An apparatus comprising an insulated gate bipolar transistor; and a super-junction metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor wherein the insulated gate bipolar transistor wherein the super-junction metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor are structurally coupled and wherein the super-junction metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is configured to switch to an on state from an off state and an off state from an on state.

Support circuitry for a power transistor includes a feedback switching element and switching control circuitry. The feedback switching element is coupled between a Kelvin connection node and a second power switching node. The switching control circuitry is configured to cause the feedback switching element to couple the Kelvin connection node to the second power switching node after the power transistor is switched from a blocking mode of operation to a conduction mode of operation and cause the feedback switching element to isolate the Kelvin connection node from the second power switching node before the power transistor is switched from the conduction mode of operation to the blocking mode of operation.

Embodiments described herein include a solid-state switch tube replacement for the radar system such as, for example, the SPY-1 radar system. Some embodiments provide for a technology for the precision switching that enables IGBT power modules to operate robustly in a series configuration and/or a parallel configuration to produce precision switching at high voltage (e.g., 20 kV and above) and high frequencies (e.g., 1 MHz and above).

A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes semiconductor layer including first and second planes, and in order from the first plane's side to the second plane's side, first region of first conductivity type, second region of second conductivity type, third region of second conductivity type having second conductivity type impurity concentration higher than the second region, fourth region of first conductivity type, and fifth region of second conductivity type, and including first and second trench on the first plane's side; first gate electrode in the first trench; first gate insulating film in contact with the fifth semiconductor region; second gate electrode in the second trench; second gate insulating film; a first electrode on the first plane; second electrode on the second plane; first gate electrode pad connected to the first gate electrode; and second gate electrode pad connected to the second gate electrode.

Apparatus and methods for biasing radio frequency (RF) switches to achieve fast switching are disclosed herein. In certain configurations, a switch bias circuit generates a switch control voltage for turning on or off a switch that handles RF signals. The switch bias circuit provides the switch control voltage to a control input of the switch by way of a resistor. Additionally, the switch bias circuit pulses the switch control voltage when turning on or off the switch to thereby shorten switching time. Thus, the switch can be turned on or off quickly, which allows the switch to be available for use soon after the state of the switch has been changed.

A gate driving apparatus for a power semiconductor device may include: a first off-resistor and a second off-resistor each having a first end connected to a gate of the power semiconductor device; a first off-switch configured to determine a connection state between a second end of the first off-resistor and a ground based on a gate driving signal for determining an on/off state of the power semiconductor device; a second off-switch configured to determine a connection state between a second end of the second off-resistor and the ground; an electric current detector configured to detect an electric current flowing from a collector (drain) of the power semiconductor device to an emitter (source) of the power semiconductor device; and a controller configured to determine an open/closed state of the second off-switch based on the gate driving signal and a magnitude of the electric current detected by the electric current detector.

A power module which includes a power semiconductor chip that includes an IGBT and a freewheeling diode formed in the same chip, and the power module includes a drive circuit that is connected to the power semiconductor chip and drives the IGBT on/off. The power module is configured by packaging the power semiconductor chip and the drive circuit, and is characterized by further including a capacitor and a switch element disposed in series between the emitter of the IGBT and the ground of the drive circuit. The switch element connects the emitter and the ground in the case where the drive circuit has the IGBT perform a turn off switching operation.

A vehicle warm-up control apparatus includes: a motor; an inverter; an electric storage device; a boost converter connected to a low-voltage-side power line and a high-voltage-side power liner; and a control unit for controlling the inverter and the boost converter, the boost converter including a first switching device as an upper arm, a second switching device as a lower arm, and a reactor. Further, the second switching device is composed of a semiconductor device variable in resistance value, and when warm-up is requested, the control unit executes warm-up control to set the resistance value of the second switching device higher than the resistance value during operation when the warm-up is not requested, and supply heat generated in the second switching device by passing current through the second switching device to a device for which the warm-up is requested.

A gate-drive controller for a power semiconductor device includes a master control unit (MCU) and one or more comparators that compare the output signal of the power semiconductor device to a reference value generated by the MCU. The MCU, in response to a turn-off trigger signal, generates a first intermediate drive signal for the power semiconductor device and generates a second intermediate drive signal, different from the first drive signal, when a DSAT signal indicates that the power semiconductor device is experiencing de-saturation. The MCU generates a final drive signal for the power semiconductor when the output signal of the one or more comparators indicates that the output signal of the power semiconductor device has changed relative to the reference value. The controller may also include a timer that causes the drive signals to change in predetermined intervals when the one or more comparators do not indicate a change.

A gate driving apparatus for a power semiconductor device may include: a first off-resistor and a second off-resistor each having a first end connected to a gate of the power semiconductor device; a first off-switch configured to determine a connection state between a second end of the first off-resistor and a ground based on a gate driving signal for determining an on/off state of the power semiconductor device; a second off-switch configured to determine a connection state between a second end of the second off-resistor and the ground; an electric current detector configured to detect an electric current flowing from a collector (drain) of the power semiconductor device to an emitter (source) of the power semiconductor device; and a controller configured to determine an open/closed state of the second off-switch based on the gate driving signal and a magnitude of the electric current detected by the electric current detector.