# US 2021/0344268 A1 · Driving apparatus and driving method for semiconductor switch, power conversion apparatus, and vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0344268 A1 - Document ID: US20210344268A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/286,694 - Filed: 2019-07-24 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-12 - Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Masayoshi HIROTA; Keiji TASHIRO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344268A1 ## CPC - H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters - H02M 3/33569: {having several active switching elements (H02M3/3353 takes precedence)} - B60L 53/20: characterised by converters located in the vehicle - H02M 1/0054: {Transistor switching losses (periodically suspending operation of switching converter in low power mode H02M1/0035)} - H02M 1/38: Means for preventing simultaneous conduction of switches - H02M 3/33573: {Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer} - B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters - Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A semiconductor switch driving apparatus is configured to drive a semiconductor switch, the semiconductor switch not having a body diode and having a threshold voltage for performing switching between off and on lower than a threshold voltage of a silicon device. The semiconductor switch driving apparatus includes: a first drive voltage switching circuit configured to switch a drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to a first adjustment voltage between an off-voltage and an on-voltage, at a predetermined time immediately before a timing at which the semiconductor switch is driven from off to on; and a second drive voltage switching circuit configured to switch, after the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch has been switched by the first drive voltage switching circuit, the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to the on-voltage at the timing at which the semiconductor switch is driven from off to on. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor switch driving apparatus configured to drive a semiconductor switch, the semiconductor switch not having a body diode and having a threshold voltage for performing switching between off and on lower than a threshold voltage of a silicon device, the semiconductor switch driving apparatus comprising: a controller adapted to drive the semiconductor switch, the controller creating: a first mode to switch a drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to a first adjustment voltage between an off-voltage and an on-voltage, at a predetermined time immediately before a timing at which the semiconductor switch is driven from off to on; and a second mode to switch, after the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch has been switched by the first mode, the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to the on-voltage at the timing at which the semiconductor switch is driven from off to on. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the off-voltage is a negative voltage, the on-voltage is a positive voltage, and the first adjustment voltage is higher than the off-voltage and not higher than the threshold voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according claim 1, wherein the first adjustment voltage is zero voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor switch is a semiconductor switch forming a phase shift full-bridge circuit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the phase shift full-bridge circuit includes four of the semiconductor switches, and the semiconductor switch driving apparatus drives each of the four semiconductor switches. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller creates a third mode to switch, after the predetermined time and before the timing, the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to a second adjustment voltage higher than the first adjustment voltage and lower than the on-voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor switch is a gallium nitride switch. ### Claim 8 A semiconductor switch driving apparatus configured to drive a semiconductor switch, the semiconductor switch not having a body diode and having a threshold voltage for performing switching between off and on lower than a threshold voltage of a silicon device, the semiconductor switch driving apparatus comprising: a controller adapted to drive the semiconductor switch, the controller creating: a first mode to switch a drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to a first adjustment voltage between an off-voltage and an on-voltage, after a lapse of a predetermined time period after the semiconductor switch has been turned off until a timing at which the semiconductor switch is next driven to be on; and a second mode to switch, after the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch has been switched by the first mode, the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to the on-voltage at the timing at which the semiconductor switch is driven to be on. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A power conversion apparatus configured to output a power obtained by conversion of an inputted power through switching of a plurality of semiconductor switches, the power conversion apparatus comprising: a power conversion circuit including a plurality of semiconductor switch elements, an inductance element, a transformer, and a capacitance element which are connected so as to realize the conversion; and the semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 1 configured to drive at least one of the plurality of semiconductor switches switch elements of the power conversion circuit. ### Claim 10 A driving method for a semiconductor switch, the semiconductor switch not having a body diode and having a threshold voltage for performing switching between off and on lower than a threshold voltage of a silicon device, the driving method comprising the steps of: switching a drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to a first adjustment voltage between an off-voltage and an on-voltage at a predetermined time immediately before a timing at which the semiconductor switch is driven from off to on; and switching, after the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch has been switched to the first adjustment voltage, the drive voltage of the semiconductor switch to the on-voltage at the timing at which the semiconductor switch is driven from off to on. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a battery provided to the vehicle body and configured to store power at a first voltage and output the power; a low-voltage operation unit provided to the vehicle body and configured to operate at a second voltage lower than the first voltage; and the power conversion apparatus according to claim 9 provided to the vehicle body and configured to receive the output of the battery as an input, convert the output so as to have the second voltage, and supply the resultant output to the low-voltage operation unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first adjustment voltage is zero voltage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor switch is a semiconductor switch forming a phase shift full bridge circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the semiconductor switch is a semiconductor switch forming a phase shift full bridge circuit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor switch is a semiconductor switch forming a phase shift full bridge circuit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) A power conversion apparatus configured to output a power obtained by conversion of an inputted power through switching of a plurality of semiconductor switches, the power conversion apparatus comprising: a power conversion circuit including a plurality of semiconductor switch elements, an inductance element, a transformer, and a capacitance element which are connected so as to realize the conversion; and the semiconductor switch driving apparatus according to claim 8 configured to drive at least one of the plurality of semiconductor switch elements of the power conversion circuit.