Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an IGBT, a constant voltage circuit, and protection Zener diodes. The IGBT makes/breaks a low-voltage current flowing in a primary coil. The constant voltage circuit and the protection Zener diodes are provided between an external gate terminal and an external collector terminal. The constant voltage circuit supplies a constant gate voltage to the IGBT to thereby set a saturation current value of the IGBT to a predetermined limiting current value. The IGBT has the saturation current value in a limiting current value range of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A micro-transformer manufacturing method is provided, which can improve throughput, prevent a crack from entering an insulating film between coils, and manufacture the micro-transformer without using a mask material having a high selection ratio. An insulating film is deposited on the whole face of a semiconductor substrate having an impurity-diffused region. This insulating film is partially removed to form a first opening and a second opening. A primary coil is formed such that a center pad contacts the impurity-diffused region through the first opening. A thin insulating film is deposited on the primary coil. An insulator material having a secondary coil formed thereon is adhered onto the insulating film on the primary coil by adhesive tape. The insulator material is sized to not cover both a pad, connected with the center pad of the primary coil through the impurity-diffused region, and an outer-end pad of the primary coil.

Abstract: A semiconductor has an IGBT active section and a control circuit section for detecting an IGBT abnormal state. A collector region is formed on the back surface side (i.e., on the IGBT collector side) in a selective manner, namely right under the IGBT active section.

Abstract: A level shift circuit and a semiconductor device are configured to prevent failure and malfunction even when an excessive negative voltage or ESD surge are applied to a high-voltage power supply terminal. The level shift circuit includes a level shift resistor, a current-limiting resistor connected in series to the level shift resistor, and an n-channel MOSFET, with its drain connected to the current-limiting resistor. An output of the level-up circuit is obtained from the positioned between the level shift resistor and the current-limiting resistor. By providing the current-limiting resistor, the current that flows due to an excessive negative voltage or ESD surge is suppressed to prevent the level shift circuit from failing or malfunctioning.

Abstract: An insulating transformer includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulating substrate, a primary winding provided on one of the semiconductor substrate and the insulating substrate, a secondary winding provided on other of the semiconductor substrate and the insulating substrate, and an insulating spacer layer provided in between the semiconductor substrate and the insulating substrate for insulating and separating the primary winding and the secondary winding. The primary winding and the secondary winding are disposed to face each other. The insulating spacer layer maintains a constant interval between the semiconductor substrate and the insulating substrate.

Abstract: An insulated transformer, which can suppress aging deterioration and can reduce the influence of noise caused by external magnetic flux, while improving reliability and environmental resistance, and can send and receive signals while electrically insulating a low-voltage side and a high-voltage side. A secondary coil is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a primary coil is formed on one face of a glass substrate. The primary coil fixes the glass substrate formed on one face onto the semiconductor substrate through the other face of the glass substrate by an adhesive layer.

Abstract: An insulated gate silicon carbide semiconductor device is provided having small on-resistance in a structure obtained by combining the SIT and MOSFET structures having normally-off operation. The device includes an n? semiconductor layer on an SiC n+ substrate, a p-type base region and highly doped p-region both buried in the layer, a trench from the semiconductor layer surface to the p-base region, an n+ first source region in the surface of a p-type base region at the bottom of the trench, a p-type channel region in the surface of the sidewall of the trench, one end of which contacts the first source region, a gate electrode contacting the trench-side surface of the channel region via a gate insulating film, and a source electrode contacting the trench-side surface of the gate electrode via an interlayer insulating film and contacting the exposed first source region and p-base region at the bottom of the trench.

Abstract: An insulated gate silicon carbide semiconductor device is provided having small on-resistance. The device combines a static induction transistor structure with an insulated gate field effect transistor structure. The advantages of both the SIT structure and the insulated gate field effect transistor structure are obtained. The structures are formed on the same SiC semiconductor substrate, with the MOSFET structure above the SIT structure. The SIT structure includes a p+ gate region in an n-type drift layer on an n+ SiC semiconductor substrate, and an n+ first source region on the surface of the drift layer. The MOSFET structure includes a p-well region on the surface of the first source region, a second source region formed in the p-well region, and a MOS gate structure formed in a trench extending from the second source region to the first source region. The p+ gate region and a source electrode are conductively connected.

Abstract: A operational control device for supplying electric power from an electric power equipment to a plurality of power consumption systems store a power consumption pattern for each of the power consumption systems. It obtains a combined expected power consumption pattern by adding power consumption patterns of the operating power consumption systems. Next, a combined assumed power consumption pattern is obtained by adding a power consumption pattern, obtained based on a temporary operational start time, of a power consumption system which has made a request for a starting operation.

Abstract: A semiconductor superjunction device has a superjunction structure formed in a drift region of the device. The superjunction structure has alternately arranged n-type regions and p-type semiconductor regions layered parallel with the drift direction of carriers, permitting current flow when turned ON and depleting when turned OFF. It also includes a first intrinsic semiconductor region between the n-type and p-type regions. The first intrinsic semiconductor region and the n-type and p-type regions sandwiching the first intrinsic semiconductor region forming a unit. A plurality of units are repetitively arranged to form a repetitively arranged structure. The value of mobility of one of electrons in the n-type region or holes in the p-type region is equal to or less than half the value of mobility of corresponding to one of electrons or holes in the first intrinsic semiconductor region.

Abstract: A semiconductor superjunction device has a superjunction structure formed in a drift region of the device. The superjunction structure has alternately arranged n-type regions and p-type semiconductor regions layered parallel with the drift direction of carriers, permitting current flow when turned ON and depleting when turned OFF. It also includes a first intrinsic semiconductor region between the n-type and p-type regions. The first intrinsic semiconductor region and the n-type and p-type regions sandwiching the first intrinsic semiconductor region forming a unit. A plurality of units are repetitively arranged to form a repetitively arranged structure. The value of mobility of one of electrons in the n-type region or holes in the p-type region is equal to or less than half the value of mobility of corresponding to one of electrons or holes in the first intrinsic semiconductor region.

Abstract: In an operational control device 20 of a power supply system for supplying electric power from an electric power equipment 4 to a plurality of power consumption systems 8A to 8F, a power consumption pattern of each of the power consumption systems is stored, and a combined expected power consumption pattern 40 is obtained by adding together power consumption patterns of operating power consumption systems. Next, a combined assumed power consumption pattern is obtained by adding a power consumption pattern, obtained based on a temporary operational start time, of a power consumption system which has made the request for starting operation to the combined expected power consumption pattern.

Abstract: An IGBT having a trench gate structure is disclosed which generates decreased noise at switching and displays superiority in saturation voltage to turn-off loss characteristics (trade-off characteristics). In a part of a region on an emitter side surface interposed between trench gates, a sub well region is provided, which is connected to an emitter electrode through diodes. When the IGBT is in a turned-on state, the diodes are brought into a non-conduction state to isolate the sub well region from the emitter electrode, by which carriers are accumulated. When the IGBT is in a turned-off state, the diodes are brought into a conduction state to electrically connect the sub well region to the emitter electrode, by which carriers are discharged at a high speed. In an early stage of turning-on of the IGBT, capacitance of a portion of the gate facing the sub well region is converted to gate-emitter capacitance to thereby reduce gate-collector capacitance, by which electromagnetic noise at switching is reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device facilitating a peripheral portion thereof with a breakdown voltage higher than the breakdown voltage in the drain drift layer without employing a guard ring or field plate. A preferred embodiment includes a drain drift region with a first alternating conductivity type layer formed of n drift current path regions and p partition regions arranged alternately with each other, and a breakdown withstanding region with a second alternating conductivity type layer formed of n regions and p regions arranged alternately with each other, the breakdown withstanding region providing no current path in the ON-state of the device and being depleted in the OFF-state of the device. Since depletion layers expand in both directions from multiple pn-junctions into n regions and p regions in the OFF-state of the device, the adjacent areas of p-type base regions, the outer area of the semiconductor chip and the deep area of the semiconductor chip are depleted.

Abstract: A fabrication method of a semiconductor wafer can fill trenches formed in a semiconductor substrate with an epitaxial film with high crystal quality without leaving cavities in the trenches. The trenches are formed in the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate. Planes exposed inside the trenches are made clean surfaces by placing the substrate in a gas furnace, followed by supplying the furnace with an etching gas and carrier gas, and by performing etching on the exposed planes inside the trenches by a thickness from about a few nanometers to one micrometer. The trenches have a geometry opening upward through the etching. Following the etching, a second conductivity type semiconductor is epitaxially grown in the trenches by supplying the furnace with a growth gas, etching gas, doping gas and carrier gas, thereby filling the trenches. Instead of making the trenches slightly-opened upward, their sidewalls may be made planes enabling facet formation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device facilitating a peripheral portion thereof with a breakdown voltage higher than the breakdown voltage in the drain drift layer without employing a guard ring or field plate. A preferred embodiment includes a drain drift region with a first alternating conductivity type layer formed of n drift current path regions and p partition regions arranged alternately with each other, and a breakdown withstanding region with a second alternating conductivity type layer formed of n regions and p regions arranged alternately with each other, the breakdown withstanding region providing no current path in the ON-state of the device and being depleted in the OFF-state of the device. Since depletion layers expand in both directions from multiple pn-junctions into n regions and p regions in the OFF-state of the device, the adjacent areas of p-type base regions, the outer area of the semiconductor chip and the deep area of the semiconductor chip are depleted.

Abstract: A semiconductor device facilitates obtaining a higher breakdown voltage in the portion of the semiconductor chip around the drain drift region and improving the avalanche withstanding capability thereof. A vertical MOSFET according to the invention includes a drain layer; a drain drift region on drain layer, drain drift region including a first alternating conductivity type layer; a breakdown withstanding region (the peripheral region of the semiconductor chip) on drain layer and around drain drift region, breakdown withstanding region providing substantially no current path in the ON-state of the MOSFET, breakdown withstanding region being depleted in the OFF-state of the MOSFET, breakdown withstanding region including a second alternating conductivity type layer, and an under region below a gate pad, and the under region including a third alternating conductivity type layer.

Abstract: An IGBT having a trench gate structure is disclosed which generates decreased noise at switching and displays superiority in saturation voltage to turn-off loss characteristics (trade-off characteristics). In a part of a region on an emitter side surface interposed between trench gates, a sub well region is provided, which is connected to an emitter electrode through diodes. When the IGBT is in a turned-on state, the diodes are brought into a non-conduction state to isolate the sub well region from the emitter electrode, by which carriers are accumulated. When the IGBT is in a turned-off state, the diodes are brought into a conduction state to electrically connect the sub well region to the emitter electrode, by which carriers are discharged at a high speed. In an early stage of turning-on of the IGBT, capacitance of a portion of the gate facing the sub well region is converted to gate-emitter capacitance to thereby reduce gate-collector capacitance, by which electromagnetic noise at switching is reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device facilitating a peripheral portion thereof with a breakdown voltage higher than the breakdown voltage in the drain drift layer without employing a guard ring or field plate. A preferred embodiment includes a drain drift region with a first alternating conductivity type layer formed of n drift current path regions and p partition regions arranged alternately with each other, and a breakdown withstanding region with a second alternating conductivity type layer formed of n regions and p regions arranged alternately with each other, the breakdown withstanding region providing no current path in the ON-state of the device and being depleted in the OFF-state of the device. Since depletion layers expand in both directions from multiple pn-junctions into n regions and p regions in the OFF-state of the device, the adjacent areas of p-type base regions, the outer area of the semiconductor chip and the deep area of the semiconductor chip are depleted.

Abstract: A fabrication method of a semiconductor wafer can fill trenches formed in a semiconductor substrate with an epitaxial film with high crystal quality without leaving cavities in the trenches. The trenches are formed in the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate. Planes exposed inside the trenches are made clean surfaces by placing the substrate in a gas furnace, followed by supplying the furnace with an etching gas and carrier gas, and by performing etching on the exposed planes inside the trenches by a thickness from about a few nanometers to one micrometer. The trenches have a geometry opening upward through the etching. Following the etching, a second conductivity type semiconductor is epitaxially grown in the trenches by supplying the furnace with a growth gas, etching gas, doping gas and carrier gas, thereby filling the trenches. Instead of making the trenches slightly-opened upward, their sidewalls may be made planes enabling facet formation.