Semiconductor diode, electronic component and voltage source inverter
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsMark-Matthias Bakran, Hans-Günter Eckel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a semiconductor diode, an electronic component and to a voltage source converter. According to the invention, the semiconductor diode having at least one pn-transition can be switched between a first state and a second state. In comparison to the first state, the second state has a greater on-state resistance and a smaller accumulated charge, and the pn-transition is capable of blocking both in the first state as well as in the second state with at least one predetermined blocking ability. An MOS-controlled diode is hereby obtained in which the transition from the on-state to the blocking state is simplified and is thus not critical with regard to the temporal sequence of the control pulses.
Claims14
A voltage source converter comprising:
- at least one semiconductor diode cell including semiconductor diode having
- a) a first region of a given conduction type,
- b) a second region having an opposite conduction type relative to the first region,
- c) a pn junction formed between the first region and the second region,
- d) a first electrode in direct electrical contact with the first region,
- e) a second electrode in direct electrical contact with the second region, and
- f) a gate electrode isolated from at least one of said regions by an insulation layer and adapted to alter a concentration of a majority charge carrier in said first region when a voltage is applied between said first electrode and said gate electrode, to switch said semiconductor diode between a first state and a second state, said second state having a greater forward resistance and a smaller storage charge in comparison with said first state,
- wherein said pn junction is adapted to provide blocking in both said first and second states and having at least one given breakdown voltage characteristic in said first and second states;
- and
- at least one power turn-off semiconductor cell having at least one power turn-off semiconductor selected from the group consisting of MOSFET, IGBT, bipolar transistor, GTO, and IGCT, wherein said rower turn-off semiconductor cell and said semiconductor diode cell are adapted to be driven by a common drive circuit, and wherein a gate of the power turn-off semiconductor is connected to said gate electrode to switch the semiconductor diode between said first and second states.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.