Power semiconductor device with integrated temperature protection

US11276680B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Infineon Technologies Austria AG · AT

Inventors

• Daniel Pedone · Munich, DE
• Hans-Joachim Schulze · Taufkirchen, DE
• Rolf Gerlach · Starnberg, DE
• Christian Kasztelan · Munich, DE
• Anton Mauder · Kolbermoor, DE
• Hubert Rothleitner · Villach, AT
• Wolfgang Scholz · Minden, DE
• Philipp Seng · Munich, DE
• Peter Tuerkes · Unterhaching, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 22, 2015
• Grant date: Mar 15, 2022
• Expiry date: Oct 22, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D84/038

Abstract

A temperature protected power semiconductor device has a substrate which includes a power field effect transistor (FET) and a thermosensitive element. The power FET has a gate electrode connected to a gate, a drift region, and first and second terminals for a load current. The load current is controllable during operation by a voltage applied between the gate and the first terminal. The thermosensitive element has a first contact connected to one of the gate electrode and first terminal of the power FET, and a second contact connected to the other one of the gate electrode and first terminal. The thermosensitive element is located close to the power FET and thermally coupled thereto. The thermosensitive element is configured to cause the power FET to reduce the load current in case of an exceedance of a limit temperature of the power FET, by interconnecting the gate and first terminal.