Substrate-level DC bus design to reduce module inductance

• US 20020118560A1
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation (Superior Plus Corporation)
• Inventors: Flett, Fred, Ahmed, Sayeed, Parkhill, Scott, Maly, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 6,845,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/144
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/665 Bias feed arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/50 for integrated circuit devices, e.g. power bus, number of leadsH01L23/482 - H01L23/498 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/072 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0215 Grounding of printed circuits by connection to external grounding means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0237 High frequency adaptations H05K1/0216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09345 Power and ground in the same plane; Power planes for two voltages in one plane
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10446 Mounted on an edge soldering edge mounted components H05K3/3405; edge terminals H05K2201/1034
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10636 Leadless chip, e.g. chip capacitor or resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/049 Wire bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A DC bus for use in a power module includes a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. The positive bus and negative bus permit counter-flow of currents, thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances, and the positive and negative bus are connectable to the center portion of a power module.

Claims

1. A DC Bus for use in a power module, comprising:

a negative bus plate; and

a positive bus plate substantially parallel to said negative bus plate, wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate are configured for placement substantially centered with respect to a power module.

2. The DC Bus of claim 1, wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate are further configured for placement substantially proximate to a substrate level in a power module.

3. The DC Bus of claim 1, wherein said negative bus plate and said positive bus plate are configured for placement substantially parallel to a substrate level in a power module.

4. The DC Bus of claim 1, wherein said negative bus plate further comprises a negative extended portion configured for providing an area to which an electrical connection may be made.

5. The DC Bus of claim 1, wherein said positive bus plate further comprises a positive extended portion configured for providing an area to which an electrical connection may be made.

6. The DC Bus of claim 1, further comprising:

a phase conducting layer substantially parallel to said negative bus plate connectable to a high side phase conducting layer and a low side phase conducting layer in a substrate.

7. The DC Bus of claim 1, further comprising:

insulating layers located substantially between said positive bus and said negative bus.

8. The DC Bus of claim 1, wherein said negative bus plate and said positive bus plate are configured for placement substantially parallel to switches in a power module.

9. The DC Bus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first wire bond connector connected to said negative bus plate configured for connection to a low side switch of a power module.

a second wire bond connector connected to said positive bus plate configured for connection to a high side switch of a power module.

10. The DC Bus of claim 6, further comprising:

a third wire bond connector connected to said phase conducting layer configured for connection to a phase conducting plate of a power module.

11. A DC Bus for use in a power module, comprising:

a positive DC conductor bus plate;

a negative DC conductor bus plate placed parallel to said positive bus;

a positive lead connected to said positive bus plate, wherein said positive leads are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source;

a negative lead connected to said negative bus plate, wherein said negative leads are connectable to a ground terminal;

a positive connection fastenable from said positive bus plate to a high side of a power module;

a negative connection fastenable from said negative bus plate to a low side of a power module;

wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate permit counter-flow of currents thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances; and

wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate are configured to be located between the high side and the low side of the power module; and

wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate are shaped to be connected substantially parallel to the substrate of the power module.

12. The DC Bus of claim 11, further comprising:

an insulating layer in between said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate.

13. The DC Bus of claim 11, wherein said positive lead is connectable to said positive bus plate at a first end of said DC bus, and said negative lead is connectable to said negative bus plate at a second end of said DC bus.

15. The power module of claim 14, further comprising:

an insulating layer in between said positive bus and said negative bus.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

mounting a DC positive bus plate and a DC negative bus plate parallel to one another between the high and the low side of the power module.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

placing an insulating layer in between the positive bus and the negative bus.

14. A power module for reducing inductance, comprising:

a lead frame for supporting the module and for providing interconnections to the motor and power source;

a substrate connected to said lead frame;

one or more pairs of high and low switches at the substrate level of the module;

a positive DC bus plate connected to the center portion of the power module;

a negative DC conductor bus plate placed parallel to said positive bus;

one or more positive leads connected to said positive bus, wherein said positive leads are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source;

one or more negative leads connected to said negative bus, wherein said negative leads are connectable to ground;

one or more positive connections fastenable from said positive bus to the high side of a power module;

one or more negative connections fastenable from said negative bus to the low side of a power module;

wherein said positive bus and said negative bus permit counter-flow of currents thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances;

wherein said positive bus and said negative bus are located between the high side and the low side of the power module; and

wherein the positive bus and the negative bus are shaped to be connected substantially parallel to the substrate of the power module.

16. A method of reducing inductance in a power module comprising:

allowing DC current to flow substantially symmetrically and directly to the switches of the module; and

permitting counter-flow of electric currents, thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances.