Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.

Akihisa Yamamoto

Dong Wang

Kazuya Hokazono

Shinji Hatae

Yo Habu

Gourab Majumdar

Mitsutaka Hano

Kazuaki Hiyama

Yoshiyuki Mizuguchi

Makoto Maehira

Junsuke Tanaka

Mitsutaka Iwasaki

Toru Iwagami

Hiroshi Sakata

Daisuke Hirata

Fumitaka Tametani

Shohei Sano

A semiconductor device includes: a P-side driving circuit and an N-side driving circuit respectively driving a P-side switching device and an N-side switching device which are connected to configure a half bridge; and a N-side power supply generation circuit generating a power supply voltage for the N-side driving circuit from a power supply voltage for the P-side switching device.

Semiconductor device

During an ON period of a high breakdown voltage switch provided within an ON period of a semiconductor switching element, a detection circuit outputs to a predetermined node a voltage obtained by dividing an inter-terminal voltage by a plurality of resistor elements. A voltage comparison circuit outputs a detection signal indicating whether or not the inter-terminal voltage is greater than a predetermined determination voltage based on a comparison between the voltage of the predetermined node and a predetermined DC voltage. The high breakdown voltage switch has a breakdown voltage greater than a potential difference between a high potential and a low potential during an OFF period.

A drive circuit includes a first driver to control on/off of an upper arm, a second driver to control on/off of a lower arm, a first switching device including a first terminal connected with a power supply for the first driver, a second terminal connected with a power supply for the second driver and a control terminal, a booster circuit to turn on the first switching device by boosting a control signal which is at a high level when the lower arm is in an on state, a second switching device to cause continuity between the control terminal and the booster circuit when the control signal is at the high level, and first switch unit to short-circuit the control terminal and the terminal for grounding when the control signal is at the low level.

Drive circuit and inverter device

The detection circuit includes a current source and a resistor element which are connected in series via a first node between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a switching element which is turned on and off by a driving circuit. The voltage comparator outputs a detection signal indicating a comparison result between an input DC voltage and the voltage of the first node. The DC voltage and the electric resistance value of the resistor element are set in such manner that when an inter-electrode voltage between the positive electrode and the negative electrode becomes higher than a predefined determination voltage, the voltage of the first node is higher than the DC voltage. The detection circuit and the voltage comparator are mounted on the same integrated circuit constituting the semiconductor device.

The object is to provide a technology enabling appropriate driving of an IGBT. A driving circuit is a driving circuit that drives an IGBT by controlling the gate voltage of the IGBT, and includes a first charging capability and a second charging capability. The first charging capability increases the gate voltage up to a threshold voltage of the IGBT, and a second charging capability increases the gate voltage beyond the threshold voltage. An increase in the gate voltage with the first charging capability per unit time is higher than an increase in the gate voltage with the second charging capability per unit time.

Driving circuit

A semiconductor apparatus including a bonding region in which a wire is bonded, includes: a semiconductor substrate; an oxide film provided on a principal surface of the semiconductor substrate in the bonding region; a polysilicon layer provided on the oxide film; an interlayer film partially provided on the polysilicon layer; a barrier metal directly provided on the polysilicon layer and the interlayer film; and an electrode provided on the barrier metal.

Semiconductor apparatus

A semiconductor device includes a first drive circuit and a bootstrap control circuit. When a voltage Vis equal to or smaller than a power supply voltage V, the boost control circuit turns on a MOSFET by controlling a gate signal input to a gate terminal, and a back gate control circuit makes a voltage applied to a back gate terminal smaller than the voltage V.

A semiconductor device driving circuit includes: a signal transmission circuit including a first level shift circuit, the signal transmission circuit and an unsaturated voltage detection circuit configured to output a first error signal when an unsaturated voltage of a semiconductor switching element driven by the drive signal is detected. The semiconductor device driving circuit generates a second error signal having the second voltage level by level-shifting the first error signal or a converted signal obtained by converting the first error signal into a pulse signal. The semiconductor device driving circuit further includes a soft shutdown circuit configured to change a drive signal for the semiconductor switching element to softly shut down the semiconductor switching element when the second error signal is input.

Semiconductor device driving circuit

A semiconductor device drive circuit drives a semiconductor switching device including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a control electrode. The semiconductor device drive circuit includes an input terminal that receives an input signal; a level shift unit that shifts a voltage level of the input signal and outputs a drive signal to be supplied to the control electrode; a first resistor that generates a first current from a first voltage applied to the first electrode; a second resistor that generates a second current from a second voltage applied to the second electrode; and a voltage difference determination unit that outputs a detection signal when a difference between the first current and the second current is equal to or greater than a predetermined desaturation determination value. The semiconductor device drive circuit is a single integrated circuit chip.

Semiconductor device drive circuit and inverter device with desaturation detection

A delay-time correction circuit delays an input signal for generating a pre-drive signal to a drive unit generating a drive signal. A transition-change sensor senses a transition change in one of a turn-on operation and turn-off operation. A correction-signal generator generates a correction signal in response to the transition change sensed by the transition-change sensor and to the input signal. A delay output unit generates an output signal corresponding to the pre-drive signal by delaying the input signal using the correction signal. The delay output unit delays the output signal that instructs the other of a turn-on operation and turn-off operation, from the input signal, in accordance with a length of a period for the transition change in the one of a turn-on operation and turn-off operation that is performed immediately before the other of a turn-on operation and turn-off operation.

Delay-time correction circuit, semiconductor-device drive circuit, and semiconductor device

A semiconductor device driving circuit includes: a threshold adjustment circuit; a desaturation voltage detection circuit; and a drive circuit. The threshold adjustment circuit switches the threshold between a first voltage and a second voltage which is larger than the first voltage, outputs the first voltage as the threshold when the semiconductor switching device is in an off-state, and outputs the second voltage as the threshold when the semiconductor switching device is turned on and a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode is a saturation voltage.

A level shift circuit includes: an electrothermal converter converting a first electric signal with a first reference potential as a reference to heat; a thermoelectric converter converting the heat from the electrothermal converter to a second electric signal with a second reference potential which is different from the first reference potential as a reference; and an insulating region electrically insulating the electrothermal converter from the thermoelectric converter.

Level shift circuit and drive circuit

A semiconductor device drive circuit includes a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit. The first drive circuit generates a control signal for controlling a voltage-controlled switching element. The first drive circuit generates a control signal in synchronization with a voltage signal input to the first drive signal. The first drive circuit has an output current capability corresponding to a magnitude of the voltage signal. The second drive circuit outputs a voltage signal to the first drive circuit. The second drive circuit includes an output adjustment circuit that adjusts the magnitude of the voltage signal.

Semiconductor device drive circuit

A primary circuit outputs, in response to an input signal, a first signal with a first reference potential. A level shift main circuit converts the reference potential of the first signal received from the primary circuit to a second reference potential to output a second signal with the second reference potential. A secondary circuit generates an output signal with the second reference potential using the second signal. At least one rectifying element circuit is provided between the primary circuit and the secondary circuit. At least one of the primary circuit and the secondary circuit includes at least one detection circuit detecting a change in a current flowing through the rectifying element circuit to determine whether a potential corresponding to the second reference potential is lower than or equal to a potential corresponding to the first reference potential.

Level shift circuit, integrated circuit, and power semiconductor module

A semiconductor device employs at least one of semiconductor chip groups. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip included in the semiconductor chip groups, and a package. The semiconductor chip includes an information recording region on which is recorded a first piece of identification information indicating to which group of the semiconductor chip groups the semiconductor chip belongs based on a first category. The information recording region includes a plurality of fuses selectively blown in accordance with the first piece of identification information. Indicated on the package is a second piece of identification information indicating to which group of the semiconductor chip groups the semiconductor chip belongs based on a second category. The first and second pieces of identification information are combined together to identify the semiconductor chip from among the semiconductor chip groups.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Akihisa Yamamoto