Half-bridge circuit having at least two solid-state switching devices connected in series

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a half-bridge circuit includes at least two solid-state switching devices connected in series. Each switching device has a high-voltage switching transistor configured to switch a high voltage based on a switching signal and a switching driver circuit operationally connected to the high-voltage switching transistor. The switching driver circuit includes a low-voltage driver transistor having a source, a drain and a gate, connected in series to the high-voltage switching transistor and being configured to transfer the switching signal to the high-voltage switching transistor, wherein the high-voltage switching transistor is arranged source-down on top of the drain of the low-voltage driver transistor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A half-bridge circuit, comprising:
 at least two solid-state switching devices connected in series, each switching device having:
 a high-voltage switching transistor configured to switch a high voltage based on a switching signal; and 
 a switching driver circuit operationally connected to the high-voltage switching transistor, the switching driver circuit comprising a low-voltage driver transistor comprising a source, a drain and a gate, connected in series to the high-voltage switching transistor and being configured to transfer the switching signal to the high-voltage switching transistor, wherein the high-voltage switching transistor is arranged source-down on top of the drain of the low-voltage driver transistor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the solid-state switching devices comprises an active drift zone. 
     
     
         3 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising a logic circuit operationally connected to the low-voltage driver transistor and configured to provide the switching signal. 
     
     
         4 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage switching transistor and the low-voltage driver transistor are electrically connected in a cascode circuit. 
     
     
         5 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage switching transistor is a field-effect depletion-mode transistor. 
     
     
         6 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage switching transistor is selected from the group consisting of: a MOSFET; a MISFET; an IGFET; an IGBT; a JFET; a HEMT; a FINFET; and a nanotube device. 
     
     
         7 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the low-voltage driver transistor is a field-effect enhancement-mode transistor. 
     
     
         8 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the low-voltage driver transistor is selected from the group consisting of: a MOSFET; a MISFET; an IGFET; an IGBT; a JFET; a HEMT; a FINFET; and a nanotube device. 
     
     
         9 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the switching driver circuit and the high-voltage switching transistor are provided as a stack. 
     
     
         10 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the switching driver circuit is provided as a single semiconductor chip package. 
     
     
         11 . The half-bridge circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage switching transistor comprises one of the following materials or compositions thereof: Si, SiO, SiN, Ge, Ga, Al, GaAs, GaN, C, In, InP, SiC, and HfO.