Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus is provided, comprising a power semiconductor element which is connected between a first terminal on a high-potential side and a second terminal on a low-potential side and is controlled to be turned on or off according to a gate potential, a cut-off condition detection section which detects whether or not a control signal that is input from a control terminal and controls the power semiconductor element satisfies a predetermined cut-off condition, and a cut-off circuit which controls the gate potential of the power semiconductor element to be an OFF potential in response to the cut-off condition detection section detecting that the cut-off condition is satisfied, and the cut-off condition detection section has an input terminal connected to the first terminal and the control terminal, and uses an electrical signal input from the input terminal as a power source.

Abstract: A one-chip igniter is formed by a convenient manufacturing process and at a low cost. A device to switch a power semiconductor switch is provided, the device comprising a first semiconductor switch which is turned on or turned off in response to a first control signal input to a gate and, if turned on, provides a high voltage to a gate of the power semiconductor switch, and a voltage boosting circuit which boosts a voltage of the first control signal that turns the first semiconductor switch on. As one example, the voltage boosting circuit boosts a voltage of the first control signal which turns the first semiconductor switch on to a higher voltage than a high voltage.

Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus is provided, including a power semiconductor element, a cutoff condition detection portion which detects whether a predetermined cutoff condition is met, a reset portion which outputs a reset signal that instructs to reset during a predetermined period in response to an input of the control signal turning the power semiconductor element on, a latch portion which is reset in response to the reset signal and latches that an occurrence of the cutoff condition is detected after the reset, a cutoff circuit which controls the gate of the power semiconductor element to be at an OFF potential in response to the latching of the occurrence of the cutoff condition by the latch portion, and a prevention circuit which prevents the gate of the power semiconductor element from being at an ON potential during a period of reset of the latch portion even if the cutoff condition is met.

Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus can block the voltage from the power source when the voltage from the power source reaches an excessive level, without requiring a larger chip size. Provided is a semiconductor apparatus including a power semiconductor element a gate of which is controlled in response to a control signal, an overvoltage detector configured to detect that a voltage at a collector terminal of the power semiconductor element reaches an overvoltage level, and a block unit configured to, in response to the detection of the overvoltage level, control the gate of the power semiconductor element to transition to an off-voltage. The semiconductor apparatus may further include a reset unit configured to, in response to that the control signal is input that turns on the power semiconductor element, output a reset signal for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A drive circuit that operates stably and has a small circuit size. Provided is a switch apparatus including a power semiconductor element connected between a first terminal on a high potential side and a second terminal on a low potential side; a capacitor; a charging section that charges the capacitor for at least a portion of an interval during which the power semiconductor element is OFF; a discharging section that causes the capacitor to gradually discharge, in response to the power semiconductor element becoming ON; and a cutoff section that sets the power semiconductor element to an OFF state, in response to a voltage of the capacitor becoming lower than a threshold voltage.

Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus including a power semiconductor element connected between a first terminal on a high potential side and a second terminal on a low potential side, and controlled to be ON or OFF according to a gate potential thereof; a switch element connected between a control terminal that inputs a control signal for controlling the power semiconductor element and a gate of the power semiconductor element, and controlled to be ON or OFF according to a gate potential thereof; an ON potential supplying section connected between the first terminal and a gate of the switch element, that supplies an ON potential to the gate of the switch element; and an OFF potential supplying section connected between a reference potential and the gate of the switch element, that sets the gate potential of the switch element to an OFF potential in response to a predetermined cutoff condition being satisfied.

Abstract: A super junction MOSFET device including a semiconductor substrate; a base region provided on a primary surface side of the semiconductor substrate and having impurities of a first conductivity type; a source region that includes a portion of a frontmost surface of the base region and has impurities of a second conductivity type; a gate electrode that penetrates through the base region; a source electrode that is provided on the base region and is electrically connected to the source region; and a front surface region that is provided on an entirety of the frontmost surface of the base region in a region differing from a region where the source region and the gate electrode are provided in the base region, is electrically connected to the source electrode provided on the base region, and has a lower impurity concentration of impurities of the second conductivity type than the source region.

Abstract: A device includes a vertical semiconductor switch including (i) a gate terminal and a first terminal provided on a substrate and (ii) a second terminal provided on the substrate, where the vertical semiconductor switch is configured to electrically connect or disconnect the first terminal and the second terminal, a first insulative film provided on the substrate, a second insulative film provided on the substrate, where the second insulative film is in contact with the first insulative film and thinner than the first insulative film, and a zener diode formed on the first insulative film and the second insulative film, where the zener diode includes a first portion that is formed on the first insulative film and connected to the first surface of the substrate and a second portion that is formed on the second insulative film and connected to the gate terminal.

Abstract: A one-chip igniter is formed by a convenient manufacturing process and at a low cost. A device to switch a power semiconductor switch is provided, the device comprising a first semiconductor switch which is turned on or turned off in response to a first control signal input to a gate and, if turned on, provides a high voltage to a gate of the power semiconductor switch, and a voltage boosting circuit which boosts a voltage of the first control signal that turns the first semiconductor switch on. As one example, the voltage boosting circuit boosts a voltage of the first control signal which turns the first semiconductor switch on to a higher voltage than a high voltage.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a differential amplifier circuit with a differential amplifier operated with a first power supply voltage applied thereto to amplify a differential voltage between paired input voltages, an inverting amplifier operated with a second power supply voltage applied thereto to carry out inverting amplification of the output of the differential amplifier and output the amplified output to the outside, and a voltage step-up circuit producing the first power supply voltage higher than the second power supply voltage from the second power supply voltage and applying the produced first power supply voltage to the differential amplifier. This satisfies at one time the requirement for producing the high power supply voltage necessary for the differential amplifier and the requirement for securing the power supply current necessary for the inverting amplifier on the basis of the externally supplied second power supply voltage.

Abstract: When normal operation is detected by a self-interruption signal source and a first transistor is on, if an on-signal is inputted to an IN terminal, a second transistor is turned on and a third transistor is turned off. Accordingly, an IGBT is turned on. In this state, if an abnormality is detected by the self-interruption signal source, the second transistor is turned off and the third transistor is turned on. Accordingly, a gate terminal of the IGBT is connected to an emitter terminal via the first and third transistors, and charges accumulated by gate capacitance of the IGBT are rapidly discharged. Consequently, if a comparator detects that a collector voltage of the IGBT has exceeded a predetermined voltage, the first transistor is turned off, and a gradual interruption, in which the charges accumulated by the gate capacitance are gradually released by a resistor, is performed.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a semiconductor device that includes a voltage-controlled type semiconductor element connected to a primary side of an ignition coil for supplying a voltage to an ignition device of an internal combustion engine, a first resistor and a second resistor inserted in series in a supplying path of an input signal for controlling a gate of the voltage-controlled type semiconductor element and a current control circuit including a current limiting circuit for controlling current flowing through the voltage-controlled type semiconductor element. Aspects of the invention also include a first by-pass forming element that is connected in parallel to the second resistor and by-passes the second resistor in a turning ON process of the voltage-controlled type semiconductor element, and a second by-pass forming element that is connected in parallel to the first resistor and the second resistor.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device, two series connections are arranged to be connected between respective split emitter electrodes and a gate electrode with Zener diode units connected in series to respective resistors, with the cathode sides thereof directed to the gate electrode side. The numbers of the Zener diodes in the Zener diode units in the respective series connections are different between the respective Zener diode units. Thus, a semiconductor device can be provided which is capable of detecting an open failure of a bonding wire regardless of the number of a plurality of the bonding wires connected in parallel, by a simple electrical test to make it possible to reliably sort out a semiconductor device with a wire open failure at an early stage.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a power semiconductor element, a gate pull-down circuit which is connected to a gate terminal of the power semiconductor element, and a gate resistor which is connected between an input terminal of the semiconductor device and the gate terminal of the power semiconductor element. The gate pull-down circuit has a constant current circuit by which electric charges can be extracted from a gate capacitance of the power semiconductor element when a signal inputted to the input terminal has a low level. As a result, the semiconductor device has an improved switching speed and an improved noise resistance.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a semiconductor device that includes a voltage-controlled type semiconductor element connected to a primary side of an ignition coil for supplying a voltage to an ignition device of an internal combustion engine, a first resistor and a second resistor inserted in series in a supplying path of an input signal for controlling a gate of the voltage-controlled type semiconductor element and a current control circuit including a current limiting circuit for controlling current flowing through the voltage-controlled type semiconductor element. Aspects of the invention also include a first by-pass forming element that is connected in parallel to the second resistor and by-passes the second resistor in a turning ON process of the voltage-controlled type semiconductor element, and a second by-pass forming element that is connected in parallel to the first resistor and the second resistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a power semiconductor element, a gate pull-down circuit which is connected to a gate terminal of the power semiconductor element, and a gate resistor which is connected between an input terminal of the semiconductor device and the gate terminal of the power semiconductor element. The gate pull-down circuit has a constant current circuit by which electric charges can be extracted from a gate capacitance of the power semiconductor element when a signal inputted to the input terminal has a low level. As a result, the semiconductor device has an improved switching speed and an improved noise resistance.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to an ignition semiconductor device that includes an output IGBT for ON-OFF control of a primary current in an ignition coil and a current control circuit for controlling a magnitude of the primary current in the ignition coil, the current control circuit being operated by the voltage between the gate terminal and the emitter terminal. The current control circuit can include a sense IGBT, a sense resistance, a gate resistance, a reference voltage, level shift circuits, a self shut down signal generator, a self shut down circuit, an operational amplifier, a MOSFET, a gate voltage control circuit , a pulse generation circuit, and a switching circuit. The self shut down signal generator, on detecting an abnormal state, can deliver a self shut down signal and the pulse generation circuit can generate a pulse signal to short-circuit the switching circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor device for ignition performing a current control function and a self shut down function can include a pulse generating circuit, a switching circuit, and a current source circuit, the three circuits together generating a pulse current that discharges a capacitor in the self shut down process. This construction can serve to suppress oscillation of a collector current Ic of the output stage IGBT in the operating processes of the current control circuit and the self shut down circuit, thus preventing or minimizing the likelihood of the ignition plug from erroneous ignition. In addition, the discharge of the capacitor in a pulsed mode can allow for down-sizing of the capacitor, which can contribute to minimization of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include a differential amplifier circuit with a differential amplifier operated with a first power supply voltage applied thereto to amplify a differential voltage between paired input voltages, an inverting amplifier operated with a second power supply voltage applied thereto to carry out inverting amplification of the output of the differential amplifier and output the amplified output to the outside, and a voltage step-up circuit producing the first power supply voltage higher than the second power supply voltage from the second power supply voltage and applying the produced first power supply voltage to the differential amplifier. This satisfies at one time the requirement for producing the high power supply voltage necessary for the differential amplifier and the requirement for securing the power supply current necessary for the inverting amplifier on the basis of the externally supplied second power supply voltage.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention can include a semiconductor device that includes an output stage IGBT and a Zener diode on the same semiconductor substrate. The IGBT can include a first p well layer, an n emitter region on the surface region of the first p well layer, a gate electrode deposited on a gate insulating film, and an emitter electrode on the emitter region. The Zener diode can include a p+ layer formed in the surface region of a second p well layer in the place different from the first p well layer and has a higher concentration than the second p well layer, an anode electrode in ohmic contact with the surface of the p+ layer, an n? layer having a lower concentration than the second p well layer, and a cathode electrode in Schottky contact with the surface of the n? layer.