Patent ID: 11923832
Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA AG
Field: Basic communication processes (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 19:
20. A gate driver system, comprising:
a transistor configured to be driven between switching states, the transistor comprising a control terminal, a first load path terminal, and a second load path terminal, wherein the transistor is configured to conduct a load current from the first load path terminal to the second load path terminal based on a control voltage, and wherein the control voltage is a voltage difference between a voltage at the control terminal and a voltage at the second load path terminal, wherein the control voltage has a maximum rated limit; and
a gate driver coupled to the control terminal of the transistor by a turn-on current path and a turn-off current path, the gate driver being configured to control the control voltage in order to drive the transistor between the switching states,
wherein the turn-on current path comprises a first resistor and a Zener diode connected in series, with an anode of the Zener diode connected to the control terminal and a cathode of the Zener diode connected to the first resistor, wherein the turn-on current path is configured to provide an on-current to increase the control voltage above a switching threshold,
wherein the turn-off current path comprises a second resistor and a directional diode connected in series, wherein the second resistor and the directional diode are connected in parallel with the first resistor and the Zener diode, wherein the turn-off current path is configured to sink a first portion of an off-current to decrease the control voltage below the switching threshold, and
wherein, while the transistor is turned on, the Zener diode is configured to limit the control voltage to a voltage level limit that is less than the maximum rated limit.