A voltage controlled power resistor circuit for active gate driving of wide-bandgap power devices

Wide-bandgap devices are under the spotlight of scientific research as they exhibit great performance in terms of efficiency and temperature operation. However, to fully exploit their characteristics, dedicated driving circuits are needed. High-power gate-insulated switching devices exhibit important input capacitance; when fast switching speeds are demanded, high-current pulses are needed to drive the gate terminal. This is particularly true for wide-bandgap devices, capable of lower transition times than conventional silicon devices. The proposed circuit is a voltage controlled resistor, which output can drive wide-bandgap devices. Design criteria, as well as simulation results, are presented.