US Patent 7411768 Low-loss rectifier with shoot-through current protection

A transistor active bridge circuit (400) rectifies domestic AC mains (for example, 120V, 60 Hz) and/or foreign AC mains (for example, 230V, 50 Hz) with low power loss. The circuit includes first and second field effect transistors (102, 104) of a first channel type, and third and fourth field effect transistors (106, 108) of a second channel type that is different from the first channel type. A set of voltage dividers (110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124) and voltage clamping devices (126, 128, 130, 132) permit the circuit (400) to efficiently operate over a wider range of input voltages, without potential damage to the field effect transistors. Shoot-through protection devices (420, 430) provide a means for preventing the first and second field effect transistors (102, 104) from conducting simultaneously. Shoot-through protection devices (440, 450) provide a means for preventing the third and fourth field effect transistors (106, 108) from conducting simultaneously.