Power semiconductor circuit and method for determining a temperature of a power semiconductor component

A method for determining a temperature of a power semiconductor element using a power semiconductor circuit that comprises:

• the power semiconductor element comprising a gate electrode configured to actuate the power semiconductor element and electrically connected to a gate terminal, a collector electrode, and an emitter electrode electrically connected to both a first emitter terminal and a second emitter terminal that is separate from the first emitter terminal;
• and a temperature sensor comprising a first measurement point with a measurement terminal that is separate from the gate terminal and a second measurement point electrically connected to the emitter electrode, so that a voltage which drops over the temperature sensor is measurable between the measurement terminal and the first emitter terminal for the temperature measurement, the method comprising:
• controlling the power semiconductor element into an off-state;
• measuring a voltage between the measurement terminal and the first emitter terminal as a temperature voltage;
• determining the temperature of the power semiconductor element as a function of the temperature voltage,
• determining an internal resistance as a measurement resistance between the emitter electrode and a second emitter terminal to which the first emitter terminal is electrically connected;
• storing the voltage previously measured in the off-state of the power semiconductor element as a stored temperature voltage;
• controlling the power semiconductor element into a conducting state;
• measuring the voltage between the measurement terminal and the first emitter terminal in the conducting state;
• and
• determining a collector current of the power semiconductor element as a function of the voltage measured in the conducting state of the power semiconductor element and the stored temperature voltage.