Semiconductor Device Having a Bidirectional Switch and Discharge Circuit

• Main Authors: Imam, Mohamed, Pandya, Bhargav, Kim, Hyeongnam, Prechtl, Gerhard, Leong, Kennith Kin
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.10.2019
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; PULSE TECHNIQUE; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

A semiconductor device includes a main bi-directional switch formed on a semiconductor substrate and having first and second gates, a first source electrically connected to a first voltage terminal, a second source electrically connected to a second voltage terminal, and a common drain. The semiconductor device further includes a discharge circuit having a plurality of individual transistors or an auxiliary bi-directional switch monolithically integrated with the main bi-directional switch and connected in a common source configuration to the semiconductor substrate. The plurality of individual transistors or the auxiliary bi-directional switch includes a first drain connected to the first source of the main bi-directional switch, a second drain connected to the second source of the main bi-directional switch, and first and second gates each decoupled from gate drive circuitry so that the first and the second gates are controlled at least passively and based on a state of the main bi-directional switch.