Switching element control circuit and power module

A switching element control circuit for controlling an ON/OFF operation of a switching element which includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, the switching element control circuit comprising:

• a third electrode voltage control part which controls a third electrode voltage for controlling the ON/OFF operation of the switching element;
• a first electrode current detection part which detects a first electrode current which flows through the switching element;
• a memory part which stores information including an initial threshold voltage of the switching element and an initial first electrode current which flows through the switching element when the initial threshold voltage is measured, and information relating to a first electrode current characteristic of a threshold voltage of the switching element;
• and
• a threshold voltage calculation part which calculates a threshold voltage at a time of operating the switching element based on information including the initial threshold voltage, the initial first electrode current, and a first electrode current detected by the first electrode current detection part, and information relating to the first electrode current characteristic of the threshold voltage of the switching element, wherein
• the third electrode voltage control part controls the third electrode voltage, at the time of bringing the switching element into an ON state, based on a threshold voltage Vth at the time of operating the switching element calculated by the threshold voltage calculation part, and
• the first electrode current characteristic of the threshold voltage of the switching element is expressed by a characteristic formula which satisfies a relationship of Vth=Vth0+β(Id-Id0) assuming that a first electrode current coefficient of the threshold voltage of the switching element is β, the threshold voltage at the time of operating the switching element is Vth, the initial threshold voltage is Vth0, the first electrode current detected by the first electrode current detection part is Id, and the initial first electrode current is Id0.