Semikron Elektronik Gmbh

Jan Lehmann

Reinhard Herzer

Jürgen Massanek

Jurgen Masannek

Sascha Pawel

A semiconductor component has interface functions between the controller and the power components of power converters, suitable for gating semiconductor switches. In particular, the semiconductor component serves to gate IGBT and MOSFET power switches in low and medium performance three-phase bridge circuits and integrates signal processing (), level conversion () and amplification (gate driver) (), error recognition, such as short-circuit monitoring by means of VCE detection () and operating voltage monitoring () as well as error processing () for several power semiconductor switches. The advantages of this gating IC in comparison with hybrid or discrete solutions consist of the high integration density of various digital, analogue and driver functions which result in a reduction in the number of discrete components, which means a lower failure rate of the system and lower costs. Another important consideration is the improvement of switching characteristics thanks to monolithic integration. The integrated circuit is less susceptible to interference voltage and has a lower temperature drift than discrete circuits.

Semiconductor component for controlling power semiconductor switches

A semiconductor component performing interface functions between the controller and the power components of a power inverter, is designed for the control of semiconductor components, in particular for the control of IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) power switches in different circuit topologies for intermediate and high power capacity. The component carries a monolithically integrated circuit performing the functions of signal processing ( ), level transformation ( ), gate driver amplification, generation and monitoring of operating voltages, short-circuit monitoring by means of collector-emitter voltage detection, as well as the processing, storing and transmission of error signals for a power semiconductor switch.

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Ilmenau, Germany

Jan Lehmann