Drive device driving a plurality of semiconductor elements having respective reference potential electrodes coupled via a main electrode unit and alternating current power supply device provided with the drive device

An alternating current power supply device comprising:

• a main electrode unit;
• first and second semiconductor elements having respective reference potential electrodes coupled via said main electrode unit;
• an input buffer receiving a drive control signal;
• a first bypass circuit including first and second nodes, receiving an output signal of said input buffer and providing a signal from said first node;
• a first drive circuit including a reference potential terminal coupled to a reference potential terminal of said input buffer, the second node of said first bypass circuit and the reference potential electrode of said first semiconductor element, and a signal input terminal receiving an output signal from the first node of said first bypass circuit, and supplying a voltage to a control electrode of said first semiconductor element;
• a second drive circuit including a reference potential terminal coupled to the second node of said first bypass circuit and the reference potential electrode of said second semiconductor element, and a signal input terminal receiving the output signal from the first node of said first bypass circuit, and supplying a voltage to a control electrode of said second semiconductor element;
• a first load circuit connected between the first node of said first bypass circuit and the signal input terminal of said second drive circuit;
• a second load circuit having substantially the same impedance as said first load circuit, and connected between the second node of said first bypass circuit and the reference potential terminal of said second drive circuit;
• and
• a second bypass circuit passing a signal of a predetermined frequency or higher between a current path formed between said first load circuit and the signal input terminal of said second drive circuit and a current path formed between said second load circuit and the reference potential terminal of said second drive circuit, wherein
• said first bypass circuit passes a signal of a predetermined frequency or higher between said first and second nodes.