Power converter

• US 5,608,616 A
• Filed: 12/07/1994
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Tokura, Norihito, Sato, Hirohide, Umeda, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Krishnan, Aditya
• Application Number:
  US08/351,027
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 363/132, 363/125, 363/131, 363/127, 363/19-21, 363/56, 363/97, 323/289, 323/271, 323/272, 323/282, 323/290, 323/320, 323/902, 361/93, 361/98, 307/31-34
• US Class Current: 363/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/45 Ohmic electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7803 structurally associated with at least one other device assemblies H01L25/00; integrated circuits H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7813 with trench gate electrode, e.g. UMOS transistors trench gate electrodes per se H01L29/4236
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1492 by means of controlling devices between the generator output and the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/05 Rectifiers associated with casings, enclosures or brackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

A power converter for an AC generator for motor vehicles for converting a generated voltage of the AC generator driven by an engine into a DC voltage to feed to a battery includes at least either high-side MOS power transistors for connecting an output end of an armature coil which generates the generated voltage of the AC generator with a high potential end of a battery or low-side MOS power transistors for connecting the output end of the armature coil with a low potential end of the battery. The MOS power transistors each has a source region, a well region and a drain region. A high resistance connected with either a parasitic diode on the side connected with the source generated between the source region and well region or a parasitic diode on the side connected with the drain generated between the drain region and well region in parallel is formed in the MOS power transistors. Thereby, it allows blocking a reverse current produced by the parasitic diode and giving a necessary potential to the well region. Further, SiC is used in the MOS power transistors rather than Si.

Claims

1. A power converter for an AC generator for motor vehicles for converting a generated voltage of the AC generator driven by an engine into a DC voltage to feed to a battery, comprising at least one of:

1) a first group of high-side MOS power transistors for connecting an output end of an armature coil which generates said generated voltage with a high potential end of said battery; and

2) a second group of low-side MOS power transistors for connecting said output end with a low potential end of said battery, wherein;

said high-side and/or said low-side MOS power transistors each have a source region, a well region, and a drain region; and

each transistor in at least one of said first group and said second group of MOS power transistors has a high resistance connected in parallel with either a parasitic diode generated between said source region and well region or a parasitic diode generated between said drain region and well region for preventing conductance of current through said parasitic diode.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein said high resistance is connected in parallel with said parasitic diode between said drain region and well region.

3. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein said high resistance is connected in parallel with said parasitic diode between said source region and well region.

4. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein said AC generator has a three-phase armature coil and said high-side and/or said low-side MOS power transistors are connected to each end of said three-phase armature coil.

5. The power converter according to claim 1 or 4, wherein both said high-side MOS power transistors and said low-side MOS power transistors are connected between said armature coil and said battery, and one of said first group and said second group of said MOS power transistors have high resistances connected in parallel with the parasitic diode between said drain region and well region and another of said first group and said second group of said MOS power transistors have high resistances connected in parallel with the parasitic diode between said source region and well region.

6. The power converter according to claim 1 or 4, wherein each of said high-side MOS power transistors is connected in series with one of said low-side MOS power transistors, respectively, and wherein one transistor of each connected pair of said high-side and said low-side MOS power transistors has said high resistance and said parasitic diode created in another transistor of each connected pair of said high side and said low-side MOS power transistors blocks current from flowing through said high resistance.

7. The power converter according to claim 1 or 4, wherein said high-side and/or said low side MOS power transistors are formed using monocrystal SiC.

8. The power converter according to claim 1 or 4, wherein said high resistance is made of an alloy layer of a metallic electrode disposed on the surface of said well region and monocrystal SiC forming said well region.

9. The power converter according to claim 1 or 4, wherein said power converter includes only one of said first group and said second group of said MOS power transistors and PN junction diodes are provided as a substitute for another of said first group and said second group of said MOS power transistors.

10. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein each of said MOS power transistors comprises an N⁺ -type substrate forming a drain electrode, an N-type voltage withstanding layer formed on said substrate, a P-type well region formed on the surface of said voltage withstanding layer, an N⁺ -type source region formed on the surface of said P-type well region and being a source electrode and a gate electrode disposed on the surface of said P-type well region through an insulating film and for forming an N-type channel for conducting said source region and said voltage withstanding layer.

11. The power converter according to claim 10, wherein:

said generator has a three-phase armature coil and said low-side MOS power transistors connect each end of said three-phase armature coil and said low potential end of said battery,

said substrate forms a common drain electrode of each of said low-side MOS power transistors,

each said P-type well region is individually formed on said N-type voltage withstanding layer,

each said N⁺ source region is individually formed on the surface of one said P-type well region, respectively and

each said gate electrode is disposed on said insulating film, corresponding to one said P-type well region formed on said N-type voltage withstanding layer, respectively, each said gate electrode individually controlling conduction of a corresponding said source region and said N-type voltage withstanding layer through a corresponding said P-type well region, respectively.

12. The power converter according to one of claims 1 through 4, wherein said high-side and/or said low-side MOS power transistors are formed using monocrystal SiC and designed so that more than 100 V can be applied between a source electrode and a drain electrode and between a drain electrode and a gate electrode of said high-side and/or said low-side MOS power transistors.

13. The power converter according to one of claims 1 through 4, wherein said power converter is one of a full-wave rectifier and a half-wave rectifier.

14. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein said generator has a permanent magneto rotor.

15. The power converter according to claim 14, wherein said high-side MOS power transistors and low-side MOS power transistors form a three-phase full-wave rectifier and said full-wave rectifier and a regulator for rectified voltage are stored within a common metallic case and are attached to a housing of said generator.

16. The power converter according to claim 15, wherein said metallic case is formed in an arc shape and is closely attached to said housing of said generator so that heat is transmitted.

17. The power converter according to one of claims 1 through 4, wherein said high resistance is selected such that a resistance value thereof is 150 Ω

or more.

18. The power converter according to one of claims 1 through 4, wherein said high resistance is disposed between said well region and an electrode formed on said well region via said high resistance.