An Adaptive Current Source Gate Driver for SiC MOSFETs with Double Gate Current Injection

Abstract:
This paper presents the design and operating principles of a novel current-source gate driver for Silicon Carbide metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors with adaptive functionalities that aims to improve controllability of di/dt and dv/dt compared to conventional totem-pole voltage source gate drivers. The proposed gate driver is capable of providing a double injection of the gate current. This is achieved by means of incorporating a full-bridge circuit with energy storing inductors as well as an auxiliary switch for providing the second current pulse. The gate current can be adjusted by properly controlling the switching operations of the driver switches. The performance of the proposed adaptive current-source gate driver is validated by simulations and experiments. Experiments has verified the operating principle of the driver, while simulations have verified the driver’s ability to control turn-on/off delay times, di/dt and dv/dt.