Semiconductor device for high-voltage circuit
AssigneeFuji Electric Co., Ltd.
InventorsAkihiro JONISHI, Masashi AKAHANE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is a semiconductor device capable of preventing a malfunction of a high-side gate driver circuit that is caused by a negative voltage surge. A diode is connected between a p-type bulk substrate configuring a semiconductor layer, and a first potential (GND potential), and a signal is transmitted from a control circuit that is formed in an n diffusion region configuring a first semiconductor region through a first level down circuit and a first level up circuit to a high-side gate driver circuit that is formed in an n diffusion region configuring a second semiconductor region. As a result, a malfunction of the high-side gate driver circuit that is caused by a negative voltage surge can be prevented.
Claims24
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type;
- first and second semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type, which are disposed in a front surface layer of the semiconductor layer or on the semiconductor layer and have first and second parasitic diodes formed between the semiconductor layer and the first and second semiconductor regions respectively;
- a control circuit disposed in the first semiconductor region;
- a gate driver circuit disposed in a front surface layer of the second semiconductor region;
- a first diode that is disposed in a surge current path formed by a negative surge voltage and passing through the second parasitic diode, and that has reverse characteristics to a surge current;
- and
- a level shift circuit that outputs, to the gate driver circuit, a first gate control signal that is output from the control circuit.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type;
- first and second semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type, which are disposed in a front surface layer of the semiconductor layer or on the semiconductor layer and have first and second parasitic diodes formed between the semiconductor layer and the first and second semiconductor regions respectively;
- a control circuit disposed in the first semiconductor region;
- an abnormality detection circuit disposed in a front surface layer of the second semiconductor region;
- a diode that is disposed in a surge current path formed by a negative surge voltage and passing through the second parasitic diode, and that has reverse characteristics to a surge current;
- and
- a level shift circuit that outputs, to the control circuit, a first abnormality detection signal that is output from the abnormality detection circuit.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- an abnormality detection circuit that detects an abnormality of at least one power device which has one of main terminals connected to a high potential side of a high voltage power supply having a common potential as a reference potential and has another of the main terminals connected to a load, that has a first low voltage power supply in which the other main terminal is a reference potential as a power supply, and that is disposed in an n-type first semiconductor region disposed in a front surface layer of a p-type semiconductor layer or on the p-type semiconductor layer;
- and
- a control circuit that has a second low voltage power supply in which the common potential is a reference potential as a power supply, and is disposed in an n-type second semiconductor region disposed in the front surface layer of the p-type semiconductor layer or on the p-type semiconductor layer,
- wherein when a potential of the other main terminal is lower than the common potential, an impedance between the semiconductor layer and the common potential is higher than an impedance of a parasitic diode that is formed with the n-type first semiconductor region and the p-type semiconductor layer.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a low-side circuit region in the semiconductor substrate, the low-side circuit region including a control circuit;
- a high-side circuit region in the semiconductor substrate, the high-side circuit region including a high-side gate driver circuit;
- a level-shift circuit in the semiconductor substrate, configured to transmit control signals from the control circuit to the high-side gate driver circuit;
- and
- at least one diode, coupled to the level-shift circuit and to a ground potential in a surge current path of a surge current generated by operation of the control circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.