Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Technology Corp.

Renesas Electronics America Inc.

Hitachi, Ltd.

Ryotaro Kudo

Koji Tateno

Toshio Nagasawa

Kyoichi Hosokawa

Tetsuo Sato

Shin Chiba

Hideo Ishii

Tomoaki Uno

Nobuyuki Shirai

Koji Saikusa

Akihiko Kanouda

Takashi Sase

Hirokazu Kato

Takuya Ishigaki

Yoshitaka Onaya

Kenichi Nakano

Yukihiro Sato

Kenichi Onda

Katsuhiko Funatsu

Shinichi Yoshida

Kazuyuki Umezu

Jin Kiong Ang

Yoichi Uehara

Masashi Koyano

Matsuura Nobuyoshi

Masato Ono

Jim Comstock

A step down convertor with a distributed driving system. In one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes an inductor coupled to an output node. The apparatus also includes first and second circuits. The first circuit can transmit current to the output node via the inductor, and the second can transmit current to the output node via the inductor. The apparatus also includes a third circuit for modifying operational aspects of the first circuit or the second circuit based on a magnitude of current flowing through the inductor.

Distributed driving system

An apparatus, in one embodiment, can include a configuration including a plurality of heat generation devices. The apparatus also includes a plurality of thermal sensors respectively, operably connected to each of the plurality of heat generation devices, wherein each thermal sensor of the plurality of thermal sensors includes a respective output terminal configured to provide a voltage representative of the temperature of the respective heat generation device. The apparatus further includes an output circuit configured to output the highest temperature information among the heat generation devices. The output terminals of the plurality of thermal sensors are tied together. A corresponding method is also discussed.

Temperature detection and reporting system and method in power driving and/or consuming system

According to an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus includes a microprocessor-based pulse-width modulation controller configured to generate a pulse-width modulation signal, and a synchronous converter including a first transistor, a second transistor, a first driver, and a second driver. The apparatus further includes a drive voltage generator configured to generate a drive voltage for the synchronous converter. The drive voltage generator is further configured to generate the drive voltage based on a measured output current and a measured input voltage.

Intelligent gate drive voltage generator

A semiconductor device is improved in reliability. A power MOSFET for switching, and a sense MOSFET for sensing a current flowing in the power MOSFET, which is smaller in area than the power MOSFET, are formed in one semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip is mounted over a chip mounting portion, and sealed in a resin. To first and second source pads for outputting the current flowing in the power MOSFET, a metal plate is bonded. A third source pad for sensing the source voltage of the power MOSFET is at a position not overlapping the metal plate. A coupled portion between a source wire forming the third pad and another source wire forming the first and second pads is at a position overlapping the metal plate.

Semiconductor device

In a switching power source which controls a current which flows in an inductor through a switching element which performs a switching operation in response to a PWM signal, and forms an output voltage by a capacitor which is provided in series in the inductor, a booster circuit which is constituted of a bootstrap capacity and a MOSFET is provided between an output node of the switching element and a predetermined voltage terminal. The boosted voltage is used as an operational voltage of a driving circuit of the switching element, another source/drain region and a substrate gate are connected with each other, and a junction diode between one source/drain region and the substrate gate is inversely directed with respect to the boosted voltage which is formed by the bootstrap capacity.

Switching power supply device and a semiconductor integrated circuit

The present invention realized miniaturization of a power supply device using a multiphase system. The power supply device includes, for example, a common control unit, a plurality of PWM-equipped drive units, and a plurality of inductors. The common control unit outputs clock signals respectively different in phase to the PWM-equipped drive units. The clock signals are controllable in voltage state individually respectively. For example, the clock signal can be brought to a high impedance state. In this case, the PWM-equipped drive unit detects this high impedance state and stops its own operation. It is thus possible to set the number of phases in multiphase arbitrarily without using another enable signal or the like.

Semiconductor device and power supply device

Miniaturization of a multiphase type power supply device can be achieved. A power supply control unit in which, for example, a microcontroller unit, a memory unit and an analog controller unit are formed over a single chip, a plurality of PWM-equipped drive units, and a plurality of inductors configure a multiphase power supply. The microcontroller unit outputs clock signals each having a frequency and a phase defined based on a program on the memory unit to the respective PWM-equipped drive units. The analog controller unit detects a difference between a voltage value of a load and a target voltage value acquired via a serial interface and outputs an error amp signal therefrom. Each of the PWM-equipped drive units drives each inductor by a peak current control system using the clock signal and the error amp signal.

Power supply device

A voltage clamping circuit which operates in a stable manner and a switching power source device which enables high-speed operation. In the switching power source device, one source/drain route is connected to an input terminal to which an input voltage is supplied, a predetermined voltage to be restricted is supplied to a gate, and using a MOSFET which provides a current source between another source/drain route and a ground potential of the circuit, a clamp output voltage which corresponds to the input voltage is obtained from another source/drain route. The switching power source device further includes a first switching element which controls a current in an inductor and a second switching element which clamps a reverse electromotive voltage generated in the inductor. The voltage clamping circuit is used in a feedback route for setting a dead time.

Voltage clamp circuit, a switching power supply device, a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and a voltage level conversion circuit

To improve reliability of a semiconductor device A power MOSFET for switching and a sense MOSFET having an area smaller than that of the power MOSFET and configured to detect an electric current flowing through the power MOSFET are formed within one semiconductor chip CPH and the semiconductor chip CPH is mounted over a chip mounting part via an electrically conductive joining material and sealed with a resin. In a main surface of the semiconductor chip CPH, a sense MOSFET region in which the sense MOSFET is formed is located more internally than a source pad PDHSof the sense MOSFET region RG. Furthermore, in the main surface of the semiconductor chip, the sense MOSFET region RGis surrounded by a region in which the power MOSFET is formed.

A power source device capable of improving the power conversion efficiency at a light load independent of an input power source voltage is realized. For example, a clock signal is output from a common control unit to a PWM-mounted drive unit including a reverse-current detection circuit in addition to a peak current control method. This clock signal is selected by a mode setting signal from either of a clock signal with a constant frequency or a clock signal which is generated via a one-shot pulse generation circuit every time an output voltage at an output power source node decreases. When the latter is selected, the switching frequency at a light load decreases and the power conversion efficiency improves. Furthermore, the peak current control method can reduce the input power source voltage dependence of the switching frequency.

Semiconductor device and power source device with a current detection circuit

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Tokyo, Japan

Ryotaro Kudo