Switching controller with adaptive overheating protection

A semiconductor device having an input terminal to receive an input signal, an output terminal to be connected to a load, and a power supply terminal to receive a power supply voltage, the semiconductor device comprising:

• a power semiconductor switch connected between the power supply terminal and the output terminal;
• a logic circuit connected to the input terminal, the logic circuit generating a logic output signal in accordance with the input signal inputted to the input terminal, the logic output signal causing the power semiconductor switch to turn ON or OFF;
• an overheat detection circuit that outputs to the logic circuit an overheat detection signal when a temperature of the power semiconductor switch exceeds an overheat detection threshold;
• and
• an overcurrent detection circuit that monitors a current that flows through the power semiconductor switch and that outputs to the logic circuit and to the overheat detection circuit an overcurrent detection signal when the current that flows through the power semiconductor switch exceeds a prescribed threshold,
• wherein in the overheat detection circuit, the overheat detection threshold is set to a first threshold value when semiconductor device is operating normally, and the overheat detection threshold values is changed to a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value when the overheat detection circuit receives the overcurrent detection signal from the overcurrent detection circuit.