The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 09, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 22, 1994
Brendan P Kelly, Stockport, GB;
Paul T Moody, Oldham, GB;
U.S. Philips Corporation, Tarrytown, NY (US);
Abstract
A power semiconductor device circuit has an insulated gate field effect power semiconductor device with first and second main electrodes and a gate electrode. A gate control circuit provides a conductive path between the gate electrode and a gate voltage supply terminal. The gate control circuit has a resistance coupled between the gate electrode and the gate voltage supply terminal. A switching device has first and second main electrodes coupled to the gate voltage supply terminal and the gate electrode, respectively, so that the main current path between the first and second main electrodes is coupled in parallel with the resistance, the switching device having a first non-conducting state and a second conducting state for providing, in the second conducting state, an additional resistance in parallel with the resistance. The switching device switches from one of the first and second states to the other when the voltage at the gate voltage supply terminal changes in order to turn the power semiconductor device on or off, or upon the detection of a fault condition within the power semiconductor device. In either case, the overall resistance of the conductive path between the gate electrode and the gate voltage supply terminal is altered.