SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20120206190A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mochikawa, Hiroshi, TAKIMOTO, Kazuyasu, Nakazawa, Yosuke, Kuzumaki, Atsuhiko
• Application Number:
  US13/372,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20120206190A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/534
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08148 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/168 in composite switches

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor circuit and an electric-power supply. The semiconductor circuit includes a main element including a switching element and an antiparallel diode, a reverse voltage application circuit including a high-speed free wheeling diode, a capacitor and an auxiliary element, a main element drive circuit, and an auxiliary element drive circuit. The electric-power supply is configured to supply electric-power to the capacitor, the main element drive circuit and the auxiliary element drive circuit, and has a voltage lower than the withstand voltage of the main element.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a semiconductor circuit; and

an electric-power supply, wherein

the semiconductor circuit comprises

a main element including a voltage-drive-type switching element, and an antiparallel diode connected in anti-parallel with the switching element,

a reverse voltage application circuit including a high-speed free wheeling diode having a reverse recovery time of which is shorter than the antiparallel diode, and a reverse recovery charge of which is smaller than the antiparallel diode, a capacitor, and an auxiliary element connected between the capacitor and the high-speed free wheeling diode, configured to be turned on at the time of reverse recovery of the antiparallel diode, and having a withstand voltage of which is lower than the main element, and configured to apply a reverse voltage lower than the withstand voltage of the main element to the antiparallel diode,

a main element drive circuit configured to supply a control signal to the main element, and

an auxiliary element drive circuit configured to supply a control signal to the auxiliary element, and

the electric-power supply is connected in parallel with the capacitor, is further connected to the main element drive circuit, and the auxiliary element drive circuit, is configured to supply electric-power to the capacitor, the main element drive circuit and the auxiliary element drive circuit, and has a voltage lower than the withstand voltage of the main element.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the electric-power supply is connected to the auxiliary element drive circuit through the main element drive circuit, and configured to supply electric-power to the auxiliary element drive circuit through the main element drive circuit, and

the auxiliary element drive circuit comprises a pulse transformer, and is configured to supply the control signal to the auxiliary element in a state where insulation of the auxiliary element from the main element drive circuit is held.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a regulator configured to keep at least one of a voltage across the capacitor, a drive voltage of the main element drive circuit, and a drive voltage of the auxiliary element drive circuit constant.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a board on which the main element drive circuit and the auxiliary element drive circuit are mounted.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the electric-power supply comprises

a electric-power supply source, and

an insulating transformer including a primary circuit connected to the electric-power supply source and a secondary circuit connected to the semiconductor circuit, the primary circuit and the secondary circuit being configured to insulate to each other.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, further comprising at least one or more other semiconductor circuits configured in the same manner as the semiconductor circuit, wherein

the electric-power supply further comprises at least one or more other insulating transformers including at least one or more other primary circuits connected to the electric-power supply source with each other, and at least one or more other secondary circuits connected to said at least one or more the other semiconductor circuits on a one-to-one basis, said at least one or more other primary circuits and said at least one or more other secondary circuits corresponding to each other on a one-to-one basis being configured to insulate to each other.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, further comprising at least one or more other semiconductor circuits configured in the same manner as the semiconductor circuit, wherein

the insulating transformer further includes at least one or more other secondary circuits connected to said at least one or more the other semiconductor circuits on a one-to-one basis, the primary circuit, and the secondary circuit and said at least one or more the other secondary circuits being configured to insulate to each other.