Denso Corporation

Takeshi Inoue

Tomonori Kimura

Takanari Sasaya

Masahiro Yamamoto

Masakiyo Sumitomo

Takahiro Iwamura

Hisashi Takasu

A drive control apparatus for a switching element drives a switching element including a sense element, and includes a drive circuit that provides a gate driving signal to the switching element, a transient characteristic absorbing circuit that absorbs a transient characteristic of the sense element when the switching element is turned on, and a determination circuit that determines an overcurrent or a short-circuit state of the switching element from an output of the sense element.

Drive control apparatus for driving a switching element including a sense element

A drive control device for two semiconductor elements having a transistor structure and a diode structure with a common energization electrode includes: a current detection device outputting a current detection signal of the semiconductor elements; and a first control device outputting a gate drive signal from when a first time period has elapsed from a starting time to when a second time period has elapsed from the starting time, at which an off-command signal is input after it is determined that a current flows through the semiconductor elements in a forward direction of the diode structure during a time period for which an on-command signal is input to the semiconductor elements. The first and the second time periods are preliminary set not to generate an arm short-circuit between two semiconductor elements.

Drive control device

A drive controller for driving an inductive load connected to a node between first and second switches connected in series with a direct current voltage source includes a first diode, a series circuit of a second diode and an inductor, and a control circuit. The first diode is a parasitic diode of the first switch and connected in antiparallel with the first switch. The series circuit is connected in parallel with the first diode. The control circuit drives the inductor load by applying a control voltage to the first switch before applying a first ON-voltage to the second switch. The first ON-voltage turns ON the second switch. The control voltage is greater than zero and less than a second ON-voltage. The second ON-voltage turns ON the first switch. The control voltage causes the first switch to operate in weak inversion.

Drive controller

In a power switching circuit, a second commutation member has a second commutation path electrically connected in parallel to a first commutation path and a second diode provided in the second commutation path and electrically connected antiparallel to a semiconductor switching element. While the semiconductor switching element is off, the second commutation path allows a second current based on the inductive load to flow therethrough in a forward direction of the second diode within a commutation period. The second diode has a second reverse recovery time shorter than a first reverse recovery time of the first diode. A second inductance of the second commutation path is higher than a first inductance of the first commutation path.

Power switching circuit improved to reduce loss due to reverse recovery current

A method for controlling a vertical type MOSFET in a bridge circuit is provided to reduce diode power loss and improve a reverse recovery characteristic. The method includes controlling a forward voltage of a built-in diode of the vertical type MOSFET to be a first forward voltage by setting a gate voltage of the vertical MOSFET to a first gate voltage, so that the vertical type MOSFET is switched into a first off mode; and controlling the forward voltage of the built-in diode of the vertical type MOSFET to be a second forward voltage by setting the gate voltage of the vertical MOSFET to a second gate voltage, so that the vertical type MOSFET is switched into a second off mode.

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Nagoya, Japan

Takeshi Inoue