Inverter unit, integrated circuit chip, and vehicle drive apparatus
View Patent ↗A miniaturizable, low-cost highly reliable inverter unit. A control circuit section for controlling operating timing of high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements included in an inverter circuit section and first and second drive and abnormality detection circuit sections for outputting drive signals for driving the high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements according to the operating timing and for feeding back an abnormality of the inverter circuit section to the control circuit section are formed on an SOI substrate as one integrated circuit chip. On the integrated circuit chip, circuit formation areas which differ in reference potential are separated from one another by dielectrics. A plurality of level shifters for transmitting signals exchanged between circuit formation areas separated by the dielectrics are formed.
1. A vehicle drive apparatus for driving vehicular tires by an AC motor, the apparatus comprising an inverter unit for controlling the AC motor, the inverter unit including:
an inverter circuit section including a plurality of high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements;
an integrated circuit chip including a first circuit section for controlling operating timing of the plurality of high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements and a second circuit section for outputting drive signals for driving the plurality of high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements according to the operating timing and for feeding back an abnormality of the inverter circuit section to the first circuit section formed on an SOI substrate; and
a buffer circuit provided separately from the integrated circuit chip, for receiving the drive signals from the second circuit section and outputting the drive signals to the plurality of high breakdown voltage semiconductor elements, and
wherein:
the second circuit section is provided in plurality, the inverter circuit section is provided in plurality, and the plurality of second circuit sections correspond to respective ones of the plurality of inverter circuit sections;
each of the second circuit sections includes a high voltage side circuit section and a low voltage side circuit section;
the first circuit section is a single circuit section common to the plurality of inverter circuit sections;
the first circuit section, the high voltage side circuit section, and the low voltage circuit section are separated by dielectrics from one another; and
a voltage of a reference potential of the low voltage side circuit section is directly supplied from a pad or terminal for supplying the voltage, and wirings for supplying the voltage of the reference potential are not shared by the plurality of low voltage side circuit sections and are independent of one another.