CMOS Gate Driver with Integrated Gate Current Monitoring Method for Fault Under Load Short Circuit Detection of SiC Power Modules

Existing literature has primarily focused on using gate signals for short-circuit type I detection (Hard Switch Fault, HSF). However, an unaddressed aspect remains in detecting the short-circuit type II (Fault Under Load, FUL). This article introduces a Gate-Driver (GD) IC with a fully integrated approach for the FUL detection. This solution strategically uses the gate current copy, enabling ultra-fast FUL detection. Experimental results demonstrate reliable fast short-circuit detections for power modules, in less than 100ns. This IC is fabricated using NXP Semiconductors' high-voltage SMARTMOS10 130nm CMOS SOI technology.