POWER SEMICONDUCTOR MODULE

• US 20130062626A1
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKAO, Kazuto, Shinohe, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US13/409,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20130062626A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8213 the substrate being a semiconductor, using SiC technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8252 the substrate being a semiconductor, using III-V technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8258 the substrate being a semiconductor, using a combination of technologies covered by H01L21/8206, H01L21/8213 , H01L21/822, H01L21/8252, H01L21/8254 or H01L21/8256
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0623 in combination with bipolar transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/127 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/567 Circuits characterised by the use of more than one type of semiconductor device, e.g. BIMOS, composite devices such as IGBT
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0036 Means reducing energy consumption

Abstract

Disclosed is a power semiconductor module which includes a unipolar type switching device using a wide bandgap semiconductor (wide bandgap semiconductor switching device) and an insulated gate bipolar transistor using a silicon semiconductor (Si-IGBT) connected in parallel, in which a chip area of the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device is smaller than that of the Si-IGBT.

Claims

1. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a unipolar type switching device using a wide bandgap semiconductor (wide bandgap semiconductor switching device); and

an insulated gate bipolar transistor using a silicon semiconductor (Si-IGBT) connected in parallel with the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device,

wherein a chip area of the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device is smaller than that of the Si-IGBT, and

a turn-on voltage of the power semiconductor module is approximately equal to a turn-on voltage of the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device having a chip area equal to that of the Si-IGBT.

2. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1,

wherein an area ratio between the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device and the Si-IGBT is set to 1:

2 to 1;

4.

3. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1,

wherein a diode is inversely connected to the power semiconductor module in parallel.

4. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1,

wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device is made of at least a material selected from a group including silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), or diamond.

5. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1,

wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device and the Si-IGBT are driven by an individual gate driving circuit.

6. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1,

wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device and the Si-IGBT are driven by the same gate driving circuit.

7. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1,

wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device, the Si-IGBT, and the gate driving circuit are enclosed in the same package.

8. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1,

wherein the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device, the Si-IGBT, the diode, and the gate driving circuit are enclosed in the same package.

9. A method of driving power semiconductor module that includes a unipolar type switching device using a wide bandgap semiconductor (wide bandgap semiconductor switching device) and an insulated gate bipolar transistor using a silicon semiconductor (Si-IGBT) connected in parallel, in which a chip area of the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device is smaller than a chip area of the Si-IGBT and a turn-on voltage of the power semiconductor module is approximately equal to a turn-on voltage of the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device having a chip area approximately equal to that of the Si-IGBT, and the method comprising:

turning on the Si-IGBT first; and

turning on the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device after a collector-emitter voltage of the Si-IGBT reaches an on-voltage.

10. A method of driving a power semiconductor module that includes a unipolar type switching device using a wide bandgap semiconductor (wide bandgap semiconductor switching device) and an insulated gate bipolar transistor using a silicon semiconductor (Si-IGBT) connected in parallel, in which a chip area of the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device is smaller than a chip area of the Si-IGBT and an on-voltage of the power semiconductor module is approximately equal to an on-voltage of the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device having a chip area approximately equal to that of the Si-IGBT, the method comprising:

turning off the Si-IGBT first; and

turning off the wide bandgap semiconductor switching device after a current of the Si-IGBT flowing through the Si-IGBT is dissipated.