POWER MODULE

• US 20110242770A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: OSADA, Hiroshi, YAMANAKA, Gentaro, UENO, Takashi, FURUTA, Norifumi, KIKUCHI, Naoto, YAMADA, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/728
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14329 specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars

Abstract

A power module includes a semiconductor device having a first and second arms, and gate driving circuit board. The first arm includes a first extending electrode, a first gate electrode of a first power device extending in a direction different from the first extending electrode, and a first output electrode extending in the different direction from the first gate electrode. The second arm stacked on the first arm includes a second extending electrode extending in the first extending electrode extending direction in an insulating state, a second gate electrode of a second power device, extending in the first gate electrode extending direction, and a second output electrode extending in the first output electrode extending direction with electrical connection thereto. The gate driving circuit board is disposed at the first and second gate electrodes extending side so as to face the semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A power module comprising:

a semiconductor device comprising

a first arm including

a first substrate,

a first power device disposed on the first substrate,

a first extending electrode, of one of a P electrode or an N electrode, extending from the first substrate along a plate surface direction of the first substrate, the first extending electrode being connected to a circuit to which the first power device is connected, and being connected to one side of a DC power supply,

a first gate electrode that is a gate electrode of the first power device, the first gate electrode extending from the first substrate in a direction different from the first extending electrode along the plate surface direction of the first substrate, and

a first output electrode extending from the first substrate in a direction different from the first gate electrode along the plate surface direction of the first substrate, and being connected to the circuit to which the first power device is connected, and

a second arm that is stacked on the first arm, including

a second substrate facing the first substrate,

a second power device disposed on the second substrate,

a second extending electrode, of the other one of the P electrode or the N electrode, extending from the second substrate in a same direction as the first extending electrode so as to be facing the first extending electrode in an insulating state, the second extending electrode being connected to a circuit to which the second power device is connected, and being connected to the other side of the DC power supply,

a second gate electrode that is a gate electrode of the second power device, extending from the second substrate in the same direction as the first gate electrode, and

a second output electrode extending from the second substrate in the same direction as the first output electrode so as to be electrically connected to the first output electrode, the second output electrode being connected to the circuit to which the second power device is connected; and

a gate driving circuit board that is disposed at a side to which the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode extend so as to be facing the semiconductor device, the gate driving circuit board comprising a gate driving circuit that is electrically connected to the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode and that supplies a bias voltage to the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode.

2. The power module of claim 1, wherein the first extending electrode, the second extending electrode, the first output electrode, and the second output electrode extend in the same direction.

3. The power module of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device comprises a conductive member that electrically connects the first output electrode and the second output electrode by being sandwiched between the first output electrode and the second output electrode in at least one of a plastically deformed state or an elastically deformed state.