Depletion mode group III-V transistor with high voltage group IV enable switch

摘要

There are disclosed herein various implementations of a half-bridge or multiple half-bridge switch configurations used in a voltage converter circuit using at least two normally ON switches. Such a circuit includes a high side switch and a low side switch coupled between a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail of the voltage converter circuit. The high side switch is coupled to the low side switch at a switch node of the voltage converter circuit. At least one group IV enhancement mode switch is used as an enable switch. The group IV enhancement mode enable switch may be an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a super junction field-effect transistor (SJFET), a unipolar group IV field-effect transistor (FET), or a bipolar junction transistor (BJT).

主权项

1. A circuit comprising:
at least one half-bridge which includes a normally ON high side switch and a normally ON low side switch coupled between a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail of said circuit; said normally ON high side switch coupled to said normally ON low side switch at a switch node of said half-bridge; at least said normally ON high side switch being a normally ON III-Nitride switch; and a group IV enhancement mode transistor coupled between said normally ON high side switch and said high voltage rail, said group IV enhancement mode transistor configured as an enable switch for said normally ON III-Nitride switch.