A MOSFET cell of a semiconductor device includes a polysilicon gate electrode and an n.sup.+-source region formed in an upper portion of an n.sup.−-drift layer. An interlayer insulating film covers the gate electrode. An Al source electrode extends on the interlayer insulating film. An Al gate pad is connected to the gate electrode. A barrier metal layer that prevents diffusion of aluminum is interposed between the source electrode and the interlayer insulating film, and between the gate pad and the gate electrode.

A semiconductor device drive circuit includes a first drive circuit and a second drive circuit. The first drive circuit generates a control signal for controlling a voltage-controlled switching element. The first drive circuit generates a control signal in synchronization with a voltage signal input to the first drive signal. The first drive circuit has an output current capability corresponding to a magnitude of the voltage signal. The second drive circuit outputs a voltage signal to the first drive circuit. The second drive circuit includes an output adjustment circuit that adjusts the magnitude of the voltage signal.

A SiC semiconductor device is provided that is capable of improving the detection accuracy of the current value of a principal current detected by a current sensing portion by restraining heat from escaping from the current sensing portion to a wiring member joined to a sensing-side surface electrode. The semiconductor device 1 includes a SiC semiconductor substrate, a source portion 27 including a principal-current-side unit cell 34, a current sensing portion 26 including a sensing-side unit cell 40, a source-side surface electrode 5 disposed above the source portion 27, and a sensing-side surface electrode 6 that is disposed above the current sensing portion 26 and that has a sensing-side pad 15 to which a sensing-side wire is joined, and, in the semiconductor device 1, the sensing-side unit cell 40 is disposed so as to avoid being positioned directly under the sensing-side pad 15.

According to an embodiment, a method of operating a measurement circuit includes biasing a sense transistor to conduct current through a first conduction channel in a first direction during a first mode, injecting a measurement current into a body diode of the sense transistor during a second mode, measuring a first voltage across the sense transistor when the measurement current is injected, and determining a temperature of the sense transistor based on the first voltage. When the measurement current is injected, it is injected in a second direction opposite the first direction. The sense transistor is integrated in a semiconductor body with a load transistor having a second conduction channel, and the first conduction channel and the second conduction channel are coupled to an input node.

Described herein is a power semiconductor device and corresponding method of production. The semiconductor device includes: a power device region formed in a semiconductor substrate and including first trenches and second trenches extending lengthwise in parallel with one another with semiconductor mesas between adjacent ones of the trenches, each first trench including a gate electrode at a first potential and each second trench including a field plate at a second potential; and a current sense region formed in the semiconductor substrate. A subset of the first trenches, a subset of the second trenches and a subset of the semiconductor mesas are common to both the current sense region and the power device region. The second trenches are interrupted along opposite first and second sides of the current sense region such that the field plates are interrupted between the power device region and the current sense region.

A semiconductor arrangement is presented. The semiconductor arrangement comprises a semiconductor body, the semiconductor body including a semiconductor drift region, wherein the semiconductor drift region has dopants of a first conductivity type; a first semiconductor sense region and a second semiconductor sense region, wherein each of the first semiconductor sense region and the second semiconductor sense region is electrically connected to the semiconductor drift region and has dopants of a second conductivity type different from said first conductivity type; a first metal contact comprising a first metal material, the first metal contact being in contact with the first semiconductor sense region, wherein a transition between the first metal contact and the first semiconductor sense region forms a first metal-to-semiconductor transition; a second metal contact comprising a second metal material different from said first metal material, the second metal contact being separated from the first metal contact and in contact with the second semiconductor sense region, a transition between the second metal contact and the second semiconductor sense region forming a second metal-to-semiconductor transition different from said first metal-to-semiconductor transition; first electrical transmission means, the first electrical transmission means being arranged and configured for providing a first sense signal derived from an electrical parameter of the first metal contact to a first signal input of a sense signal processing unit; and second electrical transmission means separated from said first electrical transmission means, the second electrical transmission means being arranged and configured for providing a second sense signal derived from an electrical parameter of the second metal contact to a second signal input of said sense signal processing unit.

A region of a portion directly beneath an OC pad is a sensing effective region in which unit cells of a current sensing portion are disposed. A p-type low-dose region is provided on a front surface of a semiconductor substrate and surrounds a periphery of the sensing effective region. The p-type low-dose region is fixed at an electric potential of a source pad of a main semiconductor element. The p-type low-dose region is disposed to be separated from a p-type base region of the sensing effective region by an n.sup.−-type region between the p-type low-dose region and the sensing effective region. A total dose of impurities in the p-type low-dose region is lower than a total dose of impurities in a p-type region of a front side of a semiconductor substrate in a main effective region in which unit cells of the main semiconductor element are disposed.

A cell protection system includes a charge control MOSFET, a charge current detection MOSFET, a discharge control MOSFET, a discharge current detection MOSFET, a charge current detection resistance, a discharge current detection resistance and a control circuit. The charge current detection MOSFET has a drain and a gate common with the charge control MOSFET. The discharge control MOSFET has a drain common with the charge control MOSFET. The discharge current MOSFET has a drain and a gate common with discharge control MOSFET. The charge current detection resistances and the discharge current detection resistance are provided in correspondence to the charge current detection MOSFET and the discharge current detection MOSFET, respectively. The control circuit generates a gate control signal for the charge control MOSFET and the charge current detection MOSFET by using the charge current detection resistance and generates a gate control signal for the charge control MOSFET and the discharge current detection MOSFET by using the discharge current detection resistance.

A semiconductor device in which current sensing accuracy is maintained while ruggedness of a current sensing region is improved. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a main element provided on the semiconductor substrate and having a first trench gate structure including a first trench disposed on a first main surface side of the semiconductor substrate; a gate insulating film disposed along an inner wall of the first trench; and a gate electrode disposed inside the first trench; and a current detecting element for detecting a current flowing into the semiconductor substrate when the main element is operating provided on the semiconductor substrate and having a second trench gate structure including a second trench disposed on the first main surface side of the semiconductor substrate; the gate insulating film disposed along an inner wall of the second trench; and the gate electrode disposed inside the second trench.

A semiconductor device capable of increasing a value of current that flows through the whole chip until a p-n diode in a unit cell close to a termination operates and reducing a size of the chip and a cost of the chip resulting from the reduced size, and including a second well region formed on both sides, as seen in plan view, of the entirety of a plurality of first well regions, a second ohmic electrode located over the second well region, a third separation region of a first conductivity type that is positioned closer to the first well regions than the second ohmic electrode in the second well region and that is formed to penetrate the second well region from a surface layer of the second well region in a depth direction, and a second Schottky electrode located on the third separation region.