Patent ID: 6269011
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: H02H,Y10S

Abstract:
A power system comprising:(a) a first wire having m branches (m.ltoreq.2);(b) m first semiconductor active fuses respectively connected to the m branches of the first wire, respectively; each of the first semiconductor active fuses comprising:a first main semiconductor element including a first main electrode connected to one of the m branches of the first wire, a second main electrode opposing to the first main electrode, a first control electrode for controlling a main current flowing through the first and second main electrodes, and a first parasitic diode having cathode and anode regions, the cathode region is connected to the first main electrode and the anode region is connected to the second main electrode.first reference semiconductor element including a third main electrode and a second control electrode respectively connected to the first main electrode and the first control electrode, and a fourth main electrode;a first comparator comparing voltages of the second and fourth main electrodes; anda first driver for generating a signal to be applied to the first control electrode in accordance with the output of the first comparator;(c) m intermediate wires, each of the intermediate wires having first and second ends, the first end is connected to one of the second main electrodes;(d) m second semiconductor active fuses connected to the second ends of the m intermediate wires, each of the second semiconductor active fuses comprising:a second main semiconductor element including a fifth main electrode connected to one of the second end of the intermediate wire, a sixth main electrode opposing to the fifth main electrode, a third control electrode for controlling a main current flowing through the fifth and sixth main electrodes, and a second parasitic diode having cathode and anode regions, the anode region is connected to the fifth main electrode and the cathode region is connected to the sixth main electrode;a second reference semiconductor element including seventh, eighth main electrodes and the fourth control electrode connected to the sixth main electrode and the third control electrode, respectively;a second comparator comparing voltages of the fifth and seventh main electrodes; anda second driver for generating a signal to be applied to the third control electrode in accordance with an output of the second comparator; and(e) a second wire having m branches connected to the sixth main electrodes.