This chapter presents different discontinuous current source drivers (CSDs) for the power metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). These drivers aim to reduce switching loss by providing a near constant gate charging and discharging currents to switch quickly. Furthermore, they can recover a portion of the QV gate energy otherwise lost in conventional voltage source drivers (VSDs).

Chapter Contents:

• 4.1 Discontinuous current source driver
• 4.1.1 Proposed low-side discontinuous CSD
• 4.1.2 Driver loss analysis
• 4.1.3 CSD design procedure
• 4.1.4 Design example
• 4.1.5 Experimental results
• 4.2 High-side discontinuous CSD
• 4.2.1 Proposed CSD for synchronous buck converter and operation
• 4.2.2 Design example
• 4.2.3 Experimental results
• 4.3 Discontinuous CSD with reduced inductance
• 4.3.1 Proposed CSD and principle of operation
• 4.3.2 Proposed high-side CSD and hybrid gate-drive scheme
• 4.3.3 Experimental results
• 4.4 Current diversion
• 4.4.1 Introduction
• 4.4.2 Proposed switching loss model considering current diversion
• 4.4.3 Experimental results and discussions
• 4.5 Summary
• References

Inspec keywords: driver circuits; constant current sources; power MOSFET

Other keywords: CSD; discontinuous current source drivers; constant gate charging; switching loss; VSDs; discharging currents; voltage source drivers; power MOSFETs; QV gate energy; power metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors

Subjects: Power semiconductor devices; Power electronics, supply and supervisory circuits; Insulated gate field effect transistors