Patent ID: 6570413
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
A drive circuit for driving a voltage-controlled semiconductor switching device with a control terminal, comprising:means for supplying a current to the control terminal based on an input of an ON signal in one switching term of the switching device, said current-supplying means including a voltage-controlled transistor having a gate electrode and a drain electrode connected to the control terminal, a capacitor connected between the gate and drain electrodes of the voltage-controlled transistor, and slow-charging means for relatively slowly charging the gate of the voltage-controlled transistor based on the input of the ON signal in said one switching term so that di/dt at a time of rising of a collector current of the semiconductor switching device and dV/dt at a beginning of a decline in a collector-emitter voltage of the semiconductor switching device are maintained at low values, Miller effect does not operate in an area in which a voltage between a collector and an emitter of the semiconductor switching device changes slowly, and an ON resistance of the voltage-controlled transistor falls at an increased speed, and means for removing a current from the control terminal of the voltage-controlled semiconductor switching device based on an input of an OFF signal, said current removing means being connected to the control terminal.