Monolithic AC/DC Converter for Generating DC Supply Voltage
Granted: May 22, 2014
Application Number:
20140140115
An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a rectifier/regulator circuit coupled to receive an ac source voltage and output a regulated dc voltage. The rectifier/regulator circuit includes first and second switching elements that provide charging current when enabled. The first and second switching elements do not provide charging current when disabled. A sensor circuit is coupled to sense the regulated dc voltage and generate a feedback control signal coupled to the rectifier/regulator…
NOISE CANCELLATION FOR A MAGNETICALLY COUPLED COMMUNICATION LINK UTILIZING A LEAD FRAME
Granted: May 15, 2014
Application Number:
20140134966
An integrated circuit package includes an encapsulation and lead frame with a portion of the lead frame disposed within the encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor formed in the lead frame having a first conductive loop and a third conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation. A second conductor is formed in the lead frame galvanically isolated from the first conductor. The second conductor includes a second conductive loop disposed substantially…
SWITCH MODE POWER CONVERTERS USING MAGNETICALLY COUPLED GALVANICALLY ISOLATED LEAD FRAME COMMUNICATION
Granted: May 15, 2014
Application Number:
20140133186
An integrated circuit package for use in a switch mode power converter comprises an encapsulation and a lead frame. A portion of the lead frame is disposed within the encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor having a first conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation. The lead frame also includes a second conductor galvanically isolated from the first conductor. The second conductor includes a second conductive loop disposed substantially within the…
Power Supply Circuit with a Control Terminal for Different Functional Modes of Operation
Granted: May 15, 2014
Application Number:
20140132184
A method of operation for flyback power converter includes operating a controller of the flyback power converter in a regulation mode when a control signal is below a first threshold. The control signal is provided as an input to a terminal of the flyback power converter. When the control signal is below a second threshold and above the first threshold, the controller is operated in a limiting mode. The controller is operated in an external command mode when the control signal is below a…
FEEDBACK CIRCUIT FOR NON-ISOLATED POWER CONVERTER
Granted: May 15, 2014
Application Number:
20140132182
A feedback circuit for a power converter (e.g., a non-isolated converter) is disclosed. The feedback circuit may include a sense circuit coupled to receive an output current of the converter. A sense voltage may be generated across the sense circuit and a voltage-to-current converter may be used to convert the sensed voltage into a feedback signal representative of the output current. The voltage-to-current converter may include a variable shunt regulator, resistor, and transistor. A…
MAGNETICALLY COUPLED GALVANICALLY ISOLATED COMMUNICATION USING LEAD FRAME
Granted: May 15, 2014
Application Number:
20140131843
An integrated circuit package includes an encapsulation and a lead frame. A portion of the lead frame is disposed within encapsulation. The lead frame includes a first conductor having a first conductive loop disposed substantially within the encapsulation. The lead frame also includes a second conductor that is galvanically isolated from the first conductor. The second conductor includes a second conductive loop that is substantially disposed within the encapsulation proximate to and…
SWITCHED AVERAGING ERROR AMPLIFIER
Granted: May 8, 2014
Application Number:
20140126249
A signal averaging circuit includes a plurality of switched weighted current sources to generate a total amount of charge. The total amount of charge is representative of a weighted sum of a plurality of input signal samples during an active period of a read enable signal. A timing control signal generator is coupled to receive an input signal and the read enable signal and sequentially switch the plurality of switched weighted current sources to adjust the total amount of charge in…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DIGITAL CONTROL OF A SWITCHING REGULATOR
Granted: May 8, 2014
Application Number:
20140126246
An on/off controller device includes a control circuit to generate a control signal to switch a power switch between an on state and an off state to transfer energy from a primary side to a secondary side of a switched mode power supply. A comparator is coupled to generate an enable signal that enables and disables the switching of the power switch by the control circuit. The comparator compares a feedback signal with a variable threshold and switches the enable signal between enabling…
GaN High Voltage HFET with Passivation Plus Gate Dielectric Multilayer Structure
Granted: May 8, 2014
Application Number:
20140124789
A method of fabricating a multi-layer structure for a power transistor device includes performing, within a reaction chamber, a nitrogen plasma strike, resulting in the formation of a nitride layer directly on a nitride-based active semiconductor layer. A top surface of the nitride layer is then exposed to a second source. A subsequent nitrogen-oxygen plasma strike results in the formation of an oxy-nitride layer directly on the nitride layer. The nitride layer comprises a passivation…
SPLIT CURRENT MIRROR LINE SENSING
Granted: May 1, 2014
Application Number:
20140119059
Apparatus and methods for filtering the transients of an input signal of an integrated circuit while maintaining a constant voltage at an input terminal of the integrated circuit are disclosed. In one example, the integrated circuit can be a controller of a switched-mode power supply. The controller can include a line sensing circuit coupled to receive an input signal representative of the line voltage and operable produce an output signal that can be used by other circuits within the…
SIMPLIFIED CURRENT SENSE FOR BUCK LED DRIVER
Granted: April 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140111113
A current sense and feedback circuit is provided for a non-isolated Buck power converter to maintain constant current load regulation. The Buck converter may have a high side power switch and may include an input port, a switcher unit including a switch and a controller, an inductor coupled to the output, and a freewheeling diode for circulating the inductor current when the switch is open. The simplified current sense and feedback circuit of the power converter may include a current…
Second Schottky Contact Metal Layer to Improve GaN Schottky Diode Performance
Granted: April 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140110721
A Schottky contact is disposed atop the surface of the semiconductor. A first Schottky contact metal layer is disposed atop a first portion of the semiconductor surface. A second Schottky contact metal is disposed atop a second portion of the surface layer and joins the first Schottky contact metal layer. A first. Schottky contact metal layer has a lower work function than the second Schottky contact metal layer.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROGRAMMING A POWER CONVERTER CONTROLLER WITH AN EXTERNAL PROGRAMMING TERMINAL HAVING MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140104895
A power converter includes an energy transfer element and a power switch coupled the energy transfer element and an input of the power converter. A control circuit is coupled to generate a switching signal to control switching of the power switch in response to a feedback signal representative of an output of the power converter. A programming interface circuit is coupled to the control circuit and a coupling switcher coupled to the programming interface circuit. A programming terminal…
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH SHARED REGION
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140104888
A semiconductor device having a JFET and diode, includes a substrate, a second well region, and a second doped region that are of a first conductivity type. The JFET also includes a first well region, a first doped region, and a shared region that are of the second conductivity type. The second well region is disposed in the substrate adjacent to the first well region. A source of the JFET includes the first doped region disposed in the first well region. An anode of the diode includes…
PROGRAMMING OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT ON A MULTI-FUNCTION TERMINAL
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140104887
Methods and apparatuses for programming a parameter value in an IC (e.g., any power electronic device, such as a controller of a power converter) are disclosed. The parameter can be selected/programmed by selecting a clamp using an external optional (selectively inserted) diode coupled to a multi-function programming terminal. In particular, a controller IC for a power converter can be externally programmed via one or more multiple function terminals during startup of the converter to…
FEED FORWARD IMBALANCE CORRECTOR CIRCUIT
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140103829
A circuit includes an input to be coupled to receive a rectified line voltage having a controlled conduction phase angle in each half line cycle. An active device is coupled to a feedback terminal of a controller. The feedback terminal is coupled to receive a feedback signal representative of an output of a power supply. The active device includes a control terminal coupled to receive a signal representative of the input. The active device is coupled to adjust the feedback signal on the…
SATURATION PREVENTION IN AN ENERGY TRANSFER ELEMENT OF A POWER CONVERTER
Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140098571
A controller for use in a power converter includes logic circuits to turn on and off a switch to regulate an output quantity. A first integrating capacitor is charged with a combination of a first current and a second current while the switch is turned on. The first current is proportional to a reset voltage and the second current is proportional to an input voltage. A reference generation circuit including a second integrating capacitor is charged with the first current during a…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING A POWER CONVERTER INPUT TERMINAL VOLTAGE DISCHARGE CIRCUIT
Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140097803
A circuit includes a control circuit coupled to detect whether an electrical energy source is coupled to an input of a power converter. A switch is coupled to the control circuit to transfer energy from the input of the power converter to an output of the power converter during a first operating mode. The control circuit is coupled to drive the switch in the first operating mode when the electrical energy source is coupled to the input of the power converter. The control circuit is…
DETECTOR CIRCUIT WITH LOW THRESHOLD VOLTAGE AND HIGH VOLTAGE INPUT
Granted: April 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140091859
An integrated circuit includes a high voltage transistor having a first terminal coupled to sense a high voltage terminal and a control terminal coupled to a regulated voltage, which is regulated with respect to a ground terminal and is substantially less than a high voltage that the high voltage terminal is adapted to withstand. A logic gate is also included and is coupled to be powered from the regulated voltage. The logic gate has an input threshold that is less than the regulated…
Heterostructure Transistor with Multiple Gate Dielectric Layers
Granted: March 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140077266
A heterostructure semiconductor device includes a first active layer and a second active layer disposed on the first active layer. A two-dimensional electron gas layer is formed between the first and second active layers. A first gate dielectric layer is disposed on the second active layer. A second gate dielectric layer is disposed on the first gate dielectric layer. A passivation layer is disposed over the second gate dielectric layer. A gate extends through the passivation layer to…
