Method of operating parallel-connected semiconductor switch elements

摘要

In power circuit designs, it is sometimes necessary to connect two or more semiconductor power switches in parallel and to simultaneously operate both so that current levels in excess of the rated current handling capability of one of the devices can be conducted. Such operation, however, encounters the problem of current sharing which results from variations in the characteristics of the parallel-connected devices. The method of the present invention obviates the difficulties encountered with current sharing by operating N parallel-connected semiconductor devices one at a time in sequential fashion so that each device conducts an average current equal to the desired average output current divided by N.