Inverter device and method of manufacturing the device thereof, and electric automobile incorporating the inverter device thereof

• US 20050057901A1
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tada, Nobumitsu, Obu, Toshiharu, Yoshioka, Shimpei, Sekiya, Hiroki, Hagiwara, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/717
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/18 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subgroups of the same main group of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N
• 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: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53183 Multilead component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53261 Means to align and advance work part

Abstract

By providing a plurality of semiconductor chips that are connected in parallel and constitute one arm of an inverter; a first conductor to which a face on one side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected; a wide conductor to which a face on the other side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected; a second conductor connected to said wide conductor; and a cooler to which said first conductor and second conductor are connected through an insulating resin sheet, part of the heat loss generated in the semiconductor chips is thermally conducted to the first conductor and is thence thermally conducted to the cooler, producing cooling, while another part thereof is thermally conducted to the wide conductor and thence to the second conductor, whence it is thermally conducted to the cooler, producing cooling.

Claims

1. An inverter device, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor chips that are connected in parallel and constitute an arm of an inverter;

a first conductor to which a face on one side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected;

a wide conductor to which a face on the other side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected;

a second conductor connected to said wide conductor; and

a cooler to which said first conductor and second conductor are connected through an insulating resin sheet.

3. The inverter device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

a heat buffer plate connected to said wide conductor at a face on the other side of said semiconductor chip.

2. An inverter device, comprising:

a first semiconductor chip group wherein a plurality of semiconductor chips constituting an upper arm of an inverter are connected in parallel;

a first conductor to which faces on one side of said semiconductor chips of said first semiconductor chip group are connected;

a second semiconductor chip group wherein a plurality of semiconductor chips constituting a lower arm of said inverter are connected in parallel;

a second conductor to which faces on one side of said semiconductor chips of said second semiconductor chip group are connected;

a first wide conductor to which faces on the other side of the semiconductor chips of said first semiconductor chip group are connected;

a second wide conductor to which faces on the other side of said semiconductor chips of said second semiconductor chip group are connected;

a third conductor connected with a three-phase output electrode connected to said first wide conductor and arranged between said first conductor and second conductor;

a fourth conductor connected with a negative electrode connected with said second wide conductor and arranged between said first conductor and second conductor; and

a cooler to which said first to fourth conductors are connected through an insulating resin sheet.

4. A method of manufacturing an inverter device, comprising:

bonding a plurality of semiconductor chips and a heat buffer plate by a low melting point or high melting point solder;

bonding said heat buffer plate and a conductor by a low melting point or high melting point solder;

fixing said conductor to a cooler; and

fixing said heat buffer plate and a wide conductor.

5. The method of manufacturing an inverter device according to claim 4, further comprising:

dividing said wide conductor into a plurality of chips; and

fixing said conductor and said cooler by application of pressure at locations where a plurality of semiconductor chips are not bonded to said conductor.

6. An electric automobile, comprising:

(1) an inverter device comprising;

a plurality of semiconductor chips that are connected in parallel and constitute an arm of an inverter;

a first conductor to which a face on one side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected;

a wide conductor to which a face on the other side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected;

a second conductor connected to said wide conductor;

a cooler to which said first conductor and second conductor are connected through an insulating resin sheet; and

(2) an electric motor incorporating said inverter device and that drives a drive wheel by using an AC power from said inverter device.

7. An electric automobile, comprising:

(1) an inverter device comprising;

a plurality of semiconductor chips that are connected in parallel and constitute an arm of an inverter;

a first conductor to which a face on one side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected;

a wide conductor to which a face on the other side of said plurality of semiconductor chips is connected;

a second conductor connected to said wide conductor;

a cooler to which said first conductor and second conductor are connected through an insulating resin sheet;

(2) an electric motor incorporating said inverter device and that drives a drive wheel by using an AC power from said inverter device; and

(3) an internal combustion engine that drives said drive wheel and is provided in addition to said electric motor.