Semiconductor device

• US 5,761,040 A
• Filed: 07/10/1996
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwasa, Tatuya, Arai, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D.
• Application Number:
  US08/677,833
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 257/678, 257/687, 257/690-692, 257/706, 257/707, 257/712, 257/713, 257/723, 257/724, 257/797, 361/704, 361/707, 361/714-722, 361/728, 361/733-734, 361/736, 361/772-776, 361/820
• US Class Current: 361/704
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• 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 23/49811 Additional leads joined to the metallisation on the insulating substrate, e.g. pins, bumps, wires, flat leads H01L23/49827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01028 Nickel [Ni]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01055 : Cesium [Cs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• 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 2924/19107 : off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/351 : Thermal stress

Abstract

Main electrodes (M10, M20, M30) are almost aligned along the length of a resin case (1). The main electrodes (M10, M20, M30) each have one main surface (inside main surface) facing the inside of the case body (101), where the insulating substrates (3A, 3B) are provided, and the other main surface (outside main surface) facing the outside of the case body (101), opposite to the side where the insulating substrates (3A, 3B) are provided. A conductor (4) is so disposed as to be opposed to the outside main surfaces of the main electrodes (M10, M20, M30). Having this configuration, a semiconductor device is provided, which enables reduction of the self-inductance without parallel arrangement of the main electrodes, achieves a high switching characteristic and ensures a stable operation and high reliability.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a resin case being box-shaped and electrically insulative;

a circuit board having a prescribed circuit pattern;

a power semiconductor element provided on said circuit board; and

at least one pair of main electrodes, each of said at least one pair of main electrodes having a first main surface and a second main surface which are opposite to each other, and a first end electrically connected to said power semiconductor element and a second end protruding through an upper surface of said resin case, each of said at least one pair of main electrodes flowing a main current from said power semiconductor element in opposite directions; and

a heat sink for radiating heat generated during an operation of said power semiconductor element,

wherein said circuit board is provided on said heat sink which is placed on a bottom surface of said resin case;

wherein each of said at least one pair of main electrodes are so arranged as not to be overlapped to each other, and

said semiconductor device further comprising a first conductor plate opposed to said first main surfaces of said at least one pair of main electrodes with a prescribed spacing therebetween.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein

said at least one pair of main electrodes are arranged so that said second main surfaces may face a side in which said power semiconductor element is mounted and said first main surfaces may face the opposite side, and

said first conductor plate is arranged so that its edge portion may be engaged with said heat sink.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein

said at least one pair of main electrodes are arranged so that said second main surfaces may face a side in which said power semiconductor element is mounted and said first main surfaces may face the opposite side, and

said first conductor plate is formed integrally with said heat sink.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second conductor plate opposed to said second main surfaces of said at least one pair of main electrodes with a prescribed spacing therebetween.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

said at least one pair of main electrodes are arranged so that said second main surfaces may face a side in which said power semiconductor element is mounted and said first main surfaces may face the opposite side, and

said first conductor plate is arranged so that its edge portion may be engaged with said heat sink.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

said at least one pair of main electrodes are arranged so that said second main surfaces may face a side in which said power semiconductor element is mounted and said first main surfaces may face the opposite side, and

said first conductor plate is formed integrally with said heat sink.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

at least one of said first and second conductor plates and said at least one pair of main electrodes are fixed inside a side wall of said resin case by resin sealing.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

said at least one pair of main electrodes are fixed inside a side wall of said resin case by resin sealing,

said resin case includes a pocket provided inside said side wall thereof correspondingly to a position to be provided with at least one of said first and second conductor plates for accommodating at least one of said first and second conductor plates, and

at least one of said first and second conductor plates is inserted into said pocket.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

said first and second conductor plates each have

a diamagnetic material as a main material;

and

a ferromagnetic layer formed over a surface of said main material.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein

said diamagnetic material is copper, and

said ferromagnetic layer is a thin layer made of nickel.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

said first and second conductor plates each have

a paramagnetic material as a main material;

and

a ferromagnetic layer formed over a surface of said main material.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein

said paramagnetic material is aluminum, and

said ferromagnetic layer is a thin layer made of nickel.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

said first and second conductor plates are each made of paramagnetic material.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein

said paramagnetic material is aluminum.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein

said first and second conductor plates are each made of ferromagnetic material.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein

said ferromagnetic material is an alloy of nickel.