Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toshiba Mitsubishi-electric Industrial Systems Corporation

Takeshi Horiguchi

Yasushige Mukunoki

Takashi Masuhara

Yasushi Nakayama

Tatsuya Okuda

Kimiyuki Koyanagi

Takeshi Oi

Satoshi Ishibashi

Takayoshi Miki

Yoshiko Tamada

Toshiyuki Kikunaga

Osamu Usui

Hirotaka Muto

Shinichi Kinouchi

Hiroshi Nakatake

Hiroki Shigeta

Yuji Miyazaki

Mamoru Kamikura

Takeshi Ohi

Kodai Katagiri

Shinsuke Idenoue

Yasutaka Imamura

Tatsunori Yanagimoto

Chihiro Kawahara

Shin-ichi Kinouchi

Yohei Mitsui

A drive circuit for a power semiconductor element includes a voltage clamp circuit connected between a first main electrode and a control electrode and a second turn-off circuit including a capacitive element and a switching element connected in series between the control electrode and a second main electrode and a resistive element connected in parallel to the capacitive element. A turn-off control circuit switches the switching element in the second turn-off circuit to on when a voltage across the first main electrode and the second main electrode increases after start of turn-off of the power semiconductor element.

Drive circuit to drive power semiconductor element, power semiconductor module, and power conversion device

A connection structure includes a circuit board, an insulating member, a housing, and a conductive wire. The insulating member includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is fixed to the circuit board. The second portion faces the first portion. The second portion is fixed to the housing. The housing includes a grounded contact. The conductive wire electrically connects the circuit board and the housing while being wound around the insulating member. A shortest distance along a surface of the housing from a position where the conductive wire and the housing are connected to the contact is shorter than a shortest distance along a surface of the housing from the second portion of the insulating member to the contact.

Connection structure

A semiconductor device includes a power switching element and a drive device to drive the power switching element. The drive device includes a voltage source, a switching element, a capacitor connected in parallel to the voltage source with the switching element being interposed, a switching element provided between the capacitor and a gate terminal of the power switching element, a first comparison device to output a result of comparison between a voltage of the capacitor and a reference value VQR, a second comparison device to output a result of comparison between a gate voltage of the power switching element and a reference value VR, and a short-circuit determination unit that makes determination as to a short circuit of the power switching element based on an output signal from the first comparison device and an output signal from the second comparison device.

Drive device to drive semiconductor element, semiconductor device, and power conversion device

A short-circuit detector detects an arm short circuit or a load short circuit, based on the magnitude of the gate current and the magnitude of the gate charge amount. The short-circuit detector includes: a gate current determinator that compares the magnitude of the gate current with at least one reference value; a gate charge amount determinator that compares the magnitude of the gate charge amount with at least one reference value; and a short-circuit detection logical operation circuitry that executes a logical operation of an output signal of the gate current determinator and an output signal of the gate charge amount determinator.

Drive control circuit for power semiconductor element, power semiconductor module, and power converter

A power converter is provided that includes a reactor that is improved in effect of cooling a core and a winding. The power converter includes: a cooling member having a first cooling surface; and a reactor including a core portion and a winding portion. The core portion is a rectangular parallelepiped and disposed on the first cooling surface that is larger in area than the core portion in a plan view. The winding is wound around the core portion and the cooling member. The power converter further includes a power conversion module connected to one end of the winding portion.

Power converter with cooler and reactor with winding around a core

A power semiconductor module includes at least one upper arm provided between a positive electrode line and a node and including a power semiconductor device and a freewheeling diode connected in parallel, at least one lower arm provided between a negative electrode line and the node and including a power semiconductor device and a freewheeling diode connected in parallel, and a snubber circuit provided between the positive electrode line and the negative electrode line. The snubber circuit includes a snubber capacitor and a snubber resistor connected in series. At least one control terminal outputs a voltage representing the temperature of the snubber resistor or a voltage related to the temperature of the snubber resistor to a driver that drives the power semiconductor device.

Power semiconductor module and power conversion apparatus including the same

A drive circuit drives a power semiconductor element including a control terminal, a first main electrode, and a second main electrode. The drive circuit includes a first switching-off circuit and a second switching-off circuit each for turning off the power semiconductor element. The second switching-off circuit is lower in impedance than the first switching-off circuit. In a case where the power semiconductor element is turned off, only the first switching-off circuit operates when the power semiconductor element is in an unusual state, and the first switching-off circuit and the second switching-off circuit complementarily operate when the power semiconductor element is in a normal state.

Drive circuit for power semiconductor element and power semiconductor module employing the same

There are provided a small-sized power semiconductor module and a small-sized power conversion device capable of reducing ringing voltage. A power semiconductor module includes: a positive electrode-side switching element and a positive electrode-side freewheeling diode corresponding to a positive electrode-side power semiconductor element; a negative electrode-side switching element and a negative electrode-side freewheeling diode corresponding to a negative electrode-side power semiconductor element; a positive electrode conductor pattern; a negative electrode conductor pattern; an AC electrode pattern; and a snubber substrate including an insulating substrate having a snubber circuit formed thereon. The snubber substrate includes the insulating substrate and the at least one snubber circuit arranged on the insulating substrate. The snubber substrate is arranged on at least one of the positive electrode conductor pattern, the negative electrode conductor pattern and the AC electrode pattern.

Power semiconductor module and power conversion device

An increased accuracy in detecting deterioration of a semiconductor device can be achieved. A first metal pattern and a second metal pattern are connected to a controller. A bonding wire connects the first metal pattern and an emitter electrode. A linear conductor is connected between a first electrode pad and a second electrode pad. First bonding wires connect the first electrode pad and the second metal pattern. Second bonding wires connect the second electrode pad and the second metal pattern. The controller detects the deterioration of the semiconductor device when a potential difference between the first metal pattern and the second metal pattern is above a threshold.

Semiconductor device

A plurality of drive circuits each drive a corresponding one of a plurality of power semiconductor elements connected in parallel. Each of the drive circuits includes a control command unit, a current detector, a differentiator, and an integrator. The current detector detects a gate current that flows into a gate terminal of a corresponding one of the power semiconductor elements after the control command unit outputs a turn-on command. The differentiator performs time differentiation of the gate current detected by the current detector. The integrator performs time integration of the gate current detected by the current detector. Based on a differential value and an integral value in each of the drive circuits, the determination unit determines whether an overcurrent state occurs or not in any of the plurality of power semiconductor elements.

Drive device for power semiconductor element

A drive circuit includes: a signal generation circuit; a comparator; a comparator; and a short circuit determination unit. The signal generation circuit is configured to generate, as an output signal, a differential amplification signal of a voltage detection signal indicating a gate voltage of a semiconductor element and a delay signal of the voltage detection signal. The comparator is configured to compare a value of the differential amplification signal with a first reference voltage value. The comparator is configured to compare a voltage value indicating a gate current with a second reference voltage value. The short circuit determination unit is configured to determine whether or not the semiconductor element is in a short-circuited state, based on a result of comparison by each of the comparators, and generate a determination signal indicating a determination result.

Drive circuit for semiconductor element

A drive circuit for a power semiconductor element according to the present disclosure includes: a control command unit that outputs a turn-on command for a power semiconductor element; a gate voltage detection unit that detects a gate voltage applied to a gate terminal after the control command unit outputs the turn-on command; a differentiator that subjects the gate voltage detected by the gate voltage detection unit to time differentiation; and a determination unit that determines, based on the gate voltage detected by the gate voltage detection unit and a differential value by the differentiator, whether the power semiconductor element is in a short-circuit state or not.

Drive circuit for power semiconductor element

A voltage driver shifts a voltage on a gate as a control terminal of a power semiconductor element in response to an ON command or an OFF command. A gate voltage detector generates a detection signal of a gate-emitter voltage. A delay signal generator generates a delay signal obtained by adding a delay time to the detection signal. A subtractor generates a voltage difference signal between the detection signal and the delay signal. When the voltage difference signal exceeds a reference voltage during an operation of turning on the power semiconductor element, a short-circuit state detector detects a hard-switching fault.

Drive control circuit for power semiconductor element

A semiconductor device includes a positive electrode-side semiconductor element, a negative electrode-side semiconductor element, a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, an AC electrode plate, a positive electrode-side auxiliary electrode terminal, a negative electrode-side auxiliary electrode terminal, a positive electrode-side capacitor, and a negative electrode-side capacitor. The positive electrode plate is connected to a first positive electrode of the positive electrode-side semiconductor element. The negative electrode plate is connected to a second negative electrode of the negative electrode-side semiconductor element. The AC electrode plate is connected to a first negative electrode of the positive electrode-side semiconductor element and a second positive electrode of the negative electrode-side semiconductor element. The positive electrode-side capacitor is connected to the positive electrode plate and the positive electrode-side auxiliary electrode terminal. The negative electrode-side capacitor is connected to the negative electrode plate and the negative electrode-side auxiliary electrode terminal.

Semiconductor device and power conversion device

A drive circuit turns on an NPN transistor and a transistor in response to a turn-on command in a control signal to supply a positive current to a gate of a power transistor, and turns off the transistor after lapse of a certain time period to lower gate driving capability. The drive circuit turns on a PNP transistor and a transistor in response to a turn-off command in the control signal to supply a negative current to the gate of the power transistor, and turns off the transistor after lapse of a certain time period to lower gate driving capability.

Growing community of inventors

Chiyoda-ku, Japan

Takeshi Horiguchi