| CPC H10D 84/83 (2025.01) [H02M 1/08 (2013.01); H02M 7/537 (2013.01); H10D 12/481 (2025.01); H10D 64/514 (2025.01); H10D 64/518 (2025.01)] | 13 Claims |
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1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a layer structure; and
a first main electrode and a second main electrode configured to be conducting through the layer structure,
wherein the layer structure includes:
a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type partially in a surface layer on the first surface;
a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type partially in a surface layer on the first surface;
a second semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type partially in a surface layer in the first semiconductor region and a surface layer in the second semiconductor region;
a first gate insulating film in contact with the first semiconductor region sandwiched between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;
a second gate insulating film in contact with the second semiconductor region sandwiched between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer;
a first gate electrode being a gate electrode in contact with the first gate insulating film; and
a second gate electrode being the gate electrode in contact with the second gate insulating film,
wherein
the semiconductor device is configured to, upon applying a voltage to the first gate electrode or the second gate electrode, switch between an ON state in which the first main electrode and the second main electrode are conducting through the layer structure and an OFF state in which the first main electrode and the second main electrode are not conducting through the layer structure,
a threshold voltage of the second gate electrode is higher than a threshold voltage of the first gate electrode,
α state in which a temperature of the layer structure is lower than a threshold temperature is defined as an α state,
α state in which a temperature of the layer structure is equal to or higher than a threshold temperature is defined as a γ state,
in the α state, a switching operation of switching to the ON state or the OFF state is performed using the first gate electrode,
in the γ state, the switching operation is performed using the second gate electrode,
a condition that a switching current is less than a threshold current is defined as a β condition, the switching current being a current value during the switching operation,
a condition that the switching current is equal to or larger than a threshold current is defined as a δ condition,
the semiconductor device is configured to perform the switching operation using the first gate electrode only when in the α state and the β condition, and
the semiconductor device is configured to perform the switching operation using the second gate electrode, in the γ state or the δ condition.
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