Power supply system having semiconductor active fuse

A power system comprising:

• (a) a first wire having m branches (m≦2);
• (b) m first semiconductor active fuses respectively connected to the m branches of the first wire, respectively;
• each of the first semiconductor active fuses comprising:
• a first main semiconductor element including a first main electrode connected to one of the m branches of the first wire, a second main electrode opposing to the first main electrode, a first control electrode for controlling a main current flowing through the first and second main electrodes, and a first parasitic diode having cathode and anode regions, the cathode region is connected to the first main electrode and the anode region is connected to the second main electrode.
• first reference semiconductor element including a third main electrode and a second control electrode respectively connected to the first main electrode and the first control electrode, and a fourth main electrode;
• a first comparator comparing voltages of the second and fourth main electrodes;
• and
• a first driver for generating a signal to be applied to the first control electrode in accordance with the output of the first comparator;
• (c) m intermediate wires, each of the intermediate wires having first and second ends, the first end is connected to one of the second main electrodes;
• (d) m second semiconductor active fuses connected to the second ends of the m intermediate wires, each of the second semiconductor active fuses comprising:
• a second main semiconductor element including a fifth main electrode connected to one of the second end of the intermediate wire, a sixth main electrode opposing to the fifth main electrode, a third control electrode for controlling a main current flowing through the fifth and sixth main electrodes, and a second parasitic diode having cathode and anode regions, the anode region is connected to the fifth main electrode and the cathode region is connected to the sixth main electrode;
• a second reference semiconductor element including seventh, eighth main electrodes and the fourth control electrode connected to the sixth main electrode and the third control electrode, respectively;
• a second comparator comparing voltages of the fifth and seventh main electrodes;
• and
• a second driver for generating a signal to be applied to the third control electrode in accordance with an output of the second comparator;
• and
• (e) a second wire having m branches connected to the sixth main electrodes.