Integrated gate driver circuit solutions

Power electronics systems are commonly used in motor drive, power supply and power conversion applications. They cover a wide output power spectrum: from several hundred watts in small drives up to megawatts in wind-power installations or large drive systems. Inside the system the gate driver circuit with its extensive control and monitoring functions forms the interface between the microcontroller and the power switches (IGBT). This paper will provide an overview of different gate driver topologies for different power ranges and will show numerous examples for monolithic integration of the driver functionality. Chipsets for high power drivers with a real potential separation (galvanic insulation) are the starting point, and a new and innovative concept for a digital gate driver and its integration is presented. In the second part, fully integrated gate driver solutions for the low power range, their technologies, circuit aspects and specific designs are shown and discussed.