Patent ID: 7800174

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an ignition coil; and a power semiconductor device disposed in a power semiconductor chip, the power semiconductor device comprising: a power transistor coupled to the ignition coil, the power transistor switching a load current flowing through the ignition coil to an on position and an off position during operation to control the load current in order to control electrical discharge operations of an ignition plug driven by the ignition coil, a control input terminal for receiving a control voltage at a gate of the power transistor; and a gate series resistor created on an insulation film of the power semiconductor chip, the gate series resistor having a predetermined resistance value and directly connecting the gate to the control input terminal, the creation of the gate series resistor on the insulation film reducing a surge voltage applied to the gate when the load current is switched to the off position, wherein the gate series resistor is made of poly silicon and disposed right above a P type area in the power semiconductor chip via the insulation film, and wherein the P type area has a ground potential.