DRIVE CIRCUIT AND METHOD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

摘要

Techniques for overcoming many of the speed limitations of switching a gated device while protecting the device from damage provide a dynamic driving voltage to the gate of the device being switched. This dynamic voltage provides a way to overcome the complex impedances between the drive point and the actual gate allowing faster switching speeds. This dynamic driving voltage is provided by starting with a fixed amount of charge at a higher initial potential. The fixed charge and voltage are chosen so as not to exceed the device's specified maximum gate current or the device's maximum voltage between the gate and the source (punch-through voltage).