Protective insulator for HFET devices
Granted: August 1, 2017
Patent Number:
9722063
A high-voltage field effect transistor (HFET) includes a first semiconductor material, a second semiconductor material, and a heterojunction. The heterojunction is disposed between the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material. The HFET also includes a plurality of composite passivation layers, where a first composite passivation layer includes a first insulation layer and a first passivation layer, and a second composite passivation layer includes a second…
Programming in a power conversion system with a reference pin
Granted: July 11, 2017
Patent Number:
9703311
An interface module for use in a power conversion system includes a first current circuit coupled to a single external programming terminal to conduct a programming current through an external programming circuitry coupled to the single external programming terminal. A current comparator is coupled to the first current circuit to compare a current representative of the programming current with an internal current. A mode select circuit is coupled to the current comparator to generate a…
Power converter controller with input current slope adjustment
Granted: June 27, 2017
Patent Number:
9692298
A transient event detector includes a first reference generator, an adjustable low-pass filter, and a comparator. The first reference generator coupled to scale the input current signal to generate a first reference current signal that tracks the input current signal. The adjustable low-pass filter circuit is coupled to receive the input current signal and to generate a filtered input current signal such that a magnitude of a slope of the filtered input current signal is less than the…
Static discharge system
Granted: June 27, 2017
Patent Number:
9691755
A semiconductor circuit includes a three-terminal high voltage semiconductor device, a charge distribution structure and a static discharge system. The charge distribution structure has a plurality of conductors with a floating potential. The charge distribution structure is capacitively coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device. The static discharge system removes charge that accumulates on at least a subset of the conductors. The static discharge system removes the charge…
Controller for a power supply with transition region regulation
Granted: June 13, 2017
Patent Number:
9680384
Energy in a power converter is regulated by receiving a first signal representative of an output voltage and a second signal representative of a current of the power converter. An output current of the power converter is determined in response to at least one of the first and second signals. An inner maximum output power point corresponding to a first value of output voltage and a first value of output current is determined. An outer maximum output power point corresponding to a second…
Input overvoltage protection using current limit
Granted: June 13, 2017
Patent Number:
9680383
A controller for use in a power converter includes a state selection circuit coupled to receive an input voltage sense signal representative of an input voltage, a switch current sense signal representative of a switch current of a power switch, and a feedback signal representative of an output quantity of the power converter. The state selection circuit is coupled to generate an input voltage signal in response to the input voltage sense signal, an input current signal in response to…
Input frequency measurement
Granted: June 13, 2017
Patent Number:
9680382
A frequency determination circuit includes a positive crossing sense circuit coupled to receive an input voltage to sense a positive crossing of an input voltage. A validation circuit is coupled to the positive crossing sense circuit to validate a previous zero crossing and the positive crossing of the input voltage after the positive crossing of the of the input voltage has occurred. A measurement circuit is coupled to the positive crossing sense circuit and the validation circuit to…
Demand-controlled, low standby power linear shunt regulator
Granted: May 30, 2017
Patent Number:
9667154
A shunt regulator for use in a power converter having an energy transfer element for regulating a transfer energy of the output signal delivered to the load. An auxiliary winding of the energy transfer element being utilized to produce an internal bypass voltage, VBP, at a bypass pin coupled to an external capacitive load, the shunt regulator including a two-mode operational amplifier that produces an output signal that controls a shunt current through the shunt switch. At power-up, or…
High-voltage field-effect transistor having multiple implanted layers
Granted: May 23, 2017
Patent Number:
9660053
A method for fabricating a high-voltage field-effect transistor includes forming a body region, a source region, and a drain region in a semiconductor substrate. The drain region is separated from the source region by the body region. Forming the drain region includes forming an oxide layer on a surface of the semiconductor substrate over the drain region and performing a plurality of ion implantation operations through the oxide layer while tilting the semiconductor substrate such that…
Bleeder circuit emulator for a power converter
Granted: May 9, 2017
Patent Number:
9648676
A bleeder circuit emulator for use in a power converter to compensate and increase the current demand from the Triac dimmer above its holding current. The circuit includes an input voltage modifier and a leading edge dimming detection circuit. The input voltage modifier receives an input voltage signal that is representative of a magnitude of an input voltage of the power converter and selectively provides a modified input voltage signal to an input of a controller in response to…
Thermal protection for LED bleeder in fault condition
Granted: April 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9629218
A bleeder circuit for use with a driver circuit having input circuitry that receives an ac input signal and outputs a rectified voltage signal at a positive terminal. The driver circuit further including converter and output circuitry operably coupled to a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The bleeder circuit including a first resistor having a first terminal coupled to the positive terminal, and a heat sensor positioned to detect an increase in temperature of the first…
Rectifier with indicator switch
Granted: April 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9627991
This relates to a rectifier with indicator switch circuit that may be used in a power conversion system. The rectifier with indicator switch circuit may be configured to rectify an ac line voltage and output an indicator signal that is representative of a fault condition in the ac line voltage. The rectifier with indicator switch circuit may include a storage capacitor configured to be charged by the ac line voltage during a first half-cycle of the ac line voltage and a detection…
Power converter output voltage clamp and supply terminal
Granted: April 18, 2017
Patent Number:
9627985
A secondary control circuit includes a voltage regulator circuit coupled to an output of the power converter to provide a regulated power supply. One or more switched loads are coupled between a first terminal and an output ground terminal. The first terminal is coupled to the output of the power converter. Each switched load is coupled to draw a respective current from a load current to clamp the output of a power converter. One or more comparator circuits are coupled to a second…
Single-stage power supply with power factor correction and constant current output
Granted: April 11, 2017
Patent Number:
9621057
A switched mode power converter includes a switch, an energy transfer element coupled to the switch, and a controller that includes a delayed ramp generator coupled to generate a delayed ramp signal, an input charge control signal generator coupled to generate an input charge control signal representative of an integral of an input current sense signal and a ratio of an input voltage sense signal to an output voltage sense signal, and a drive signal generator coupled to receive the…
Storage time control
Granted: April 11, 2017
Patent Number:
9621050
A switch mode power converter (SMPC) includes a switching control system to control the turn off time delay of a switching device. The SMPC also has an inductive component including an input winding to receive power from an input and a switching device to conduct input winding current. The switching control system applies turn on and turn off signals to the switching device. The turn off signal initiates turning off of the switching device and a sensing signal from a further winding…
Method and apparatus to increase efficiency in a power factor correction circuit
Granted: April 11, 2017
Patent Number:
9618955
A power factor correction (PFC) controller includes a driver circuit coupled to vary the switching frequency of the power switch of the PFC converter in response to an input current of a PFC converter and an input voltage of the PFC converter, and to output a third signal to switch the power switch of the PFC converter to control the input current to substantially follow the input voltage. A frequency adjust circuit is coupled to receive an error voltage signal representative of an…
Controller for a switch mode power converter
Granted: March 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9602013
A controller for controlling a power supply includes a feedback signal generator to generate a feedback signal representative of an output current in response to an output sense signal. A state selector circuit receives the feedback signal and outputs a digital state signal to set an operational state of a switch of the power supply. The state selector circuit adjusts the digital state signal in response to feedback information at an end of a feedback period. A driver circuit receives…
Low voltage, closed loop controlled energy storage circuit
Granted: March 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9602009
An energy storage circuit for use with a power converter includes a base capacitor coupled between an input bus and a ground potential, and an adjust capacitor. A switching device is coupled in series with the adjust capacitor between the input bus and the ground potential. A voltage regulator coupled between a control terminal of the switching device and ground. The voltage regulator has an input coupled to the second internal node, wherein when the power switch is turned on a signal at…
Gate pullback at ends of high-voltage vertical transistor structure
Granted: March 21, 2017
Patent Number:
9601613
In one embodiment, a transistor includes a pillar of semiconductor material arranged in a racetrack-shaped layout having a substantially linear section that extends in a first lateral direction and rounded sections at each end of the substantially linear section. First and second dielectric regions are disposed on opposite sides of the pillar. First and second field plates are respectively disposed in the first and second dielectric regions. First and second gate members respectively…
Input and output overvoltage protection in a power converter
Granted: February 28, 2017
Patent Number:
9584017
A controller for use in a power converter includes a gate drive circuit coupled to generate a control signal to switch a power switch of the power converter. A zero current detection circuit is coupled to a multifunction pin coupled to receive a multifunction signal that is representative of an input voltage of the power converter when the power switch is on, and representative of an output voltage of the power converter when the power switch is off. The zero current detection circuit is…
