IP Library Granted Patent US 8,653,601
Granted Patent B2
US 8,653,601 · App. 13/807,278 · Granted Feb 18, 2014

Current control semiconductor element and control device using the same

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,653,601
App. No.
13/807,278
Granted
Feb 18, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

This invention provides a current control semiconductor element in which dependence of a sense ratio on a temperature distribution is eliminated and the accuracy of current detection using a sense MOSFET can be improved, and to provide a control device using the current control semiconductor element. The current control semiconductor element 1 includes a main MOSFET 7 that drives a current and a sense MOSFET 8 that is connected to the main MOSFET in parallel and detects a current shunted from a current of the main MOSFET. The main MOSFET is formed using a multi-finger MOSFET that has a plurality of channels and is arranged in a row. When a distance between the center of the multi-finger MOSFET 7 and a channel located farthest from the center of the multi-finger MOSFET 7 is indicated by L, a channel that is located closest to a position distant by a distance of (L/(√3)) from the center of the multi-finger MOSFET is used as a channel for the sense MOSFET 8.

Claims (25)

1. A current control semiconductor element comprising:

a main MOSFET that drives a current; and

a sense MOSFET that is connected to the main MOSFET in parallel and detects a current shunted from a current of the main MOSFET, the main MOSFET and the sense MOSFET being arranged on the same semiconductor chip,

wherein the main MOSFET is formed using a multi-finger MOSFET that has a plurality of channels and is arranged in a row,

wherein a part of the channels of the multi-finger MOSFET is used as a channel for the sense MOSFET, and

wherein when a distance between the center of the multi-finger MOSFET and a channel located farthest from the center of the multi-finger MOSFET is indicated by L, a channel that is located closest to a position distant by a distance of (L/√3)) from the center of the multi-finger MOSFET is used as the channel for the sense MOSFET.

2. The current control semiconductor element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the MOSFETs that form the multi-finger MOSFET have the same pattern.

3. The current control semiconductor element according to claim 2 ,

wherein channels are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the multi-finger MOSFET in a direction in which the MOSFETs of the multi-finger MOSFET are arranged, and are closest to positions distant by the distance of (L/(√3)) from the center of the multi-finger MOSFET, the channels being used as channels for sense MOSFETs.

4. The current control semiconductor element according to claim 1 ,

wherein multi-finger MOSFETs having the same shape as the multi-finger MOSFET arranged in the row are arranged in a plurality of rows in a direction of the widths of the channels of the multi-finger MOSFET so that a multi-finger array is formed, and

wherein when a distance between the center of the multi-finger array and a multi-finger MOSFET located farthest from the center of the multi-finger array in the direction in which the multi-finger MOSFETs are arranged is indicated by Lx, and distances between the centers of the multi-finger MOSFETs and channels located farthest from the centers of the multi-finger MOSFETs in the direction of the widths of the channels of the multi-finger MOSFETs are indicated by Ly, channels that are included in selected multi-finger MOSFETs located closest to positions distant by a distance of (Lx/(√3)) from the center of the multi-finger array and are located closest to positions distant by a distance of (Ly/(√3)) from the centers of selected multi-finger MOSFETs are used as channels for sense MOSFETs.

5. The current control semiconductor element according to claim 4 ,

wherein when distances between the centers of the selected multi-finger MOSFETs and channels located farthest from the centers of the selected multi-finger MOSFETs in the direction of the widths of the channels of the multi-finger MOSFETs are indicated by Ly, channels that are located closest to the positions distant by the distance of (Ly/(√3)) from the centers of the selected multi-finger MOSFETs are used as the channels for the sense MOSFETs, and

wherein other MOSFETs selected as the multi-finger MOSFETs located closest to the positions distant by the distance of (Lx/(√3)) from the center of the multi-finger array are used as dummies.

6. A control device comprising:

a current control semiconductor element; and

a microcontroller that controls the current control semiconductor element,

wherein the current control semiconductor element includes

a main MOSFET that drives a current, and

a sense MOSFET that is connected to the main MOSFET in parallel and detects a current shunted from a current of the main MOSFET, the main MOSFET and the sense MOSFET being arranged on the same semiconductor chip,

wherein the main MOSFET is formed using a multi-finger MOSFET that has a plurality of channels and is arranged in a row,

wherein a part of the channels of the multi-finger MOSFET is used as a channel for the sense MOSFET, and

wherein when a distance between the center of the multi-finger MOSFET and a channel located farthest from the center of the multi-finger MOSFET is indicated by L, a channel that is located closest to a position distant by a distance of (L/(√3)) from the center of the multi-finger MOSFET is used as the channel for the sense MOSFET.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 056299/0447 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2013
From: HIROTSU, TEPPEI; KANEKAWA, NOBUYASU; TANABE, ITARU
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 029773/0536 →