected to the second source terminal of the second electronic device via an electrical conductor.
14 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the first electronic package includes a first driver circuit connected to a gate of the first gallium-nitride based transistor.
15 . The power converter system of claim 3 wherein the first driver circuit receives a level-shifted control signal.
16 . The power converter system of claim 4 wherein the level-shifted control signal is transmitted from the second electronic package.
17 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the first gallium-nitride based transistor is connected to a first electro-static discharge circuit.
18 . The power converter system of claim 7 wherein the first gallium-nitride based transistor is disposed on a first semiconductor device and wherein the first electro-static discharge circuit is formed on the first semiconductor device.
19 . The power converter system of claim 7 wherein the first electro-static discharge circuit is formed from one or more transistors.
20 . The power converter system of claim 1 wherein the second gallium-nitride based transistor is connected to a second electro-static discharge circuit.