To suppress a malfunction of an overcurrent protection circuit caused by rise of a sense voltage in a mirror period immediately after turn-off of a semiconductor switching element. A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor switching element; a sense resistor; an overcurrent protection circuit which outputs a control signal for controlling on-drive and off-drive of the semiconductor switching element based on whether a sense voltage exceeds a threshold value; and a diode which clamps the sense voltage. When the sense voltage exceeds the threshold value, the overcurrent protection circuit outputs a signal for off-driving the semiconductor switching element as the control signal.

A device includes a first switch and a first diode connected in parallel between a midpoint and a first terminal of the hybrid power device, a second switch and a second diode connected in parallel between the midpoint and a second terminal of the hybrid power device, a third switch coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a third diode connected between the first terminal and the second terminal.

A two-terminal electrical protective device operates by harvesting energy from a small but non-zero voltage drop across a closed solid-state switch. From a default, open-circuit state, the device is remotely triggered by an AC signal to enter the desired conductive state. Power scavenged by an energy harvesting circuit while the device is in the conductive state, powers a gate drive circuit to hold the device in the conductive state for as long as current flows. When current stops, the device returns to the default open-circuit state.

In a method for controlling a direct current switch having first and second semiconductor switches capable of being switched off, the first and second semiconductor switches are arranged between first and second terminals to enable conduction of a current with a first polarity through the first semiconductor switch and conduction of the current with a second polarity that is opposite to the first polarity through the second semiconductor switch. One of the first and second semiconductor switches is switched off as a function of a current measurement value.

A driver circuit controls a first switch element. A first resistor is connected between the driver circuit and the first switch element. A second switch element is connected to the first switch element. An overcurrent detector circuit controls the second switch element based on an overcurrent current flowing through the first switch element. A second resistor is connected between the overcurrent detector circuit and the second switch element. The first and second resistor is set such that a turn-off time of the first switch element when the second switch element is turned on by the overcurrent detector circuit is longer than a turn-off time of the first switch element when the first switch element is turned off by the driver circuit.

A switching circuit includes a main circuit including a number of first transistors. The main circuit has a first node, a second node, and a third node and is operative in response to a control signal received by the first node, and the second node is configured to receive a supply voltage. The switching circuit also includes an auxiliary circuit electrically coupled to the second node of the main circuit and configured to provide surge protection for the main circuit. The auxiliary circuit includes a second transistor. A breakdown voltage of the second transistor is different than a breakdown voltage of each first transistor of the number of first transistors.

A gate drive circuit includes one output element, a constant current drive circuit, and a constant voltage drive circuit. The output element outputs a gate drive signal to a gate of a gate driven switching element. The constant current drive circuit causes the output element to output the gate drive signal with a constant current. The constant voltage drive circuit causes the output element to output the gate drive signal with a constant voltage.

A device includes a first diode and a second diode connected in series between a first terminal and a second terminal of a switching element, wherein the switching element is a unidirectional device and an anode of the first diode is directly connected to an anode of the second diode, a third diode connected between the first terminal and the second terminal of the switching element and a switch connected in parallel with the first diode.

A gate driver with an integrated Miller clamp controls a high-power drive device coupled to a terminal of a package that houses an integrated circuit coupled to the terminal. A method includes generating an indication of a level of a signal on the terminal with respect to a predetermined signal level. The method includes configuring a variable strength driver of the integrated circuit to charge, discharge, or clamp the terminal based on a control signal and the indication.

A plurality of drive circuits each drive a corresponding one of a plurality of power semiconductor elements connected in parallel. Each of the drive circuits includes a control command unit, a current detector, a differentiator, and an integrator. The current detector detects a gate current that flows into a gate terminal of a corresponding one of the power semiconductor elements after the control command unit outputs a turn-on command. The differentiator performs time differentiation of the gate current detected by the current detector. The integrator performs time integration of the gate current detected by the current detector. Based on a differential value and an integral value in each of the drive circuits, the determination unit determines whether an overcurrent state occurs or not in any of the plurality of power semiconductor elements.