Patent ID: 7936189

Claim:
A driver circuit for switching a load through a power transistor comprising: a first current generator controlled by a first signal and structured to generate a current to charge a capacitance of a control terminal of said power transistor during power on of said power transistor; a second current generator controlled by a second signal, said second generator being structured to generate a current to discharge said capacitance of said control terminal of said power transistor during power off of said power transistor; a control circuit electrically coupled to said second current generator and configured to be coupled to said control terminal of said power transistor, said control circuit comprising: a storage element structured to store a voltage value, which is representative of a potential difference between said control terminal and a conduction terminal of said power transistor when said power transistor operates in a saturation region, and a discharge circuit structured to generate an additional current to discharge said capacitance of said control terminal of said power transistor during said power off process, said additional current being a function of said stored voltage value, wherein said discharge circuit includes: a third current generator structured to generate the additional current; and a differential amplifier having a first input configured to receive said voltage value, a second input configured to receive a value representative of a voltage of said control terminal of said power transistor, and an output, the differential amplifier being structured to generate at its output a control signal for actuating the third generator to deliver said additional current as long as said control signal is nonzero.