US 12,483,239 B2
Semiconductor switch comprising a short-circuit detection circuit
Florin Udrea, Cambridge (GB); Wai Hon Ng, Cambridge (GB); Sheung Wai Fung, Cambridge (GB); Loizos Efthymiou, Cambridge (GB); John Findlay, Cambridge (GB); Martin Arnold, Cambridge (GB); and Zahid Ansari, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to CAMBRIDGE GAN DEVICES LIMITED, Cambridge (GB)
Filed by Cambridge GaN Devices Limited, Cambridge (GB)
Filed on Dec. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/394,141.
Prior Publication US 2025/0211226 A1, Jun. 26, 2025
Int. Cl. H03K 17/687 (2006.01)
CPC H03K 17/6871 (2013.01) 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A semiconductor switch comprising:
a first main terminal;
a second main terminal;
a control terminal;
a III-nitride high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), the III-nitride HEMT comprising a first source terminal, a first drain terminal, and a first gate terminal;
a first interface circuit operatively connected to the control terminal and to the first gate terminal; and
a short-circuit detection circuit operatively connected to the first drain terminal and the first source terminal, the short-circuit detection circuit configured to sense a short-circuit across the first drain terminal and the first source terminal and transmit a short-circuit detection signal to the first interface circuit, the first interface circuit being configured, upon receipt of the short-circuit detection signal, to cause the III-nitride HEMT to turn off, and/or to cause a voltage across the first gate terminal to be reduced, the short-circuit detection circuit comprising:
a voltage detection circuit configured to compare a voltage across the first drain terminal and the first source terminal with a reference voltage, and to output a high voltage detection signal when the voltage across the first drain terminal and the first source terminal is above the reference voltage; and
a blanking time circuit configured to output a blanking time signal after a blanking time period has elapsed,
wherein the short-circuit detection circuit is configured to transmit the short-circuit detection signal based on the high voltage detection signal and the blanking time signal.