COOLER AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING COOLER

• US 20160190038A1
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Inventors: KOYAMA, Takahiro, TERASAWA, Noriho
• Granted Patent: US 9,653,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/12 by creating turbulence, e.g. by stirring, by increasing the force of circulation F28F13/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/04 comprising shape memory alloys or bimetallic elements
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/02 Elements or assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with recesses, with corrugations F28F3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/022 the means being wires or pins
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/048 in the form of ribs integral with the element or local variations in thickness of the element, e.g. grooves, microchannels
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3121 a substrate forming part of the encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3672 Foil-like cooling fins or heat sinks being part of lead-frames H01L23/49568
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3675 characterised by the shape of the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3677 Wire-like or pin-like cooling fins or heat sinks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3735 Laminates or multilayers, e.g. direct bond copper ceramic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3736 Metallic materials H01L23/3732, H01L23/3733, H01L23/3735, H01L23/3737, H01L23/3738 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A cooler for cooling a semiconductor module includes a top plate; a jacket having a side plate and a bottom plate and firmly fixed to the top plate; a refrigerant inflow port through which a refrigerant flows into a space surrounded by the top plate and jacket; a refrigerant outflow port through which the refrigerant flows out from the space; a plurality of fins firmly fixed to the top plate and disposed separately on each of the left and right relative to a main refrigerant path in the jacket to be inclined toward the inflow side of the main refrigerant path; heat transfer pins disposed on the top plate on the refrigerant inflow sides of the fins; and a curved plate-like bimetal valve having one end connected to each respective heat transfer pin and another free end.

Claims

1. A cooler for cooling a semiconductor module, comprising:

a top plate;

a jacket having a bottom plate, a side plate firmly fixed to the top plate, and a main refrigerant path therein;

a refrigerant inflow port through which a refrigerant flows into a space surrounded by the top plate and jacket;

a refrigerant outflow port through which the refrigerant flows out from the space;

a plurality of fins firmly fixed to the top plate and disposed separately on left and right relative to the main refrigerant path in the jacket to be inclined toward an inflow side of the main refrigerant path;

heat transfer pins disposed on the top plate on the refrigerant inflow side of the fins; and

a curved plate-like bimetal valve having one end connected to each heat transfer pin, and another free end.

2. The cooler according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle of the fin is in a range of 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less with respect to the main refrigerant path as a reference.

3. The cooler according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant is a liquid.

4. The cooler according to claim 3, further comprising a blocking plate on a downstream side of the main refrigerant path before the refrigerant outflow port.

5. The cooler according to claim 3, wherein an installation distance between adjacent heat transfer pins is twice or more as large as a distance between adjacent fins.

6. The cooler according to claim 3, wherein the bimetal valve has a structure such that the bimetal valve changes to a first shape, which is curved in a refrigerant inflow direction, and to a second shape which becomes closer to linear as a temperature becomes higher than that in the first shape, and

in the first shape, a distance between the free end of the bimetal valve and the fin adjacent thereto is equal to a distance between adjacent fins.

7. The cooler according to claim 6, wherein the bimetal valve includes a first metal piece, and a second metal piece joined together, the second metal piece having expansion coefficient higher than that of the first metal piece,

the first metal piece is an iron-nickel alloy plate, and

the second metal piece is formed of one or a plurality of metals selected from the group consisting of manganese, chromium, and copper, added to an iron-nickel alloy plate.

8. The cooler according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the bimetal valve is 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

the cooler according to claim 3;

a circuit substrate having an insulating substrate, a circuit portion on an upper surface of the insulating substrate, and a metal portion on a lower surface of the insulating substrate;

a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the circuit portion, which is cooled by the cooler;

a first external terminal connected to the semiconductor chip;

a second external terminal connected to the circuit portion; and

a resin portion which houses the circuit substrate, the semiconductor chip, the first external terminal, and the second external terminal, except a surface on an opposite side of the metal portion from the insulating substrate, one end of the first external terminal, and one end of the second external terminal,

wherein the plurality of fins is thermally connected to the metal portion, and

the heat transfer pins are disposed below the insulating substrate.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of intermediate assemblies, each having the circuit substrate, the semiconductor chip, the first external terminal, and the second external terminal;

a metal base disposed between a plurality of metal portions and the top plate;

a first connection member which thermally connects the plurality of metal portions and the metal base; and

a second connection member which thermally connects the metal base and top plate.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the top plate is the metal portion.