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:
Mar. 14, 2017
Filed:
Aug. 09, 2016
Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, JP;
Hayato Nakano, Nagano, JP;
Ryohei Takayanagi, Nagano, JP;
FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD., Kanagawa, JP;
Abstract
The semiconductor device includes a switching arm unit in which first and second wide bandgap semiconductor elements, each having a body diode, are connected in series between a positive line and a negative line; a current detecting unit that detects a current in at least a wide bandgap semiconductor element in which a flyback current flows; and a semiconductor element driving unit that drives the first and second wide bandgap semiconductor elements. When driving one of the wide bandgap semiconductor elements, the semiconductor element driving unit determines, by referring to a fault inhibiting characteristic curve, whether a flyback current detection value of the other wide bandgap semiconductor elements falls within a fault growth region or a fault inhibiting region, and when a result of the determination indicates that the flyback current detection value is within the fault growth region, inhibits a current flowing in the one wide bandgap semiconductor element.