Integrated circuit including a driver for a metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor

• Main Authors: LOTFI ASHRAF W, TAN JIAN, TANG WEI, ROZMAN ALLEN F
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.04.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; BASIC ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS,e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USERAPPLICATIONS; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERATION; PULSE TECHNIQUE; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

An integrated circuit including a metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) having a nominal intrinsic capacitance and requiring a negative voltage to bias the MESFET into a non-conduction state, a method of driving the MESFET and a power converter employing the integrated circuit and method. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit includes a driver including a bias capacitor integrated with the MESFET. The driver is configured to apply a positive voltage to bias the MESFET into a conduction state, and apply the negative voltage to bias the MESFET into the non-conduction state without employing an external negative bias source.