Control device for driving a bipolar switchable power semiconductor component, semiconductor module and method

A semiconductor module, comprising:

• a bipolar switchable power semiconductor component;
• and
• a control device for driving the bipolar switchable power semiconductor component, said control device being configured to apply an electrical voltage to a gate terminal of the power semiconductor component and, in order to turn off the power semiconductor component, to reduce the applied electrical voltage from a first voltage value to a desaturation value and then to reduce the applied electrical voltage from the desaturation value to a second voltage value, with the desaturation value being greater than a pinch-off voltage of the power semiconductor component, said control device comprising a first switch configured to apply the electrical voltage with the first voltage value to the gate terminal, a second switch configured to apply the electrical voltage with the second voltage value to the gate terminal, and a first measuring unit configured to measure a collector current at a collector terminal of the power semiconductor component, with the desaturation value being determined on the basis of the collector current, wherein at least one of the first and second switches is activated periodically, and wherein the applied electrical voltage is set to the desaturation value by specifying a duty cycle for the activation of the at least one of the first and second switches.