DIRECT COOLED POWER ELECTRONICS SUBSTRATE

• US 20090231812A1
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation (University of Teesside), UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation (University of Teesside)
• Inventors: Ayers, Curtis W., Lowe, Kirk T., Wiles, Randy H., Wereszczak, Andrew A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3735 Laminates or multilayers, e.g. direct bond copper ceramic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/32 of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/07 the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L29/00
• 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 2924/15787 Ceramics, e.g. crystalline carbides, nitrides or oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

The disclosure describes directly cooling a three-dimensional, direct metallization (DM) layer in a power electronics device. To enable sufficient cooling, coolant flow channels are formed within the ceramic substrate. The direct metallization layer (typically copper) may be bonded to the ceramic substrate, and semiconductor chips (such as IGBT and diodes) may be soldered or sintered onto the direct metallization layer to form a power electronics module. Multiple modules may be attached to cooling headers that provide in-flow and out-flow of coolant through the channels in the ceramic substrate. The modules and cooling header assembly are preferably sized to fit inside the core of a toroidal shaped capacitor.

Claims

1. A power electronics module operable in conjunction with a cooling system, the power electronics module comprising:

a substrate having;

a three-dimensional outer peripheral surface;

a first end portion disposed at a first end of the substrate, the first end portion operable to attach and seal to a coolant input header or a coolant output header of the cooling system;

a second end portion disposed at a second end of the substrate which is opposite the first end, the second end portion operable to attach and seal to a coolant input header or a coolant output header of the cooling system;

a substrate interior disposed within the three-dimensional outer peripheral surface and between the first and second end portions;

one or more coolant flow channels passing through the substrate interior for carrying liquid coolant from the cooling system;

a plurality of planar facets disposed on the three-dimensional outer peripheral surface and between the first and second end portions of the substrate, wherein at least one of the planar facets is disposed in a nonparallel relationship with another of the planar facets;

a metal layer disposed on one or more of the planar facets; and

one or more power electronic devices attached to the metal layer.

2. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein the one or more coolant flow channels comprise a plurality of coolant flow channels disposed adjacent and spaced radially around the outer peripheral surface.

3. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein one or more of the coolant flow channels are helical.

4. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein one or more of the coolant flow channels have an opening at the first end of the substrate for receiving the liquid coolant from the cooling system and an opening at the second end of the substrate for returning the liquid coolant to the cooling system.

5. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein one or more of the coolant flow channels have a first opening at the first end of the substrate for receiving the liquid coolant from the cooling system and a second opening at the first end of the substrate for returning the liquid coolant to the cooling system.

6. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein the substrate has a cross-section which forms a polygon, wherein each side of the polygon corresponds to one of the plurality of facets on the three-dimensional outer peripheral surface.

7. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein the metal layer comprises a Direct Metallization (DM) layer.

8. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein the metal layer comprises a copper layer.

9. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein the metal layer disposed on each facet is electrically connected to the metal layer disposed on one or more adjacent facets.

10. The power electronics module of claim 1 further comprising a first power connector tab connected to a metal layer disposed on one of the facets and a second power connector tab connected to a metal layer disposed on another of the facets.

11. The power electronics module of claim 10 wherein the first power connector tab is disposed on an opposite side of the substrate from the second power connector tab.

12. The power electronics module of claim 1 wherein the first and second end portions of the power electronics assembly are operable to attach and seal to the first or second end portions of an adjacent power electronics assembly in a stacked configuration.

13. A power electronics assembly comprising:

a toroidal-shaped capacitor having an interior cavity;

a first header of a cooling system disposed within the interior cavity of the toroidal-shaped capacitor;

a second header of the cooling system disposed within the interior cavity of the toroidal-shaped capacitor; and

a plurality of power electronics modules disposed within the interior cavity of the toroidal-shaped capacitor and between the first and second headers, each of the power electronics modules comprising;

a substrate having;

a three-dimensional outer peripheral surface;

a first end portion disposed at a first end of the substrate, the first end portion operable to attach and seal to the first header of the cooling system;

a second end portion disposed at a second end of the substrate which is opposite the first end, the second end portion operable to attach and seal to the second header of the cooling system;

a substrate interior disposed within the three-dimensional outer peripheral surface and between the first and second end portions;

one or more coolant flow channels passing through the substrate interior for carrying liquid coolant from the cooling system;

a plurality of planar facets disposed on the three-dimensional outer peripheral surface and between the first and second end portions of the substrate, wherein at least one of the planar facets is disposed in a nonparallel relationship with another of the planar facets;

a metal layer disposed on one or more of the planar facets; and

one or more power electronic devices attached to the metal layer.

14. The power electronics assembly of claim 13 wherein

the plurality of power electronics modules are disposed in two adjacent rows, including a first row and a second row,

wherein each of the power electronics modules includes a first power connector tab connected to a metal layer disposed on one of the facets and a second power connector tab connected to a metal layer disposed on another of the facets, and

wherein the first power connector tabs of the power electronics modules in the first row are electrically connected to the second power connector tabs of the power electronics modules in the second row.

15. The power electronics assembly of claim 14 wherein the first power connector tab of each power electronics module is disposed on an opposite side of the substrate from the second power connector tab.