Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toshiyuki Furuie

Nobuhisa Honda

Makoto Kondo

A drive circuit for driving an insulated gate transistor, the drive circuit including a driver that applies a gate voltage to the transistor, and a timing controller that controls a timing of the driver. The driver includes first and second drive circuits, the first and second drive circuits are electrically connected to the timing controller through first and second electrical connections, respectively, the first and second electrical connections control the first and second drive circuits, respectively, and the driver is capable of applying the gate voltage as a first gate voltage through the first drive circuit to the transistor, and as a second gate voltage through the second drive circuit to the transistor. The first gate voltage is lower than a threshold voltage of the transistor, the second gate voltage is a specified voltage for driving the transistor, and the timing controller controls the driver so that an application of the first gate voltage precedes an application of the second gate voltage.

Drive circuit for semiconductor device

When a driving unit ( ) charges gate input capacitance ( ) of an IGBT ( ), the gate input capacitance ( ) accumulates electric charges which are accumulated therein when the driving unit ( ) discharges the gate input capacitance ( ). Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of electric charges to be supplied to the gate input capacitance ( ) by the driving unit ( ) until the charge of the gate input capacitance ( ) is completed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the required power capacity of a control power supply ( ). Further, since the electric charges accumulated in the gate input capacitance ( ) are effectively used, it is possible to ensure power savings of a semiconductor device. Thus provided are a semiconductor device and a method of driving a transistor, in which electric charges accumulated in gate input capacitance of an insulated gate transistor are effectively utilized, to reduce required power capacity of a power supply for driving the transistor and ensure power savings of the semiconductor device on the whole.

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Tokyo, Japan

Toshiyuki Furuie