Power Integrations Patent Applications

SELECTIVE DAMPING OF RINGING IN A POWER CONVERTER

Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number: 20240030809
A power converter includes a damping circuit coupled to the dissipative element for dissipating energy corresponding to a resonant ringing produced by a magnetic inductance of the energy transfer element and by the switch capacitance when the power converter is in discontinuous conduction mode.

Active Reduced Voltage Switching using a Supplemental Switch

Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number: 20240030801
A controller includes a primary controller and a secondary controller to control switching of a power switch and a supplemental switch, respectively, coupled to an energy transfer element, e.g. an energy transfer element of a power converter. A ZV drive circuit are coupled to generate a ZVS signal that enables a ZV switch to store energy in the energy transfer element. The energy stored in the energy transfer element is coupled to reduce a switch voltage across the power switch prior to…

PROTECTIVE INSULATOR FOR HFET DEVICES

Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number: 20240030337
An HFET includes a first and second semiconductor material. A first composite passivation layer includes a first insulation layer and a first passivation layer, and the first passivation layer is disposed between the first insulation layer and the second semiconductor material. The HFET includes a second passivation layer, where the first insulation layer is disposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer. A gate dielectric is disposed between the second…

SELECTIVE DAMPING OF RINGING IN A POWER CONVERTER

Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number: 20240030809
A power converter includes a damping circuit coupled to the dissipative element for dissipating energy corresponding to a resonant ringing produced by a magnetic inductance of the energy transfer element and by the switch capacitance when the power converter is in discontinuous conduction mode.

Active Reduced Voltage Switching using a Supplemental Switch

Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number: 20240030801
A controller includes a primary controller and a secondary controller to control switching of a power switch and a supplemental switch, respectively, coupled to an energy transfer element, e.g. an energy transfer element of a power converter. A ZV drive circuit are coupled to generate a ZVS signal that enables a ZV switch to store energy in the energy transfer element. The energy stored in the energy transfer element is coupled to reduce a switch voltage across the power switch prior to…

PROTECTIVE INSULATOR FOR HFET DEVICES

Granted: January 25, 2024
Application Number: 20240030337
An HFET includes a first and second semiconductor material. A first composite passivation layer includes a first insulation layer and a first passivation layer, and the first passivation layer is disposed between the first insulation layer and the second semiconductor material. The HFET includes a second passivation layer, where the first insulation layer is disposed between the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer. A gate dielectric is disposed between the second…

A DIE SEAL RING INCLUDING A TWO DIMENSIONAL ELECTRON GAS REGION

Granted: January 11, 2024
Application Number: 20240014308
A die seal ring including a two-dimensional electron gas is presented herein. A semiconductor device comprises an active device region. The active device region comprises a device terminal; and a die seal ring comprising a two dimensional electron gas region surrounds the active device region. By electrically coupling the device terminal to the two dimensional electron gas region, voltages at the semiconductor sidewall may be controlled to substantially equal that of the device terminal.

CURRENT SHARING FOR MULTI-OUTPUT CHARGING DEVICE

Granted: January 11, 2024
Application Number: 20240014679
A charging device, comprising a first power converter configured to provide a first output current, a second power converter configured to provide a second output current, a switch coupled to an output of the first power converter and an output of the second power converter, a first socket coupled to the output of the first power converter, a second socket coupled to the output of the second power converter, and a power delivery (PD) controller configured to control a turn ON of the…

A DIE SEAL RING INCLUDING A TWO DIMENSIONAL ELECTRON GAS REGION

Granted: January 11, 2024
Application Number: 20240014308
A die seal ring including a two-dimensional electron gas is presented herein. A semiconductor device comprises an active device region. The active device region comprises a device terminal; and a die seal ring comprising a two dimensional electron gas region surrounds the active device region. By electrically coupling the device terminal to the two dimensional electron gas region, voltages at the semiconductor sidewall may be controlled to substantially equal that of the device terminal.

CURRENT SHARING FOR MULTI-OUTPUT CHARGING DEVICE

Granted: January 11, 2024
Application Number: 20240014679
A charging device, comprising a first power converter configured to provide a first output current, a second power converter configured to provide a second output current, a switch coupled to an output of the first power converter and an output of the second power converter, a first socket coupled to the output of the first power converter, a second socket coupled to the output of the second power converter, and a power delivery (PD) controller configured to control a turn ON of the…

MOTOR PHASE CURRENT RECONSTRUCTION

Granted: November 30, 2023
Application Number: 20230387841
A system controller for a motor drive system comprising a phase current reconstructor configured to perform operations. The operations comprise receiving a stator current angle and a plurality of phase current sense signals from a plurality of respective devices that in operation drive the motor drive system, selecting, based on the received stator current angle, a reference table from among a plurality of reference tables that store reconstruction scaling factors for respective phase…

MAGNETICALLY COUPLED GALVANICALLY ISOLATED COMMUNICATION USING LEAD FRAME

Granted: November 30, 2023
Application Number: 20230387808
An integrated circuit package includes a lead frame and an encapsulation that substantially encloses the lead frame. The lead frame further includes a first conductor comprising a first conductive loop and a second conductor galvanically isolated from the first conductor, proximate to and magnetically coupled to the first conductive loop to provide a communication link between the first and second conductor. The second conductor includes a first conductive portion, a second conductive…

COMMUNICATIONS USING AN INDUCTIVE COUPLING

Granted: November 16, 2023
Application Number: 20230370119
A controller comprising a driver interface referenced to a first reference potential, a drive circuit referenced to a second reference potential, and an inductive coupling. The driver interface comprises a first receiver configured to compare a portion of signals having a first polarity on the first terminal of the inductive coupling with a first threshold, and a second receiver configured to compare a portion of signals having a second polarity on the second terminal of the inductive…

A LATERAL SURFACE GATE VERTICAL FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR WITH ADJUSTABLE OUTPUT CAPACITANCE

Granted: November 16, 2023
Application Number: 20230369432
A lateral surface gate vertical field effect transistor with adjustable output capacitance is described herein. The lateral surface gate vertical field effect transistor includes both a lateral gate and a trench gate. The lateral gate modulates a surface channel and the trench gate includes a controllable depth. The controllable depth may be varied to advantageously adjust output capacitance.

FAST TURN-ON PROTECTION OF A CASCODE SWITCH

Granted: October 26, 2023
Application Number: 20230344425
Fast turn-on protection of a cascode switch is presented herein. A cascode circuit includes a depletion mode field effect transistor and an enhancement mode field effect transistor electrically coupled in cascode. During turn-on, a protection circuit detects an overcurrent fault by observing a plateau of a cascode node voltage. An overcurrent fault may be detected in response to the plateau existing for greater than a threshold time duration.

CASCODE SWITCHES INCLUDING NORMALLY-OFF AND NORMALLY-ON DEVICES AND CIRCUITS COMPRISING THE SWITCHES

Granted: October 12, 2023
Application Number: 20230327661
A cascode switch comprising a normally-on semiconductor device comprising a gate, a source and a drain, and a normally-off semiconductor device comprising a gate, a source and a drain. The drain of the normally-off semiconductor device coupled to the normally-on semiconductor device, the source of the normally-on semiconductor device coupled to the drain of the normally-off semiconductor device and the gate of the normally-on semiconductor device coupled to the source of the normally-off…

MOTOR ALIGNMENT CONTROL

Granted: October 12, 2023
Application Number: 20230327588
A motor drive system for use with a motor comprising a first high-side switch coupled to a high voltage bus and the motor. A first low-side switch coupled to the motor and a return, a turn ON and turn OFF of the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch provides a phase current for the motor. A system controller configured to receive a phase current sense signal representative of the phase current of the motor and configured to begin an alignment sequence to align the motor to…

SWITCH MODE POWER CONVERTER WITH SELECTABLE POWER PATHS

Granted: September 21, 2023
Application Number: 20230299685
A switch mode power converter with selectable power paths is described herein. The switch mode power converter comprises a plurality of stacked secondary windings and secondary side circuitry. The plurality of stacked secondary windings comprises a first winding and a second winding. Additionally, the secondary side circuitry comprises a first power path, a second power path, and a power multiplexer (MUX). The first power path is electrically coupled to the first winding; and the second…

MODE OPERATION DETECTION FOR CONTROL OF A POWER CONVERTER WITH AN ACTIVE CLAMP SWITCH

Granted: August 31, 2023
Application Number: 20230275523
A primary controller comprising a control circuit coupled to determine a mode of operation and to generate a first mode of operation signal and a second mode of operation signal. The control circuit coupled to generate a control signal in response to the first mode of operation signal or the second mode of operation signal, the control signal causes a delay time to enable a turn ON of a power switch after a turn OFF of a clamp switch. The control circuit coupled to output a clamp drive…

MULTI-MODULE SYSTEM WITH SINGLE TERMINAL ERROR FLAG INPUT/OUTPUT

Granted: August 17, 2023
Application Number: 20230259418
The system comprises a plurality of driver modules coupled by a fault condition bus, e.g. single-wire bus. Each driver module includes an Error Flag Interface block coupled between a single terminal error flag input/output (EF I/O) and a Control block. Each driver module may be coupled- to a motor. When a driver module detects a local fault condition, its Error Flag Interface block is configured to lower the voltage at the single terminal EF I/O to communicate the change to the other…