SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE DRIVING UNIT AND METHOD

• US 20120032709A1
• Filed: 08/05/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saotome, Koji, Tsukada, Yoshinari, Goto, Masatoshi, Takeuchi, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,749,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/109
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/44 Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/04206 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0424 by the use of a transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/166 Soft switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/168 in composite switches

Abstract

A turn-off feedback unit (23OFF) of a semiconductor device driving unit generates a feedback voltage as part of a voltage of a drive signal for establishing electrical continuity or disconnection in a bus according to a temporal variation of a collector current of a first semiconductor device (11U) when the first semiconductor device (11U) is turned off from on. A turn-on feedback unit (23ON) generates the feedback voltage according to a commutation current flowing through a free wheeling diode (12D) connected to a second semiconductor device (11D) when the first semiconductor device (11U) is turned on from off.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device driving unit which supplies, to establish electrical continuity or disconnection in a bus, a drive signal to a gate of a first semiconductor device of a series connection of the first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device each of which has such a switching function as to be turned on or off according to a voltage of a drive signal applied to the gate, a collector and an emitter of each of which are inserted in the bus, and each of which is connected to a free wheeling diode in parallel, the semiconductor device driving unit comprising:

a feedback unit configured to generate a feedback voltage as part of the voltage of the drive signal according to a temporal variation of a current flowing through the bus,

wherein the feedback unit comprises;

a turn-off feedback unit configured to generate the feedback voltage according to a temporal variation of a collector current of the first semiconductor device in a case that the first semiconductor device is turned off from on; and

a turn-on feedback unit configured to generate the feedback voltage according to a commutation current flowing through the free wheeling diode connected to the second semiconductor device in a case that the first semiconductor device is turned on from off.

2. The semiconductor device driving unit according to claim 1, wherein the turn-on feedback unit is configured to generate the feedback voltage in a case that a direction of the commutation current corresponds to a reverse recovery interval, and to generate no feedback voltage in other cases.

3. A semiconductor device driving method for driving at least a first semiconductor device of a series connection of the first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device each of which has such a switching function as to be turned on or off according to a voltage of a drive signal applied to a gate, a collector and an emitter of each of which are inserted in a bus, and each of which is connected to a free wheeling diode in parallel, the method comprising:

supplying a drive signal to the gate of the first semiconductor device to establish electrical continuity or disconnection in the bus;

generating a feedback voltage as part of the voltage of the drive signal according to a temporal variation of a current flowing through the bus;

generating the feedback voltage according to a temporal variation of a collector current of the first semiconductor device when the first semiconductor device is turned off; and

generating the feedback voltage according to a commutation current flowing through the free wheeling diode connected to the second semiconductor device when the first semiconductor device is turned on.

4. A semiconductor device driving unit which supplies, to establish electrical continuity or disconnection in a bus, a drive signal to a gate of a semiconductor device which has such a switching function as to be turned on or off according to a voltage of a drive signal applied to the gate and whose collector and the emitter are inserted in the bus, the semiconductor device driving unit comprising:

a buffer circuit comprising a base resistor; and

a feedback unit configured to generate a feedback voltage as part of the voltage of the drive signal according to a temporal variation of a current flowing through the bus,

wherein the feedback unit comprises;

a transformer a secondary side of which is connected to both ends of the base resistor of the buffer circuit.

5. The semiconductor device driving unit according to claim 4, wherein the transformer is a coreless transformer.

6. A semiconductor device driving unit which supplies, to establish electrical continuity or disconnection in a bus, a drive signal to a gate of a first semiconductor device of a series connection of the first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device each of which has such a switching function as to be turned on or off according to a voltage of a drive signal applied to the gate, a collector and an emitter of each of which are inserted in the bus, and each of which is connected to a free wheeling diode in parallel, the semiconductor device driving unit comprising:

a feedback unit configured to generate a feedback voltage according to a temporal variation of a collector current of the first semiconductor device in a case that the first semiconductor device is turned off, to generate a feedback voltage according to a commutation current flowing through the free wheeling diode connected to the second semiconductor device in a case that the first semiconductor device is turned on, and to apply the generated feedback voltage to the gate of the first semiconductor device as part of the voltage of the drive signal,

wherein the feedback unit comprises;

a delay filter configured to delay timing of application of the feedback voltage to the gate of the first semiconductor device as part of the voltage of the drive signal.

7. The semiconductor device driving unit according to claim 6, wherein the delay filter comprises two current paths in which respective rectification devices are provided in opposite directions.

8. A semiconductor device driving method for driving at least a first semiconductor device of a series connection of the first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device each of which has such a switching function as to be turned on or off according to a voltage of a drive signal applied to a gate, a collector and an emitter of each of which are inserted in a bus, and each of which is connected to a free wheeling diode in parallel, the method comprising:

supplying a drive signal to the gate of the first semiconductor device to establish electrical continuity or disconnection in the bus;

when the first semiconductor device is turned off, generating a feedback voltage according to a temporal variation of a collector current of the first semiconductor device and applying the generated feedback voltage to the gate of the first semiconductor device (11U) as part of the voltage of the drive signal; and

when the first semiconductor device is turned on, generating a feedback voltage according to a commutation current flowing through the free wheeling diode connected to the second semiconductor device and applying the generated feedback voltage to the gate of the first semiconductor device as part of the voltage of the drive signal.