IP Library Granted Patent US 11,606,019
Granted Patent B2
US 11,606,019 · App. 17/495,112 · Granted Mar 14, 2023

Control circuit, voltage source circuit, driving device, and driving method

Inventors: Dong Chen (Shanghai, CN); Lei Shi (Shanghai, CN); Zhaohui Wang (Nuremberg, DE)
Assignee: Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd.
H02M1/0054H02M1/08H03K17/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,606,019
App. No.
17/495,112
Granted
Mar 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control circuit includes a detection module configured to detect an operating condition of a semiconductor switching device; a determining module configured to determine a gate allowable voltage of the semiconductor switching device based on the operating condition; and an output module configured to output a control signal to a driving power supply circuit of the semiconductor switching device based on the gate allowable voltage, to control the driving power supply circuit to provide a gate on voltage that is not higher than the gate allowable voltage and that is positively correlated with the gate allowable voltage for the semiconductor switching device. When the operating condition of the semiconductor switching device becomes better, the gate allowable voltage of the semiconductor switching device is increased.

Claims (39)

1. A control circuit, comprising:

a detection module configured to detect a current operating condition of a semiconductor switching device;

a determining module configured to determine a gate allowable voltage of the semiconductor switching device based on the operating condition detected by the detection module; and

an output module configured to output a control signal to a driving power supply circuit of the semiconductor switching device based on the gate allowable voltage determined by the determining module, to control the driving power supply circuit to provide a gate on voltage that is not higher than the gate allowable voltage and that is positively correlated with the gate allowable voltage for the semiconductor switching device,

wherein the determining module comprises a first gate allowable voltage determining submodule configured to determine a first value of the gate allowable voltage based on the operating condition detected by the detection module, wherein the first value is not higher than a gate breakdown voltage of the semiconductor switching device, and

the first gate allowable voltage determining submodule comprises:

a gate breakdown voltage determining unit configured to determine the gate breakdown voltage of the semiconductor switching device based on the operating condition detected by the detection module; and

a first gate allowable voltage determining unit configured to determine the first value based on the gate breakdown voltage determined by the gate breakdown voltage determining unit and a preset first margin.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the determining module further comprises:

a second gate allowable voltage determining submodule configured to determine a second value of the gate allowable voltage based on an allowable voltage between two ends of a conduction channel of the semiconductor switching device and the operating condition detected by the detection module; and

a third gate allowable voltage determining submodule configured to determine the gate allowable voltage based on a smaller value between the first value determined by the first gate allowable voltage determining submodule and the second value determined by the second gate allowable voltage determining submodule.

3. The control circuit according to claim 2 , wherein the determining module further comprises:

a channel allowable voltage determining submodule configured to determine the allowable voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel based on the operating condition detected by the detection module, wherein the allowable voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel is not higher than a breakdown voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel.

4. The control circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the channel allowable voltage determining submodule comprises:

a channel breakdown voltage determining unit configured to determine the breakdown voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel based on the operating condition detected by the detection module; and

a channel allowable voltage determining unit configured to determine the allowable voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel based on the breakdown voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel determined by the channel breakdown voltage determining unit and a preset second margin.

5. The control circuit according to claim 2 , wherein the semiconductor switching device is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), and the two ends of the conduction channel comprise a drain electrode and a source electrode of the MOSFET; or

the semiconductor switching device is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and the two ends of the conduction channel comprise a collector and an emitter of the IGBT.

6. The control circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the operating condition comprises an operating temperature of the semiconductor switching device, or an operating temperature and an operating current of the semiconductor switching device, or an operating temperature and an operating platform voltage of the semiconductor switching device, or an operating temperature, an operating current, and an operating platform voltage of the semiconductor switching device.

7. A method for driving a semiconductor switching device, comprising:

obtaining, by a control circuit, a current operating condition of a semiconductor switching device;

determining, by the control circuit, a gate allowable voltage of the semiconductor switching device based on the operating condition; and

outputting, by the control circuit, a control signal to a driving power supply circuit of the semiconductor switching device based on the gate allowable voltage, to control the driving power supply circuit to provide a gate on voltage that is not higher than the gate allowable voltage and that is positively correlated with the gate allowable voltage for the semiconductor switching device

wherein the determining, by the control circuit, of a gate allowable voltage of the semiconductor switching device based on the operating condition comprises:

determining, by the control circuit, a first value of the gate allowable voltage based on the operating condition, wherein the first value is not higher than a gate breakdown voltage of the semiconductor switching device, and

the determining, by the control circuit, of the first value of the gate allowable voltage based on the operating condition comprises:

determining, by the control circuit, the gate breakdown voltage of the semiconductor switching device based on the operating condition; and

determining, by the control circuit, the first value based on the gate breakdown voltage and a preset first margin.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

determining, by the control circuit, a second value of the gate allowable voltage based on an allowable voltage between two ends of a conduction channel of the semiconductor switching device and the operating condition; and

determining, by the control circuit, the gate allowable voltage based on a smaller value between the first value and the second value.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

determining, by the control circuit, the allowable voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel based on the operating condition, wherein the allowable voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel is not higher than a breakdown voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the determining, by the control circuit, of the allowable voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel based on the operating condition comprises:

determining, by the control circuit, the breakdown voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel based on the operating condition; and

determining, by the control circuit, the allowable voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel based on the breakdown voltage between the two ends of the conduction channel and a preset second margin.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the semiconductor switching device is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), and the two ends of the conduction channel comprise a drain electrode and a source electrode of the MOSFET; or

the semiconductor switching device is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and the two ends of the conduction channel comprise a collector and an emitter of the IGBT.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the operating condition comprises an operating temperature of the semiconductor switching device, or an operating temperature and an operating current of the semiconductor switching device, or an operating temperature and an operating platform voltage of the semiconductor switching device, or an operating temperature, an operating current, and an operating platform voltage of the semiconductor switching device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2021
From: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
To: HUAWEI DIGITAL POWER TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058601/0734 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2021
From: CHEN, DONG; SHI, LEI; WANG, ZHAOHUI
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 057837/0085 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 201910304610.3 · Apr 16, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2020084365 · Apr 13, 2020
Related Publication 20220029522A1 · Jan 27, 2022