Renesas Electronics Corporation

Stanley Electric Co., Ltd

Yuji Takehara

Mitsunori Harada

Daisuke Iijima

Takeo Mimura

Katsutoshi Bito

Tomohiro Oono

There is a need to improve estimation accuracy of a failure estimation method or its failure estimation apparatus that performs failure estimation on a targeted instrument based on history information about several instruments mounted with the same type of semiconductor device as an instrument targeted at failure estimation. A failure estimation apparatus that includes a history information database storing history information about a plurality of instruments mounted with the same type of semiconductor device and performs failure estimation on a targeted instrument mounted with a semiconductor device whose type equals the type, wherein the history information contains operation information and failure information; wherein the operation information indicates a chronological operating state of the semiconductor device mounted on the instruments; wherein the failure information indicates a failure cause of a failed instrument; and wherein the operating state is categorized into a plurality of classifications.

Failure estimation apparatus and failure estimation method

A semiconductor light-emitting device having a longitudinal direction, and able to smoothly incline luminance for the longitudinal direction is provided. The semiconductor light-emitting device comprises a substrate and a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting layers of a predetermined shape disposed in a row on the substrate. The semiconductor light-emitting layers have such a structure that light emission amount of light-emitting surface of each semiconductor light-emitting layer inclines from a side of one predetermined end toward a side of the other end for the direction of the row.

Semiconductor light-emitting device, lighting apparatus, and lighting unit for vehicles

A method of detecting a fault of a semiconductor device including a power device mounted on a metal base and a drive circuit for driving the power device, the method detecting a fault of the semiconductor device beforehand based on an increase in thermal resistance between the metal base and the power device. A state of the power device is measured immediately before and after the power device is driven by the drive circuit. A temperature difference of the power device before and after driving is calculated according to the result of measurement. An increase in thermal resistance between the metal base and the power device is detected based on the temperature difference and an amount of electricity inputted to the power device in the driving period, and a fault of the semiconductor device is detected beforehand according to the increase.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yuji Takehara