Drive circuit for voltage driven type semiconductor element

• US 7,242,238 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Higashi, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan; Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu; An T.
• Application Number:
  US11/077,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 327/427
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0828 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/166 Soft switching

Abstract

A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element, includes: an electrical charge discharge unit that discharges electrical charge from a gate terminal of a voltage driven type semiconductor element when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned OFF; and an electrical discharge control unit that detects a time variation of a collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and controls electric discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit according to the time variation of the collector voltage which has been detected.

Claims

1. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element, comprising:

an electrical charge discharge unit that discharges electrical charge from a gate terminal of a voltage driven type semiconductor element when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned OFF; and

an electrical current detection unit that detects a collector electrical current of the voltage driven type semiconductor element; and

an electrical discharge control unit that detects a time variation of a collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and controls electric discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit according to the time variation of the collector voltage which has been detected and the electrical current value which has been detected by the electrical current detection unit.

2. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit varies a discharge speed by the electrical charge discharge unit according to the time variation of the collector voltage which has been detected and the electrical current value which has been detected by the electrical current detection unit.

3. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 2, wherein:

the electrical discharge control unit comprises a differentiation circuit which comprises a resistor element and a capacitor element, and which differentiates the variation of the collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element;

the electrical charge discharge unit comprises a PNP transistor, whose emitter terminal is connected to the gate terminal of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and whose collector terminal is connected to an emitter terminal of the voltage driven type semiconductor element; and

a differentiated output from the differentiation circuit is inputted to a base terminal of the PNP transistor.

4. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 3, wherein:

the resistor element of the differentiation circuit comprises a first resistor element which has a first resistance value, and a second resistor element which has a second resistance value which is greater than the first resistance value, which can be optionally changed over; and

the electrical discharge control unit changes over to the first resistor element when the electrical current value which is detected by the electrical current detection unit is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and changes over to the second resistor element when the electrical current value which is detected by the electrical current detection unit is greater than the predetermined value.

5. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electrical charge supply unit that supplies electrical charge to a gate terminal of the voltage driven type semiconductor element when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned ON;

the electrical charge supply unit comprising an NPN transistor;

the electrical charge discharge unit comprising a PNP transistor;

a signal output circuit which has a push-pull structure, and which outputs a drive signal to a base terminal of the NPN transistor;

a capacitance element, a first resistor element, and a first switching element which are connected between a collector terminal and an emitter terminal of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and are connected in series; and

a second resistor element of which one terminal is connected to a connection point of the capacitance element and the first resistor element, and the other terminal is connected to an output terminal of the signal output circuit, wherein;

the connection point of the capacitance element, the first resistor element, and the second resistance element is connected to a base terminal of the PNP transistor; and

a time constant due to the capacitance element and the first resistor element, and a time constant due to the capacitance element and the second resistor element, are changed over between according to a switching state of the first switching element.

6. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 5, further comprising:

a second switching element which is connected in series between the first resistor element and the first switching element, and which is changed over according to an output signal level from the signal output circuit, and wherein

the second switching element is turned ON to cause the PNP transistor to operate, by the output signal level which is outputted from the signal output circuit when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned OFF.

7. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 2, wherein

when the electrical current value which is detected by the electrical current detection unit is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the electrical discharge control unit controls electrical discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit so that the electrical discharge speed is slower, than when the electrical current value is less than the predetermined value.

8. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 2, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit controls electrical discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit so as to make the time variation of the collector voltage constant, and, when the electrical current value which is detected by the electrical current detection unit is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, controls electrical discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit so as to make the time variation of the collector voltage smaller, than when the electrical current value is less than the predetermined value.

9. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 2, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit comprises a differentiation circuit which detects the time variation of the collector voltage and feeds back the detected time variation to the electrical charge discharge unit, and varies the discharge speed by the electrical charge discharge unit by changing over a resistor element which constitutes the differentiation circuit, according to the electrical current value which is detected by the electrical current detection unit.

10. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit controls electrical discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit so as to bring a rate of reduction with time of the collector electrical current of the voltage driven type semiconductor element to approach a predetermined value.

11. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit controls electrical discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit so that the time variation of the collector voltage becomes constant.

12. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit comprises a differentiation circuit which detects the time variation of the collector voltage and feeds back the detected time variation to the electrical charge discharge unit.

13. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit performs feedback control so as to keep the time variation of the collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element to a constant value, with a detection gain according to the collector electrical current which has been detected by the electrical current detection unit.

14. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit feeds back the detected time variation of the collector voltage to the electrical charge discharge unit, and varies an amount of feedback control according to the collector electrical current which has been detected by the electrical current detection unit.

15. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 1, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit detects the time variation of the collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element with a detection gain according to the collector electrical current which has been detected by the electrical current detection unit, and controls the electric discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit according to the time variation of the collector voltage which has been detected.

16. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 15, wherein

the electrical discharge control unit changes over a detection gain according to the collector electrical current which has been detected by the electrical current detection unit.

17. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element according to claim 16, wherein

when the collector electrical current which has been detected by the electrical current detection unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the electrical discharge control unit changes over the detection gain to a value higher than a detection gain in a case that the detected collector electrical current is lower than the predetermined value.

18. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element, comprising:

an electrical charge discharge means for discharging electrical charge from a gate terminal of a voltage driven type semiconductor element when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned OFF; and

an electrical current detection means for detecting a collector electrical current of the voltage driven type semiconductor element; and

an electrical discharge control means for detecting a time variation of a collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and for controlling electric discharge by the electrical charge discharge means according to the time variation of the collector voltage which has been detected and the electrical current value which has been detected by the electrical current detection means.

19. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element, comprising:

an electrical charge discharge unit that discharges electrical charge from a gate terminal of a voltage driven type semiconductor element when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned OFF;

an electrical discharge control unit that detects a time variation of a collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and controls electric discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit according to the time variation of the collector voltage which has been detected;

an electrical charge supply unit that supplies electrical charge to a gate terminal of the voltage driven type semiconductor element when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned ON;

the electrical charge supply unit comprising an NPN transistor;

the electrical charge discharge unit comprising a PNP transistor;

a signal output circuit which has a push-pull structure, and which outputs a drive signal to a base terminal of the NPN transistor;

a capacitance element, a first resistor element, and a first switching element which are connected between a collector terminal and an emitter terminal of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and are connected in series; and

a second resistor element of which one terminal is connected to a connection point of the capacitance element and the first resistor element, and the other terminal is connected to an output terminal of the signal output circuit, wherein;

the connection point of the capacitance element, the first resistor element, and the second resistance element is connected to a base terminal of the PNP transistor; and

a time constant due to the capacitance element and the first resistor element, and a time constant due to the capacitance element and the second resistor element, are changed over between according to a switching state of the first switching element.

20. A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor element, comprising:

an electrical charge discharge unit that discharges electrical charge from a gate terminal of a voltage driven type semiconductor element when the voltage driven type semiconductor element is turned OFF;

an electrical discharge control unit that detects a time variation of a collector voltage of the voltage driven type semiconductor element, and controls electric discharge by the electrical charge discharge unit according to the time variation of the collector voltage which has been detected; and

wherein

the electrical discharge control unit comprises a differentiation circuit which detects the time variation of the collector voltage and feeds back the detected time variation to the electrical charge discharge unit.