Semiconductor Device, Power Module, Inverter Device, and Electric Vehicle

Abstract

There has been a problem that when a value of a current flowing through a thermistor increases, a voltage drop generated in the thermistor increases, and variations occur in a clamp voltage. A semiconductor device includes: a switching element that is on-off controlled; and a surge voltage protection circuit connected between a positive electrode side terminal of the switching element and a control terminal of the switching element. The surge voltage protection circuit includes a first Zener diode, a second Zener diode connected in series with the first Zener diode, and a temperature characteristic compensating element having a temperature coefficient different in polarity from the first Zener diode and the second Zener diode and connected in parallel with the second Zener diode.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.