Semiconductor module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11088686-B2
Application number	US-201716772808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A semiconductor module includes: a semiconductor substrate; a switching element having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a gate electrode, and the switching element configured to perform turning on/off between the first electrode and the second electrode in response to applying of a predetermined gate voltage to the gate electrode; a control circuit part configured to control the gate voltage; and a current detection element configured to detect a current which flows between the first electrode and the second electrode of the switching element, wherein the switching element, the control circuit part, and the current detection element are mounted on the semiconductor substrate, and the current detection element is formed of a Rogowski coil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A semiconductor module, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a switching element which has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a gate electrode, the switching element being configured to turn on/off between the first electrode and the second electrode in response to a predetermined gate voltage applied to the gate electrode;
a control circuit part configured to control the gate voltage; and
a current detection element configured to detect a current which flows between the first electrode and the second electrode of the switching element,
wherein
the switching element, the control circuit part, and the current detection element are on the semiconductor substrate,
the current detection element is formed of a Rogowski coil,
the control circuit part is configured to operate a measurement mode where a gate voltage for turning on/off the switching element is measured,
the control circuit part includes:
a gate voltage control part configured to control the gate voltage such that the gate voltage changes in a stepwise manner in the measurement mode; and
an ON/OFF state determination part configured to determine an ON/OFF state of the switching element based on a detection result of the current which flows between the first electrode and the second electrode by the current detection element in the measurement mode, and

the control circuit part is further configured to
measure a threshold voltage of the switching element by the gate voltage control part and the ON/OFF state determination part, and
control the switching element with the threshold voltage.

2. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein
the control circuit part is configured to be operated by switching a mode between the measurement mode and a control mode where the turning on/off of the switching element is controlled,
the control circuit part further includes:
a threshold voltage measurement power source configured to supply the current to the first electrode of the switching element in the measurement mode; and
a memory part configured to store gate voltage relating information which relates to the threshold voltage in the measurement mode, and

the gate voltage control part is configured to control the gate voltage based on the gate voltage relating information stored in the memory part to bring the switching element is brought into an ON state in the control mode.

3. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate is a gallium-nitride-based semiconductor substrate.

4. The semiconductor module according to claim 3 , wherein the switching element comprises:
a normally-on gallium nitride semiconductor switch which is formed using the gallium-nitride-based semiconductor substrate as a material, and
a normally-off semiconductor switch which is connected to the normally-on gallium nitride semiconductor switch in cascade connection and is configured to turn on/off the normally-on gallium nitride semiconductor switch.

5. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate has a flat plate shape, and the switching element and the Rogowski coil are disposed on the semiconductor substrate having the flat plate shape such that the switching element and the Rogowski coil do not overlap with each other as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate having the flat plate shape.

6. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate has a flat plate shape, and the switching element and the Rogowski coil are disposed on the semiconductor substrate having the flat plate shape such that the switching element and the Rogowski coil overlap with each other as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate having the flat plate shape.

7. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor substrate includes:
a wire through which the current flows between the first electrode and the second electrode of the switching element; and
a circulating wire around the wire, wherein the circulating wire is formed of the Rogowski coil.

8. A semiconductor module comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a switching element which has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a gate electrode, the switching element performing turning on/off between the first electrode and the second electrode in response to applying of a predetermined gate voltage to the gate electrode;
a control circuit part which controls the gate voltage; and
a current detection element which detects a current which flows between the first electrode and the second electrode of the switching element,
wherein
the switching element, the control circuit part, and the current detection element are mounted on the semiconductor substrate,
the current detection element is formed of a Rogowski coil,
the control circuit part is configured to be operated by switching a mode between a measurement mode where the gate voltage for turning on/off the switching element is measured and a control mode where the turning on/off of the switching element is controlled,
the control circuit part includes:
a threshold voltage measurement power source which supplies the current to the first electrode of the switching element in the measurement mode;
a gate voltage control part which controls the gate voltage such that the gate voltage changes in a stepwise manner in the measurement mode, and controls the gate voltage so as to control turning on/off of the switching element in the control mode;
an ON/OFF state determination part which determines an ON/OFF state of the switching element based on a detection result of the current which flows between the first electrode and the second electrode by the current detection element in the measurement mode; and
a memory part which stores gate voltage relating information which relates to the threshold voltage in the measurement mode, and

the gate voltage control part controls the gate voltage based on the gate voltage relating information stored in the memory part when the switching element is brought into an ON state in the control mode.

Assignees

• Shindengen Electric Mfg

Inventors

• Suzuki Kenichi
• Miyazawa Wataru

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10D62/8503

  Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN · CPC title

• H10D30/60

  Insulated-gate field-effect transistors [IGFET] (H10D30/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H10D30/663

  having both source contacts and drain contacts on the same surface, i.e. up-drain VDMOS · CPC title

• H10D30/475

  having wider bandgap layer formed on top of lower bandgap active layer, e.g. undoped barrier HEMTs such as i-AlGaN/GaN HEMTs · CPC title