Power semiconductor module and power converter

Abstract

A power semiconductor module includes a power semiconductor element; a control circuit which controls the power semiconductor element; and multiple terminals. The control circuit deactivates a gate terminal, which is a control electrode of the power semiconductor element, in an event of a fault in the power semiconductor element or the power semiconductor module, and outputs from a first output terminal a fault signal indicating the event of the fault in the power semiconductor module. When there is no fault in the power semiconductor element and the power semiconductor module, the control circuit uses the first output terminal for other applications such as for outputting temperature information on the power semiconductor module, for example. This allows the fault signal to be output without increasing the number of terminals of the power semiconductor module more than necessary.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.