STMicroelectronics Monolithic GaN Gate Drivers Accelerate Industrial and Home Automation and Improve Flexibility and Integration

     ST's STDRIVEG600 half-bridge gate driver has high output current and the same high and low side output signal propagation delays of 45ns, which can drive GaN enhancement mode FET high frequency switches.

     STDRIVEG600's drive power supply voltage is up to 20V, and it is also suitable for driving N-channel silicon-based MOSFETs. When driving GaN devices, it can flexibly apply a 6V gate-source voltage (VGS) to ensure that the on-resistance Rds(on) maintains at lower levels. In addition, the driver integrates a bootstrap circuit that minimizes bill of materials costs and simplifies board layout. The bootstrap circuit uses synchronous rectifier MOSFET switches to bring the bootstrap voltage to the value of the VCC logic supply voltage, allowing the driver to use only one power supply without the need for a low dropout regulator (LDO).

     The dV/dt of STDRIVEG600 is ±200V/ns, ensuring high reliability of gate control in harsh electrical environments. The logic inputs are compatible with CMOS/TTL signals down to 3.3V for easy connection to a host microcontroller or DSP processor. High-side circuits withstand voltages up to 600V and can be used in applications with high-voltage buses up to 500V.

     The driver's output sink/source current is 5.5A/6A, and provides independent turn-on and turn-off pins, allowing designers to choose the appropriate gate control method. In addition, both the high and low side circuits support the Kelvin connection method to the source of the power switch for enhanced control performance. Dedicated ground and supply voltage pins for the low-side driver enable Kelvin connections, ensuring stable switching operation and allowing the use of shunt resistors to sense current without the need for additional isolation or input filtering circuitry.

     The driver has built-in complete safety protection functions. Among them, the high- and low-side drive under-voltage lockout (UVLO) can prevent the power switch from running under low efficiency or dangerous conditions; interlock protection can avoid the cross-conduction of the switch. Other protection functions include thermal protection, dedicated pins for power saving shutdown function. The STDRIVEG600 is suitable for applications such as high voltage PFC, DC/DC and DC/AC converters, switching power supplies, UPS power systems, solar power generation, and motor drive control for home appliances, factory automation and industrial drive equipment.

     The driver comes with two development boards to help designers jump-start new projects. The EVSTDRIVEG600DG features a 150mΩ 650V GaN HEMT transistor in a 5mm x 6mm PowerFLAT package with Kelvin driver pins; the EVSTDRIVEG600DM board features a 150mΩ 650V GaN HEMT transistor. STL33N60DM2 MDmesh 115mΩ 600V silicon-based MOSFET power switch with built-in fast recovery diode in 8mm x 8mm PowerFLAT or DPAK package with Kelvin driver pins.