Abstract: A semiconductor module includes: a semiconductor element having a first main electrode and a second main electrode; a first conductive member and a second conductive member connected to the first main electrode and the second main electrode, respectively, and placed to sandwich the semiconductor element; and a main terminal including a first main terminal continuous from the first conductive member and a second main terminal continuous from the second conductive member. The main terminal has a facing portion, a non-facing portion, a first connection portion, and a second connection portion. In a width direction, a formation position of the second connection portion overlaps with a formation position of the first connection portion.

Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element having first and second main electrodes, first and second substrates connected to the first and second main electrodes, respectively, first and second main terminals connected to the first and second main electrodes via the first and second substrates, respectively, and a bonding member. The bonding member is interposed between the first and second main electrodes and between the first and second substrates, respectively. At least one of the first and second main terminals includes a plurality of terminals. The first and second main terminals are alternately arranged in one direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the semiconductor element. The first and second main terminals are directly bonded to the first and second substrates without the bonding member.

Abstract: A semiconductor device configures one arm of an upper-lower arm circuit, and includes: a semiconductor element that includes a first main electrode and a second main electrode, wherein a main current between the first main electrode and the second main electrode; and multiple main terminals that include a first main terminal connected to the first main electrode and a second main terminal connected to the second main electrode. The first main terminal and the second main terminal are placed adjacent to each other; A lateral surface of the first main terminal and a lateral surface of the second main terminal face each other in one direction orthogonal to a thickness direction of the semiconductor element.

Abstract: In a semiconductor module, two switching elements are connected in parallel to each other. Each of the switching elements includes a first main electrode formed on one surface side, and a second main electrode and a gate electrode formed on a rear surface side opposite to the one surface side. A first conductor plate is coupled with two first main terminals at first coupling portions and is electrically connected with the first main electrodes. A second conductor plate is coupled with one second main terminal at a second coupling portion and is electrically connected with the second main electrodes. The second coupling portion is disposed between the switching elements in an alignment direction of the switching elements, and the first coupling portions are provided on both sides of the second coupling portion in the alignment direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip formed with an IGBT, a second semiconductor chip formed with a MOSFET, a first metal member electrically connected to a collector electrode and a drain electrode, and a second metal member electrically connected to an emitter electrode and a source electrode. The IGBT and the MOSFET connected in parallel to each other are turned on in the order of the IGBT and the MOSFET, and turned off in the order of the MOSFET and the IGBT. The second metal member has a main body portion on which the first and second semiconductor chips are mounted, and a joint portion as a terminal portion connected to the main body portion. In a plan view, a shortest distance between the joint portion and the first semiconductor chip is shorter than a shortest distance between the joint portion and the second semiconductor chip.

Abstract: A power transistor driving apparatus includes: a field-effect type transistor; an insulated gate type bipolar transistor, which is connected to the field-effect type transistor in parallel; a first driving circuit generating a first gate voltage to turn on the insulated gate type bipolar transistor, the first gate voltage applied to a gate of the insulated gate type bipolar transistor; a second driving circuit adjusting a second gate voltage to turn on or off the field-effect type transistor, the second gate voltage applied to a gate of the field-effect type transistor; a detection circuit detecting whether the insulated gate type bipolar transistor is turned on when the first driving circuit generates the first gate voltage. The second driving circuit generates the second gate voltage to turn on the field-effect type transistor when the detection circuit detects that the insulated gate type bipolar transistor is turned on.

Abstract: A drive device includes an off-side circuit controlling a gate current of a power switching element to perform an off operation. The off-side circuit includes: a main MOS transistor; a sense MOS transistor defining a drain current of the main MOS transistor; and a sense current control circuit controlling a drain current of the sense MOS transistor to be constant. The sense current control circuit includes: a reference power supply; a reference resistor; and an operational amplifier generating an output at the gate of the sense MOS transistor so that a potential between the reference resistor and the sense MOS transistor approaches the reference potential. The sense current control circuit flows a current, determined by a resistance value of the reference resistor and the reference potential, as the drain current of the sense MOS transistor.

Abstract: A drive device includes: an on-side circuit turning on a power switching element; an off-side circuit turning off the power switching element; and a protection circuit controlling a gate current of the power switching element. The protection circuit includes: a constant-current circuit that defines a constant current for drawing a gate charge of the power switching element; a protection switch that controls electrical connection between the constant-current circuit and the gate of the power switching element; and a collector current detector. The collector current detector turns off the on-side circuit to disconnect the power switching element from the main power supply, and turns on the protection switch after a predetermined time has elapsed from when the current value of the collector current of the power switching element exceeds a first threshold.

Abstract: A first annular isolation trench is formed in a periphery of an element region, and a second annular isolation trench is formed around the first annular isolation trench with a predetermined distance provided from the first annular isolation trench, and a semiconductor layer between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench is separated into a plurality of portions by a plurality of linear isolation trenches formed in the semiconductor layer between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench, and the semiconductor layer (source-side isolation region) which opposes a p-type channel layer end portion and is located between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench is separated from other semiconductor layers (drain-side isolation regions) by the linear isolation trenches.

Abstract: A first annular isolation trench is formed in a periphery of an element region, and a second annular isolation trench is formed around the first annular isolation trench with a predetermined distance provided from the first annular isolation trench, and a semiconductor layer between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench is separated into a plurality of portions by a plurality of linear isolation trenches formed in the semiconductor layer between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench, and the semiconductor layer (source-side isolation region) which opposes a p-type channel layer end portion and is located between the first annular isolation trench and the second annular isolation trench is separated from other semiconductor layers (drain-side isolation regions) by the linear isolation trenches.

Abstract: To provide an AC-PDP capable of achieving low power consumption and low cost, a driving method is adopted in which, during a period of sustaining light emission of the AC-PDP, an electrode of one side of the panel is fixed at a predetermined potential, and positive and negative voltages are alternately applied to an electrode of the other side of the panel. In addition, an IGBT is used as a switch element. Thus, with a half-bridge driving method using an IGBT as a switch element, it is possible to simultaneously achieve a reduction in loss of a driving circuit of the AC-PDP and a reduction in the number of components thereof, such reductions not being able to be achieved by the conventional techniques.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having a pair of IGBT and diode which are connected to each other in inverse-parallel in which a collector-electrode of the IGBT and a cathode-electrode of the diode are wired to each other, and an emitter-electrode of the IGBT and an anode-electrode of the diode are wired to each other, when a breakdown voltage of a junction of a p-type emitter layer and an n-type buffer layer of the IGBT is represented as BVec, and a forward voltage occurring while the diode transits from a state of blocking to a state of forward conduction is represented as VF, a relationship of VF<BVec is satisfied in a predetermined current value Id of a current flowing in the diode, and the maximal doping concentration of the n-type cathode layer of the diode is higher than that of the n-type buffer layer of the IGBT.

Abstract: A plasma display apparatus wherein during the period for which the lighting of the AC type PDP panel is sustained, the electrodes on one side of the panel are maintained at a constant potential whereas the electrodes on the other side of the panel are supplied alternately with a positive voltage and a negative voltage, the plasma display apparatus having a means that feeds power flowing toward the address power source into a separate power source.

Abstract: A plasma display apparatus having a plurality of display cells for prolonging the luminous brightness lifetime in the single-sided drive mode has a first sustaining electrode, a second sustaining electrode connected to reference potential and cooperating with the first sustaining electrode to perform sustain discharge through a discharge space of a display cell, and an address electrode, an electrical capacitance set up between the second sustaining electrode and the discharge space is larger than that set up between the first sustaining electrode and the discharge space.

Abstract: To provide an AC-PDP capable of achieving low power consumption and low cost, a driving method is adopted in which, during a period of sustaining light emission of the AC-PDP, an electrode of one side of the panel is fixed at a predetermined potential, and positive and negative voltages are alternately applied to an electrode of the other side of the panel. In addition, an IGBT is used as a switch element. Thus, with a half-bridge driving method using an IGBT as a switch element, it is possible to simultaneously achieve a reduction in loss of a driving circuit of the AC-PDP and a reduction in the number of components thereof, such reductions not being able to be achieved by the conventional techniques.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having a pair of IGBT and diode which are connected to each other in inverse-parallel in which a collector-electrode of the IGBT and a cathode-electrode of the diode are wired to each other, and an emitter-electrode of the IGBT and an anode-electrode of the diode are wired to each other, when a breakdown voltage of a junction of a p-type emitter layer and an n-type buffer layer of the IGBT is represented as BVec, and a forward voltage occurring while the diode transits from a state of blocking to a state of forward conduction is represented as VF, a relationship of VF<BVec is satisfied in a predetermined current value Id of a current flowing in the diode, and the maximal doping concentration of the n-type cathode layer of the diode is higher than that of the n-type buffer layer of the IGBT.