Semiconductor power device and switching power supply apparatus

A semiconductor power device comprising:

• a current control element and a rectifying element mounted in a same package;
• a control terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal, and an auxiliary terminal, each of the control terminal, the first terminal, the second terminal, and the auxiliary terminal being electrically connectable to an external circuit,
• wherein the current control element includes a control electrode, a first electrode, and a second electrode,
• the current control element is an element in which a current flowing from the second electrode to the first electrode is controlled by a voltage or a current between the control electrode and the first electrode,
• the current control element does not include a built-in PN body diode between the first electrode and the second electrode,
• the rectifying element is a Schottky barrier diode or a fast recovery diode,
• a charge amount of the rectifying element at a time of reverse bias is smaller than an output charge amount of the current control element,
• (i) a cathode of the rectifying element and (ii) an anode of the rectifying element are electrically connected to the auxiliary terminal and the first electrode, respectively, and
• (i) the control electrode, (ii) the first electrode, and (iii) the second electrode are electrically connected to the control terminal, the first terminal, and the second terminal, respectively.

A semiconductor power device comprising:

• a current control element, a first rectifying element, and a second rectifying element mounted in a same package;
• a control terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal, and an auxiliary terminal, each of the control terminal, the first terminal, the second terminal, and the auxiliary terminal being electrically connectable to an external circuit,
• wherein the current control element includes a control electrode, a first electrode, and a second electrode,
• the current control element is an element in which a current flowing from the second electrode to the first electrode is controlled by a voltage or a current between the control electrode and the first electrode,
• the current control element is formed of a wide gap semiconductor and includes a built-in PN body diode between the first electrode and the second electrode,
• the first rectifying element and the second rectifying element are rectifying elements different from the built-in PN body diode,
• each of the first rectifying element and the second rectifying element is a Schottky barrier diode or a fast recovery diode,
• a forward ON voltage of the first rectifying element and a forward ON voltage of the second rectifying element are smaller than a forward ON voltage of the built-in PN body diode,
• (i) an anode of the second rectifying element and (ii) a cathode of the second rectifying element are electrically connected to the first electrode of the current control element and the second electrode of the current control element, respectively,
• a charge amount of the first rectifying element at a time of reverse bias is smaller than a sum of an output charge amount of the current control element and a charge amount of the second rectifying element at a time of reverse bias,
• (i) an anode of the first rectifying element and (ii) a cathode of the first rectifying element are electrically connected to the auxiliary terminal and the second electrode, respectively, and
• (i) the control electrode, (ii) the first electrode, and (iii) the second electrode are electrically connected to the control terminal, the first terminal, and the second terminal, respectively.

A semiconductor power device comprising:

• a current control element, a first rectifying element, and a second rectifying element mounted in a same package;
• a control terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal, and an auxiliary terminal, each of the control terminal, the first terminal, the second terminal, and the auxiliary terminal being electrically connectable to an external circuit,
• wherein the current control element includes a control electrode, a first electrode, and a second electrode,
• the current control element is an element in which a current flowing from the second electrode to the first electrode is controlled by a voltage or a current between the control electrode and the first electrode,
• the current control element is formed of a wide gap semiconductor and includes a built-in PN body diode between the first electrode and the second electrode,
• the first rectifying element and the second rectifying element are rectifying elements different from the built-in PN body diode,
• each of the first rectifying element and the second rectifying element is a Schottky barrier diode or a fast recovery diode,
• a forward ON voltage of the first rectifying element and a forward ON voltage of the second rectifying element are smaller than a forward ON voltage of the built-in PN body diode,
• (i) an anode of the second rectifying element and (ii) a cathode of the second rectifying element are electrically connected to the first electrode of the current control element and the second electrode of the current control element, respectively,
• a charge amount of the first rectifying element at a time of reverse bias is smaller than a sum of an output charge amount of the current control element and a charge amount of the second rectifying element at a time of reverse bias,
• (i) a cathode of the first rectifying element and (ii) an anode of the first rectifying element are electrically connected to the auxiliary terminal and the first electrode, and
• (i) the control electrode, (ii) the first electrode, and (iii) the second electrode are electrically connected to the control terminal, the first terminal, and the second terminal, respectively.