Sanken Electric Co., Ltd.

Osamu Machida

Akio Iwabuchi

Mamoru Tsuruya

Hironori Aoki

Koji Otsuka

Shinji Sato

Hitoshi Murofushi

Shinichi Iwakami

Yasushi Tasaka

Michiyoshi Izawa

A semiconductor device, comprising a nitride semiconductor layer, a switching element, and a driving transistor; the switching element comprises: a first portion of a first electrode formed on the nitride semiconductor layer; a second electrode formed on the nitride semiconductor layer; and a first control electrode formed on the nitride semiconductor layer and located between the first portion of the first electrode and the second electrode; the driving transistor comprises: a second portion of the first electrode formed on the nitride semiconductor layer and connecting the first portions of the adjacent first electrodes to each other; a third electrode formed on the nitride semiconductor layer and transmitting a signal to the first control electrode; and a second control electrode formed on the nitride semiconductor layer and located between the second portion of the first electrode and the third electrode. Therefore, when the switching element is turned off, it can be kept in an off state even if a drain voltage applied to the switching element is subjected to a variation or the like.

Semiconductor device including a nitride layer

To provide a semiconductor device in which a rectifying element capable of reducing a leak current in reverse bias when a high voltage is applied and reducing a forward voltage drop Vf and a transistor element are integrally formed on a single substrate. A semiconductor device has a transistor element and a rectifying element on a single substrate. The transistor element has an active layer formed on the substrate and three electrodes (source electrode, drain electrode, and gate electrode) disposed on the active layer. The rectifying element has an anode electrode disposed on the active layer, a cathode electrode which is the drain electrode, and a first auxiliary electrode between the anode electrode and cathode electrode.

Semiconductor device

A gate driver for driving a gate of a switching element Trincludes a driving part that drives the switching element according to a control signal and an active clamp circuit to clamp the voltage between the first and second main terminals of the switching element through the driving part. If a voltage applied between a first main terminal (drain) and a second main terminal (source) of the switching element exceeds a predetermined voltage, the active clamp circuit forcibly blocks a driving operation of the driving part from driving the switching element.

Gate driver and semiconductor device employing the same

A gate driver turns on/off a switching element Qby applying a control signal from a controller to a gate of the switching element. The switching element has the gate, a drain, and a source and contains a wide-bandgap semiconductor. The gate driver includes a parallel circuit that includes a first capacitor Cand a first resistor Rand is connected between the controller and the gate of the switching element and a short-circuit unit Sthat is connected between the gate and source of the switching element and short-circuits the gate and source of the switching element after a delay from an OFF pulse of the control signal.

Gate driver

A semiconductor devices includes a first die pad having the conductivity connected to one end of a DC power source, a second die pad having the conductivity connected to the other end of the DC power source, a first switching element provided on the first die pad, receiving DC power from the DC power source via the first die pad, and having a terminal opposite to the first die pad connected to a first output terminal, and a second switching element provided on the second die pad, receiving the DC power from the DC power source via the second die pad, and connected to the first output terminal, and having a terminal opposite to the second die pad.

A switch device comprised of a wide band gap semiconductor is provided. The switch device comprises a drain, a source, a gate and a gate voltage clamp circuit, which is connected between a signal terminal, to which a signal for driving the gate is input, and the gate through a series circuit of a capacitor and a resistance, and which comprises a diode and a voltage limiter circuit provided between the drain and the gate.

Gate drive circuit with overdrive protection

An aspect of the present invention inheres in a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor region, a source electrode and a drain electrode, which are provided on a main surface of the semiconductor region, a gate electrode exhibiting normally-off characteristics, the gate electrode being provided above the main surface of the semiconductor region while interposing a p-type material film therebetween, and being arranged between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and a fourth electrode that is provided on the main surface of the semiconductor region, and is arranged between the gate electrode and the drain electrode.

A semiconductor device having a transistor and a rectifier includes: a current path; a first main electrode having a rectifying function and arranged on one end of the current path; a second main electrode arranged on the other end of the current path; an auxiliary electrode arranged in a region of the current path between the first main electrode and the second main electrode; a third main electrode arranged on the one end of the current path apart from the first main electrode along a direction intersecting the current path; and a control electrode arranged in a region of the current path between the second main electrode and the third main electrode. The transistor includes the current path, the second main electrode, the third main electrode, and the control electrode. The rectifier includes the current path, the first main electrode, the second main electrode, and the auxiliary electrode.

Semiconductor device having transistor and rectifier

A main semiconductor region grown on a substrate has formed on its surface a pair of main electrodes spaced from each other, a gate electrode between the main electrodes, and a pair of diode-forming electrodes spaced farther away from the gate electrode than are the main electrodes. Making ohmic contact with the main semiconductor region, the pair of main electrodes serve both as drain or source of a HEMT switch and as cathodes of a pair of Schottky diodes integrated with the HEMT switch. Both gate electrode and diode-forming electrodes are in Schottky contact with the main semiconductor region.

Bidirectional electronic switch

A monolithic switching device including a main semiconductor region configured to provide a current-carrying channel as in the form of two-dimensional electron gas. Disposed symmetrically on a surface of the main semiconductor region are two main electrodes to be coupled to an electric circuit for switching control, two gate electrodes for individually controlling current flow between the main electrodes through the current-carrying channel, and two diode-forming electrodes electrically connected respectively to the two main electrodes. The device operates in either Switch On Mode, Switch Off Mode, Negative Current Mode, or Positive Current Mode depending upon voltages applied to the two gate electrodes.

Solid-state switch capable of bidirectional operation

A semiconductor device having a GaN-based main semiconductor region formed on a silicon substrate via a buffer region. Source, drain and gate electrodes are formed on the main semiconductor region, and a back electrode on the back of the substrate. The substrate is constituted of two semiconductor regions of opposite conductivity types, with a pn junction therebetween which is conducive to a higher voltage-withstanding capability between the drain and back electrodes.

Semiconductor device having nitride semiconductor layer

A device capable of bidirectional on-off switching control of an electric circuit. Included is a normally-on HEMT connected between a pair of terminals of the device. A normally-off MOSFET of relatively low antivoltage strength is connected between the HEMT and one of the pair of terminals, and another similar MOSFET between the HEMT and the other of the terminal pair. A diode is connected in inverse parallel with each MOSFET, and two other diodes are connected between the gate of the HEMT and the pair of terminals respectively. The switching device as a whole is normally off.

Normally-off electronic switching device for on-off control of electric circuit

A silicon-made low-forward-voltage Schottky barrier diode is serially combined with a high-antivoltage-strength high-electron-mobility transistor made from a nitride semiconductor that is wider in bandgap than silicon. The Schottky barrier diode has its anode connected to the gate, and its cathode to the source, of the HEMT. This HEMT is normally on. The reverse voltage withstanding capability of the complete device depends upon that between the drain and gate of the HEMT.

Diode-like composite semiconductor device

A high electron mobility transistor is disclosed which has a main semiconductor region formed on a silicon substrate. The main semiconductor region is a lamination of a buffer layer on the substrate, an electron transit layer on the buffer layer, and an electron supply layer on the electron transit layer. A source, drain, and gate overlie the electron supply layer. Also formed on the electron supply layer is a surface-stabilizing organic semiconductor overlay which is of p conductivity type in contrast to the n type of the electron supply layer.

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Niiza, Japan

Osamu Machida