Abstract: A drive circuit for a voltage-controlled type semiconductor device is provided which comprises ON gate drive circuit for supplying an ON control signal to a control electrode of the semiconductor device which performs a current switching, OFF gate drive circuit for supplying an OFF control signal to the control electrode of the semiconductor device, high voltage power source, connected to at least one of the ON gate drive circuit and OFF gate drive circuit, for supplying a control current of a predetermined current increase rate to the control electrode of the semiconductor device through at least one of the ON gate drive circuit and OFF gate drive circuit, low voltage power source, provided in juxtaposition with the high voltage power source, for supplying, to the control electrode, enough control current to hold the semiconductor device in a normal state, and switch for supplying an output of the high voltage power source to the control electrode in an earlier portion of a turn ON or a turn OFF period, and

Abstract: A semiconductor switching apparatus includes a member for radiating heat generated from semiconductor switching element chips and for reducing a thermal stress. The lengths of gate electrode wires are equally set. The semiconductor switching apparatus has a large capacity and good switching characteristics.

Abstract: A polyphase inverter includes a plurality of unit inverters connected to a single power source to form an a.c. output with the unit inverters being polyphase, thus to take out the resultant output. In this polyphase inverter, a series circuit including a capacitor and a fuse, and a reactor for protection coordination of the fuse are connected between the d.c. power source and each unit inverter. The resonance frequency of a resonance circuit constituted by the capacitor and the reactor is selected so that it is substantially equal to the product of the number of unit inverters, the number of pulses of the unit inverter, and the output fundamental frequency.