US 9,871,513 B2Granted

Semiconductor device

AssigneeFuji Electric Co., Ltd.

InventorsMorio Iwamizu, Yasuki Yoshida

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In activating a motor, a gate voltage with which a power semiconductor element may supply a rush current of the motor is generated by a charge pump circuit, when a certain time (time until the rush current ends) has elapsed after activating the motor, a timer circuit operates a gate clamp circuit, which reduces the gate voltage of the power semiconductor element to reduce the current-carrying capability of the power semiconductor element. Subsequently, when the motor has caused a short-circuit failure, the power semiconductor element, because its gate voltage is reduced by the gate clamp circuit in advance, supplies only a load short current corresponding to the reduced gate voltage. Accordingly, the heat generation due to the short-circuit current is also small and an increase in temperature is also suppressed.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A semiconductor device comprising

a driver circuit configured to drive a power semiconductor element, the driver circuit including:
a gate clamp circuit configured to clamp a gate voltage of the power semiconductor element;
a timer circuit configured to start counting when a current starts flowing in the power semiconductor element;
and
an extracting transistor having a first terminal connected to a gate of the semiconductor element and having a second terminal connected to a terminal of the semiconductor element and an output of the gate clamp circuit, the extracting transistor configured to be controlled to reduce a switching time of the semiconductor element,
wherein the timer circuit is configured to operate the gate clamp circuit after a certain time from the start of the counting of the timer circuit so as to reduce current-carrying capability of the power semiconductor element.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/150,489Filed 10 May 2016
Priority: JP 2015-11726310 Jun 2015
Published: US 2016/0365852 A115 Dec 2016
Granted: 16 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H03K 17/687
By the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices: the devices being field-effect transistors
H02M 3/07
Using resistors or capacitors, e.g. potential divider: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control…
H02P 31/00
Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors not provided for in groups
H03K 5/08
Shaping pulses: by limiting; by thresholding; by slicing, i.e. combined limiting and thresholding