High power switching module

• US 6,359,331 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Semi Power Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Semi Power Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Rinehart, Lawrence Edward, Sankaran, Venkateswara Anand, Miller, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): LOKE, STEVEN HO YIN
• Application Number:
  US08/997,220
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 257/692, 257/691, 257/693, 257/696, 257/728, 257/700
• US Class Current: 257/691
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45124 Aluminium (Al) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/642 Capacitive arrangements H01L23/49589, H01L23/645, H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence; capacitive effects between wiring layers on the semiconductor body H01L23/5222
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/115 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/16 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different main groups of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. forming hybrid circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• 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 2924/19041 being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance

Abstract

A power switching module includes a substrate having at least one silicon die forming at least one power switching element and having leadframe terminal posts extending away therefrom. A planar negative rail layer providing a negative power supply and including a non-inductive current shunt resistor formed therein and a planar positive rail layer providing a positive power supply are positioned at the substrate so that the negative rail layer and the positive rail layer are coplanar with respect to each other. A phase output layer providing a phase output signal is also positioned at the substrate. Each of the layers are electrically isolated from each of the other layers and are electrically connected to the substrate.

Claims

1. A high power switching module comprising:

a substrate having at least one silicon die forming at least one switching element and having corresponding leadframe terminal posts extending away therefrom; and

an interconnect layer separated from the substrate, wherein the interconnect layer comprises;

a planar negative rail layer for providing a negative power supply to the power switching module;

a planar positive rail layer for providing a positive power supply to the power switching module, wherein the negative rail layer and the positive rail layer are arranged to be parallel with respect to each other so as to minimize stray inductance; and

a phase output layer for providing a phase output signal from the power switching module, wherein each of the layers are electrically isolated from each of the other layers and connected to predetermined terminal posts to provide electrical connection between the substrate and each of the layers of the interconnect layer, wherein the negative rail layer includes at least one sense resistor formed therein to implement overcurrent protection of the power switching module.

2. The module as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the layers include clearance holes and connection holes, the clearance holes being located so as to align with all of the lead frame terminal posts extending away from the substrate so that each of the layers can be layered upon each other and the connection holes being located so as to allow interconnection of the layers with certain terminal posts extending away from the substrate.

3. The module as recited in claim 1 wherein the sense resistor is a thin, rectangular-shaped tab.

4. The module as recited in claim 1 further comprising an insulating film disposed between each of the layers.

5. The module as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the layers of the interconnect layer is a copper material.

6. The module as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the layers of the interconnect layer include a finger formed therein corresponding to an electrical terminal and wherein each of the fingers are bent away from the substrate for wiring into a component associated with the module.

7. The module as recited in claim 1 wherein the substrate includes a plurality of substrates, each of the plurality of substrates being electrically connected to each of the layers.

8. The module as recited in claim 1 wherein a signal layer includes at least one decoupling capacitor electrically coupled between the negative rail layer and the positive rail layer.