Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02M—APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF
  • H02M7/00—Conversion of AC power input into DC power output; Conversion of DC power input into AC power output
  • H02M7/42—Conversion of DC power input into AC power output without possibility of reversal
  • H02M7/44—Conversion of DC power input into AC power output without possibility of reversal by static converters
  • H02M7/48—Conversion of DC power input into AC power output without possibility of reversal by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
  • H02M7/53—Conversion of DC power input into AC power output without possibility of reversal by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode using devices of a triode or transistor type requiring continuous application of a control signal
  • H02M7/537—Conversion of DC power input into AC power output without possibility of reversal by static converters using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode using devices of a triode or transistor type requiring continuous application of a control signal using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02M—APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF
  • H02M1/00—Details of apparatus for conversion
  • H02M1/08—Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02M—APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF
  • H02M1/00—Details of apparatus for conversion
  • H02M1/32—Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
  • H03K17/08—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage
  • H03K17/082—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage by feedback from the output to the control circuit
  • H03K17/0828—Modifications for protecting switching circuit against overcurrent or overvoltage by feedback from the output to the control circuit in composite switches
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
  • H03K17/16—Modifications for eliminating interference voltages or currents
  • H03K17/161—Modifications for eliminating interference voltages or currents in field-effect transistor switches
  • H03K17/165—Modifications for eliminating interference voltages or currents in field-effect transistor switches by feedback from the output circuit to the control circuit
  • H03K17/166—Soft switching
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
  • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
  • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
  • H03K17/51—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used
  • H03K17/56—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices
  • H03K17/60—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices the devices being bipolar transistors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02M—APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF
  • H02M1/00—Details of apparatus for conversion
  • H02M1/0003—Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits
  • H02M1/0029—Circuits or arrangements for limiting the slope of switching signals, e.g. slew rate
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10W—GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10W72/00—Interconnections or connectors in packages
  • H10W72/50—Bond wires
  • H10W72/541—Dispositions of bond wires
  • H10W72/547—Dispositions of multiple bond wires
  • H10W72/5475—Dispositions of multiple bond wires multiple bond wires connected to common bond pads at both ends of the wires

Definitions

• the present disclosure generally relates to insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT). More specifically, the present disclosure is concerned with a configuration and a method to limit the turn-off overvoltage on the IGBTs to thereby improve their overall efficiency.
• IGBT insulated gate bipolar transistors
• a known way of reducing the space occupied by the semiconductors in vehicles inverters is to increase their efficiency to allow the size of the cooling surface to be reduced.
• Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of a typical gate drive IGBT configuration with the high frequency loop, illustrating the stray inductances and the logical connection where the gate drivers take their reference;
• Figure 2 is a diagram showing the current and voltage waveforms pointing out the overvoltage during short-circuit condition
• Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of a gate drive IGBT reducing the overvoltage using a resistive divider connected across the emitter stray inductance, according to an illustrative embodiment
• Figure 4 is a diagram showing the turn-off waveforms of an
• Figure 5 is a diagram showing the turn-off waveforms of an
• Figure 6 is a circuit diagram of a drive IGBT reducing the overvoltage by using a transformer for the top IGBT according to another illustrative embodiment
• Figure 7 is a circuit diagram of a drive IGBT reducing the overvoltage by using a transformer and a resistive divider according to another illustrative embodiment
• Figure 8 is a schematic layout for an IGBT module where the emitted inductance of the top IGBT may be adjusted.
• Figure 9 is another schematic layout for an IGBT module similar to the one of Figure 8.
• AC power converter including first and second IGBTs each provided with a gate, a collector and an emitter, the gate of the each IGBT is connected to a gate driver including a reference; the gate driver reference of the first IGBT being connected to a ground bus of the power converter while the gate driver reference or the second IGBT being connected to the collector of the first IGBT; the parasitic inductance of the emitter of the second IGBT being increased to allow the control to limit an overvoltage at turn off of the second IGBT.
• a DC to AC power converter including a first IGBT provided with a collector, an emitter, a gate and a gate driver including a reference and a second IGBT provided with a collector, an emitter, a gate and a gate driver including a reference, the power converter including:
• first and second resistors connected in series and connected across a parasitic inductance of an emitter of the first IGBT; the gate driver reference of the first IGBT being connected to the connection point between the first and second resistor;
• a transformer having a primary connected across the parasitic inductance of a collector of the second IGBT and a secondary connected to the parasitic inductance of an emitter of the second IGBT, the reference of the gate driver of the second IGBT being connected to the secondary of the transformer.
• a DC to AC power converter including a first IGBT provided with a collector, an emitter, a gate and a gate driver including a reference and a second IGBT provided with a collector, an emitter, a gate and a gate driver including a reference, the power converter including:
• first and second resistors connected in series and connected across a parasitic inductance of the emitter of the first IGBT; the gate driver reference of the first IGBT being connected to the connection point between the first and second resistor;
• a transformer having a primary connected across the parasitic inductance of the collector of the second IGBT and a secondary connected in series with the parasitic inductance of the emitter of the second IGBT, the gate driver reference of the second IGBT being connected to the secondary of the transistor.
• the dl/dt at turn-off of the IGBT generates a voltage across the stray inductance of the high frequency loop that is applied across the IGBT above the bus voltage.
• Proposed herein is a solution based on the injection of a sample of the overvoltage across the IGBT in the gate drive to slow down the slope of the gate voltage to decrease the overvoltage only during the overvoltage period above a predetermined value.
• Figure 1 which is labeled prior art, discloses a third of a three-phase power converter 10 used, for example, in the powering of a three- phase electric motor (not shown) from a battery (also not shown). [0024] Since this kind of converter is believed well known it will not be described in details herein. It is however to be noted that the inductances, inherently provided in the wires, connections, decoupling capacitor and circuit board traces, have been represented in Figure 1.
• each gate driver is connected to the emitter, typically known as the logical pin, of a corresponding IGBT.
• the bottom portion including the IGBT C ⁇ we will describe the bottom portion including the IGBT C ⁇ .
• the IGBT must be able to support the overvoltage created by the dl/dt across the various parasitic inductances (L c , L+bus, L c -high, U-high, U-iow and L e -i 0 w) that are present in the circuit. Indeed, since the inductances resist change of current therein, additive voltages develop in the circuit as can be seen by the polarity of the parasitic inductances illustrated in Figure 1. These voltages added to the source voltage often result in a voltage that is often greater than the usual maximal voltage that may safely be present between the collector and the emitter (V ce ) of the IGBT.
• Figure 2 illustrates V ce , V ge and the current I at turn-off.
• Figure 3 shows the optimization of the overvoltage with a resistive divider technique and Figure 4 the associated wave shape for a bus voltage as high as 500 Vdc.
• the IGBT Qi includes a collector 14 having a parasitic inductance L c -iow, an emitter 16 having a parasitic inductance L e -i 0 w and a gate 18 connected to the gate driver 20 via a resistor Ri.
• the reference 22 of the gate driver 20 is connected to a resistive divider circuit including two resistors R 2 and R 3 and a diode D 3 that allows the turn-on not to be impacted.
• the values of the resistors R 2 and R3 are selected according to the level of overvoltage allowed across Qi.
• Figure 4 show the result of a resistive divider optimized for an operation at a bus voltage of 500 Vdc and Figure 5 at a bus voltage of 300 Vdc.
• the ratio of R 2 over R 3 increases to reduce the overvoltage.
• the value of the two resistor in parallel is set, in series with R-i, as the gate driver resistor. This value of the gate resistor is adjusted according to the proper commutation behavior.
• the normal practice consisting in using a resistor in the ground connection of the gate drive to limit the current in the diodes that protect the gate drive of the lower IGBT from a negative voltage when the upper IGBT turns off has been modified by splitting the resistor in two and adapt the ratio between them to limit the effect of the emitter inductance on the dl/dt.
• the total resistor remains the same but the voltage divider gives the desired weight of the emitter inductance to limit the overvoltage at the desired level.
• the overvoltage should obviously be optimized as much as possible to reach the maximum IGBT rating; this is done by reducing the resistor connected to the logical emitters R3 compared to the resistor connected to the power tab R 2 .
• the voltage across the emitter inductance will be split in two and only the voltage across the logical resistor will be applied in the gate drive circuit to limit the gate voltage drop.
• resistors R 2 and R 3 are shown connected across both parasitic inductances L e- i 0 w and Lvbus. they could be connected solely across parasitic inductance L e ,
• Figure 4 shows the current I and the voltages V ge and V ce during turn-off for the circuit of Figure 3.
• the overvoltage of ⁇ ⁇ during turn-off is greatly reduced (see plateau 24). This plateau 24 occurs while the rate of drop of the voltage V ge is reduced by the insertion of the voltage from the parasitic inductance.
• the duration of the plateau will impact greatly the losses during turn-off: the longer the plateau, the higher the losses. Because of the desire to limit at the same time the overvoltage and its length, a square wave shape of the overvoltage plateau is suitable. The intrinsic behavior (natural feedback) of the overvoltage gives this shape.
• Figures 4 and 5 show the square shape of the overvoltage when using the resistive divider at different bus voltages.
• all IGBT modules have two power connections, part of the high-frequency loop, that are the most inductive: +Vbus and -Vbus. Because -Vbus is in the path of the emitter of the bottom IGBT, it can be used to inject a sample of the overvoltage across the IGBT in the gate driver of the bottom IGBT. Unfortunately, since the +Vbus connection is connected to the collector of the top IGBT, this inductance cannot be used directly as a feedback in the gate driver.
• Le-high As a feedback in the gate driver, it is therefore required to somehow increase its inductance without unduly increase the overall inductance of the high frequency loop. Two possible techniques to increase the L e- hig inductance will be described hereinbelow.
• Figure 6 shows the connections of the transformer. More specifically, the primary of the transformer T1 a is connected across the L c - h igh parasitic inductance while the secondary of the transformer T1 b is connected in series with the resistor R 5 .
• Figure 7 of the appended drawings is a circuit diagram of an
• FIG. 7 illustrates a circuit similar to that of Figure 6. The main difference between these circuits is concerned with a resistive divider including resistors R 5 and R 6 enabling the fine tune of the shape of the negative slope of the V ge .
• IGBT Q2 have a collector mounted to a trace 104, the trace 104 therefore being referred to as C-High and their emitters are connected to emitter pads 106 via wire bonds 110.
• the IGBT 112 forming the IGBT Q1 have a collector mounted to a trace 14 therefore being referred to as C-Low and their emitters are connected to a trace 118 via wire bonds 120, the trace 1 18 therefore being referred to as E-Low.
• the trace 1 14 also has collector pads 1 16 that are connected thereto.
• the +Vbus tab is connected to trace 104 while the -Vbus tab is connected to trace 1 18.
• the phase tab 126 is connected to trace 114.
• the pads 106 and 1 16 are interconnected by a U-shaped connector128 having six (6) legs 130 so configured, sized and positioned as to connect to the pads 106 and 116.
• the U-shaped connector 128 defined the parasitic inductance L e-h ig h since it interconnects the emitter of Q2 and the collector of Q1. Since the U-shape connector 128 is relatively large and includes right angles, the L e-h igh inductance is relatively high and can be used to limit the overvoltage in the IGBT Q2 as discussed hereinabove. It will also be understood that the size and shape of the connector 128 may be determined according to the desired parasitic inductance required.
• Figure 8 and the layout of Figure 9 is the position of the tabs 106 which are positioned farther away from the pads 110 to thereby allow a larger connector 132 and therefore a larger parasitic inductance L e-h ig to be used.
• IGBT is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove.
• the turn-off overvoltage limiting for IGBT is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways.
• phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Power Conversion In General (AREA)
• Electronic Switches (AREA)
• Inverter Devices (AREA)

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Cited By (7)

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• 2012
  • 2012-12-05 CN CN201280060186.9A patent/CN103988410B/zh active Active
  • 2012-12-05 US US14/363,439 patent/US9608543B2/en active Active
  • 2012-12-05 EP EP12856190.9A patent/EP2789092B1/en active Active
  • 2012-12-05 CA CA2851376A patent/CA2851376C/en active Active
  • 2012-12-05 BR BR112014012206A patent/BR112014012206A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2012-12-05 WO PCT/CA2012/001125 patent/WO2013082705A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2012-12-05 JP JP2014545054A patent/JP6239525B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-12-05 IN IN3024DEN2014 patent/IN2014DN03024A/en unknown
• 2017
  • 2017-02-13 US US15/431,418 patent/US10205405B2/en active Active

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