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CN-122003813-A - Cascode semiconductor device

CN122003813ACN 122003813 ACN122003813 ACN 122003813ACN-122003813-A

Abstract

The semiconductor power device (400) (300) (200) (100) may include a first power transistor (408) (308) (208) (108) configured to generate an output voltage. The semiconductor power device may include a second power transistor (410) (310) (210) (110) configured to receive an input voltage. The second power transistor is connected to the first power transistor in a cascode configuration. The semiconductor power device may include a voltage divider circuit (420) (320) (220) (120) connected to the gate terminal (105) of the first power transistor and the source terminal (109) of the second power transistor.

Inventors

  • A.V. Borotnikov

Assignees

  • 半导体元件工业有限责任公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20250228
Priority Date
20240307

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A semiconductor power device (400) (300) (200) (100), the semiconductor power device comprising: a first power transistor (408) (308) (208) (108) configured to generate an output voltage; a second power transistor (410) (310) (210) (110) configured to receive an input voltage, the second power transistor being connected to the first power transistor in a cascode configuration, and A voltage divider circuit (420) (320) (220) (120) is connected to the gate terminal (105) of the first power transistor and the source terminal (109) of the second power transistor.
  2. 2. The semiconductor power device of claim 1, wherein the voltage divider circuit comprises at least one first circuit element (112) and at least one second circuit element (114).
  3. 3. The semiconductor power device of claim 2, wherein the at least one first circuit element comprises a diode (412) (312) (212).
  4. 4. The semiconductor power device of claim 2, wherein the at least one first circuit element (112) comprises two or more diodes (412) (312) connected in series.
  5. 5. The semiconductor power device of claim 2, wherein the at least one second circuit element comprises a capacitor (414-1) (314) (214).
  6. 6. The semiconductor power device of claim 2, wherein the at least one second circuit element (114) comprises a capacitor (414-1), (314), (214) and a resistor (414-2).
  7. 7. The semiconductor power device of claim 2, further comprising: a semiconductor package (402) (302) (202) (102), the semiconductor package comprising: A first semiconductor device (404) (304) (204) (104) including the first power transistor, and A second semiconductor device (406) (306) (206) (106), said second semiconductor device comprising said second power transistor, Wherein the first semiconductor device comprises the at least one first circuit element and the second semiconductor device comprises the at least one second circuit element.
  8. 8. The semiconductor power device of claim 1, wherein the first power transistor is a normally-on device and the second power transistor is a normally-off device.
  9. 9. A semiconductor power device (400) (300) (200) (100), the semiconductor power device comprising: a first power transistor (408) (308) (208) (108) configured to generate an output voltage; a second power transistor (410) (310) (210) (110) configured to receive an input voltage, the second power transistor being connected to the first power transistor in a cascode configuration, and A voltage divider circuit (420) (320) (220) (120) configured to indirectly couple a gate terminal (105) of the first power transistor to a source terminal (109) of the second power transistor, the voltage divider circuit comprising at least one first circuit element (112) and at least one second circuit element (114).
  10. 10. The semiconductor power device of claim 9, wherein the at least one first circuit element is configured to cause a gate-source voltage of the first power transistor to be less than a gate-source maximum rated voltage.
  11. 11. The semiconductor power device of claim 9, wherein the at least one first circuit element comprises a diode (412) (312) (212).
  12. 12. The semiconductor power device of claim 9, wherein the at least one first circuit element comprises two or more diodes (412) (312) connected in series.
  13. 13. The semiconductor power device of claim 9, wherein the at least one second circuit element comprises at least one of a capacitor (414) (314) (214) and a resistor (414-2).
  14. 14. The semiconductor power device of claim 13, wherein the resistor (414-2) is connected in parallel with the capacitor (414) (314) (214).
  15. 15. The semiconductor power device of claim 9, further comprising: a semiconductor package (402) (302) (202) (102), the semiconductor package comprising: A first semiconductor device (404) (304) (204) (104) including the first power transistor, and A second semiconductor device (406) (306) (206) (106), said second semiconductor device comprising said second power transistor, Wherein the first semiconductor device comprises the at least one first circuit element and the second semiconductor device comprises the at least one second circuit element.
  16. 16. The semiconductor power device of claim 9, further comprising: a semiconductor package (402) (302) (202) (102), the semiconductor package comprising: A first semiconductor device (404) (304) (204) (104) including the first power transistor, and A second semiconductor device (406) (306) (206) (106) comprising the second power transistor, wherein the first semiconductor device comprises the at least one first circuit element and the at least one second circuit element.
  17. 17. The semiconductor power device of claim 9, further comprising: a semiconductor package (402) (302) (202) (102), the semiconductor package comprising: A first semiconductor device (404) (304) (204) (104) including the first power transistor, and A second semiconductor device (406) (306) (206) (106) comprising the second power transistor, wherein the second semiconductor device comprises the at least one first circuit element and the at least one second circuit element.
  18. 18. A method, the method comprising: activating a first power transistor (408) (308) (208) (108) and a second power transistor (410) (310) (210) (110) of a semiconductor power device (400) (300) (200) (100) responsive to a gate-source voltage of the semiconductor power device being equal to or greater than a threshold voltage of the second power transistor (410) (310) (210) (110); Disabling the second power transistor in response to the gate-source voltage of the semiconductor power device being less than the threshold voltage of the second power transistor, and The potential of the gate-source voltage of the first power transistor is reduced to less than a gate-source maximum rated voltage by a voltage divider circuit (420) (320) (220) (120) that indirectly connects the gate terminal (105) of the first power transistor to the source terminal (109) of the second power transistor.
  19. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the voltage divider circuit comprises at least one first circuit element (112) and at least one second circuit element (114).
  20. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one first circuit element (112) comprises one or more diodes (412) (312) and the at least one second circuit element (114) comprises at least one of a capacitor (414-1) (314) (214) and a resistor (414-2).

Description

Cascode semiconductor device Background The on-resistance of a typical unipolar semiconductor power device may be proportional to the square of the rated voltage of the semiconductor power device. The on-resistance may be a measure of the resistance of a transistor when it is conducting current, while the breakdown voltage is the limit (e.g., maximum voltage) that the transistor can withstand without failing (e.g., thermal runaway or destruction). In general, there is a direct relationship between breakdown voltage and on-resistance (e.g., as the breakdown voltage of a transistor increases, the on-resistance of the transistor may increase). Disclosure of Invention In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a semiconductor power device that includes a first power transistor configured to generate an output voltage, a second power transistor configured to receive an input voltage, the second power transistor connected to the first power transistor in a cascode configuration, and a voltage divider circuit connected to a gate terminal of the first power transistor and a source terminal of the second power transistor. In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a semiconductor power device including a first power transistor configured to generate an output voltage, a second power transistor configured to receive an input voltage, the second power transistor connected to the first power transistor in a cascode configuration, and a voltage divider circuit configured to indirectly couple a gate terminal of the first power transistor to a source terminal of the second power transistor, the voltage divider circuit including at least one first circuit element and at least one second circuit element. In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a method that includes activating a first power transistor and a second power transistor of a semiconductor power device in response to a gate-source voltage of the semiconductor power device being equal to or greater than a threshold voltage of the second power transistor, disabling the second power transistor in response to the gate-source voltage of the semiconductor power device being less than the threshold voltage of the second power transistor, and reducing, by a voltage divider circuit, a potential of a gate-source voltage of the first power transistor to less than a gate-source maximum rated voltage, the voltage divider circuit indirectly connecting a gate of the first power transistor to a source terminal of the second power transistor. The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. Drawings Fig. 1A illustrates a semiconductor power device having a voltage divider and first and second power transistors connected in a cascode configuration, according to an aspect. Fig. 1B illustrates a graph depicting a decrease in specific on-resistance of a high voltage semiconductor power device in accordance with an aspect. Fig. 2A illustrates a semiconductor power device having a voltage divider and first and second power transistors connected in a cascode configuration, according to another aspect. Fig. 2B and 2C illustrate voltage waveforms and current waveforms of a semiconductor power device having a first power transistor and a second power transistor according to an aspect. Fig. 3A illustrates a semiconductor power device having a voltage divider and first and second power transistors connected in a cascode configuration, according to another aspect. Fig. 3B and 3C illustrate voltage waveforms and current waveforms of a semiconductor power device and first and second power transistors according to an aspect. Fig. 4A illustrates a semiconductor power device having a voltage divider and first and second power transistors connected in a cascode configuration, according to another aspect. Fig. 4B and 4C illustrate voltage waveforms of the semiconductor power device and the first and second power transistors according to an aspect. Fig. 5 illustrates a flow chart depicting example operation of a semiconductor power device in accordance with an aspect. Detailed Description The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor power device having a first power transistor (e.g., an upper transistor) and a second power transistor (e.g., a lower transistor), wherein a terminal (e.g., a gate) of the first power transistor is coupled (e.g., indirectly coupled) to a terminal (e.g., a source) of the second power transistor via a voltage divider. The semiconductor power devices discussed herein may have low on-resistance while providing relatively high breakdown voltages (e.g., improving the tradeoff between on-resistance and breakdown voltage), thereby providing a more efficient, compact, and/or reliable power electronic system. In some examples, the semiconductor power devices discussed herein