Press pack power semiconductor module

• US 20060118816A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Gunturi, Satish, Schneider, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,538,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/178
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/051 another lead being formed by a cover plate parallel to the base plate, e.g. sandwich type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4924 characterised by the materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/62 Protection against overvoltage, e.g. fuses, shunts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/29 of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/72 Detachable connecting means consisting of mechanical auxiliary parts connecting the device, e.g. pressure contacts using springs or clips
• 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 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01012 Magnesium [Mg]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01042 Molybdenum [Mo]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01322 Eutectic Alloys, i.e. obtained by a liquid transforming into two solid phases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01327 Intermediate phases, i.e. intermetallics compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1301 : Thyristor
• 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 2924/3011 : Impedance

Abstract

The high-power pack semiconductor module (1) comprises a layer (3, 4), which is brought into direct contact with one or both of the main electrodes of the Si semiconductor chip, (2), said layer being made of a metal matrix composite material whose coefficient of thermal expansion can be tailored to a value either close or matching that of Si.

Claims

1. High-power press pack semiconductor module (1) comprising

an electrically conducting base plate (4);

at least one electrically conducting top plate (3);

at least one semiconductor chip (2) including semiconductor material, a first main electrode that makes contact with the base plate forming a plane interface and a second main electrode that makes contact with the top plate,

a housing (11, 12, 13) containing the base plate, top plate and semiconductor chip,

wherein a material is provided adjacent at least one of said first or second main electrodes that, together with the semiconductor material forms an eutectic alloy or an alloy whose melting point is below that of the semiconductor material, characterized in, that

at least one of said base plate (4) or top plate (3) is made of metal matrix composite material comprising of two-dimensional randomly distributed short cut graphite fibers in the plane of the interface in an Al or Ag matrix, whose coefficient of thermal expansion is close to that of the semiconductor material, said metal matrix composite material containing said alloy-forming material.

2. Module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in, that

said base plate (4) and top plate (3) are made of the same metal matrix composite material.

3. Module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in, that

said metal matrix composite material has a metal content of at least 25 percent by volume.

4. Module as claimed in claim 3, characterized in, that

said metal matrix composite material comprises a metallic matrix alloy with a semiconductor material.

5. Module as claimed in claim 4, characterized in, that

said metallic matrix alloy has a semiconductor material content up to the semiconductor material content of an eutectic composition.

6. Module as claimed in claim 5, characterized in, that

said matrix comprises Ag, Al, Au or Cu with a Si content of at most 13 percent.

7. Module as claimed in claim 4, characterized in, that

said metallic matrix alloy has a semiconductor material content that is tailored depending on the thickness of the semiconductor material such that the hotspot alloy is in the eutectic range without bulk precipitation.

8. Module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in, that

said at least one plate of a metal matrix composite material (3, 4) has a thickness of at least the thickness of the semiconductor material.

9. Module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in, that

said base plate (4) and said top plate (3) are both made of metal matrix composite material, and

said plates (3, 4) have a combined thickness of at least the thickness of the semiconductor material.