RECTIFIER WITH SIC BIPOLAR JUNCTION TRANSISTOR RECTIFYING ELEMENTS

摘要

A rectifier circuit can include an input circuit and first and second silicon carbide (SiC) bipolar junction transistors (BJTs). The input circuit is configured to respond to an alternating current (AC) input signal by generating a first pair of opposite polarity AC signals and a second pair of opposite polarity AC signals. The first pair of AC signals has a greater voltage range than the second pair of AC signals. The first and second SiC BJTs each include an input terminal connected to receive a different one of the second pair of opposite polarity AC signals, a base terminal connected to receive a different one of the first pair of opposite polarity AC signals, and an output terminal connected to a rectified signal output node of the rectifier circuit. The input circuit is further configured to control the first and second SiC BJTs through the first and second pairs of opposite polarity AC signals to forward bias the first SiC BJT while reverse biasing the second SiC BJT during a first half cycle of the AC input signal and to reverse bias the second SiC BJT while forward biasing the second SiC BJT during a second half cycle of the AC input signal.