Patent · US Expired

Power semiconductor device with low on-state voltage

US5631494A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
6References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 19, 1994
Grant dateMay 20, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 19, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D62/127
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A circuit connecting a sub-IGBT element S.sub.2 having a smaller current capacity and a smaller saturated current than the main IGBT element S.sub.1 and a resistance R.sub.1 in series is connected to the main IGBT element S.sub.1 in parallel, a MOSFET element S.sub.3 being connected between the gate electrode of the sub-IGBT element S.sub.2 and the emitter electrode of the main IGBT element S.sub.1, a delay element being connected between the gate electrode of the sub-IGBT element S.sub.2 and the gate electrode of the main IGBT element S.sub.1. In normal operation, the ON-state voltage is small and low loss can be realized. In the event of a short-circuit accident, the sub-IGBT element S.sub.2 detects the short-circuit before the main IGBT element S.sub.1 turns on to prevent an over-current from flowing in the main IGBT element S.sub.1, which substantially improves the short-circuit resistivity of the semiconductor device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.