Resonant gate driver with efficient gate energy recovery and switching loss reduction

Abstract

This article describes a novel resonant gate driver for charging the gate capacitor of power metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs) that operate at a high switching frequency in power converters. The proposed resonant gate driver is designed with three small MOSFETs to build up the inductor current in addition to an inductor for temporary energy storage. The proposed resonant gate driver recovers the CV2 gate loss, which is the largest loss dissipated in the gate resistance in conventional gate drivers. In addition, the switching loss is reduced at the instants of turn on and turn off in the power MOSFETs of power converters by using the proposed gate driver. Mathematical analyses of the total loss appearing in the gate driver circuit and the switching loss reduction in the power switch of power converters are discussed. Finally, the proposed resonant gate driver is verified with experimental results at a switching frequency of 1 MHz.