A Gate Driver Approach using Inductive Feedback to Decrease the Turn-on Losses of Power Transistors

Abstract:
A novel gate driver approach for power transistors is introduced, allowing to decrease the turn-on losses of power transistors. The turn-on switching loss reduction is achieved through a transformer which couples energy from the source path to the gate path. Measurements were performed for a 650V silicon superjunction MOSFET mounted in a TO 247 package with and without a Kelvin source connection. A turn-on energy reduction of up to 30% was obtained for both package configurations. In this work, the design of the transformer is discussed and the impact of the required layout modifications are analyzed by simulations. Furthermore, the benefit in terms of turn-on energy reduction is evaluated for different semiconductor technologies.