Advanced gate drive approaches for optimal device-level control

Today, high-frequency converters for low- and medium-power application are predominantly making use of the gate voltage-controlled device such as power metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). Compared with other state-of-the-art rivals, they possess superior performance such as wide range of power ratings, ease of gate control, and short circuit capability. Therefore, these voltage-controlled transistors will be used as an exemplary device, and their gate driver (GD) control techniques will be the focus of this chapter. However, many of the principles and techniques discussed here can potentially be extended to other types of power semiconductors including the wide-bandgap devices, which is out of the scope of this chapter. The remainder of this chapter is organized as follows. First section gives an overview of essential control elements in the conventional and intelligent gate drives. Second section presents the state-of-the-art research into power electronic converter control at power semiconductor device level via gate drives that can be typically categorized as the controlled voltage, current, or resistor methods, and third section concludes the chapter.