High power semiconductor module

• US 7,005,739 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Kaufmann, Stefan, Lang, Thomas, Herr, Egon, Nicola, Mauro, Gekenidis, Soto
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/479,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 257/146, 257/150, 257/177, 257/181, 257/690, 257/704, 257/710, 257/718, 257/719, 257/726, 257/727, 257/772, 257/779, 257/785
• US Class Current: 257/719
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/049 the other leads being perpendicular to the base
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/60 Protection against electrostatic charges or discharges, e.g. Faraday shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/072 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/112 Mixed assemblies
• 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: H01L 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]

Abstract

The stackable power semiconductor module comprises electrically conductive base plates, an electrically conductive cover plate and a plurality of semiconductor chips. The semiconductor chips are arranged in groups of several on separate base plates in preassembled submodules. The base plates are moveable towards the cover plate. The submodules are paralleled inside the module housing. The submodules are fully testable according to their current ratings. Altering the number of submodules paralleled inside the housing can vary the overall current rating of a module.

Claims

1. Power semiconductor module comprising at least one electrically conductive base plate, an electrically conductive cover plate, stiff module housing elements and a plurality of semiconductor chips,

said semiconductor chips being electrically connected by means of first main electrodes to the at least one base plate,

said semiconductor chips being electrically connected by means of second main electrodes and via flexible, compressible contact elements to the cover plate,

said cover plate being attached to said stiff module housing elements, forming a module housing,

said stiff module housing elements limiting the compression of the flexible contact elements, wherein

the power semiconductor module comprises at least one preassembled and fully testable submodule with a base plate and a group of several of said semiconductor chips, said semiconductor chips being arranged on said base plate of said submodule,

said at least one base plate of the at least one submodule is moveable towards the cover plate.

2. Power semiconductor module of claim 1, wherein

contact elements of semiconductor chips of the at least one submodule are guided by submodule housing elements, said submodule housing elements being attached to the base plate.

3. Power semiconductor module of claim 2, wherein

the submodule housing elements are at least partially surrounding the base plate and have outside protrusions, and wherein

the at least one submodule is clamped into the module housing by said protrusions of the submodule housing elements being carried by protrusions of the stiff housing elements.

4. Power semiconductor module of claim 1, wherein

the stiff module housing elements are made of a material with an impact strength greater than 60 kJ/m².

5. Power semiconductor module of claim 4, wherein

the stiff module housing elements are made of composite material reinforced with long fibers.

6. Power semiconductor module of claim 1, wherein each submodule comprises at least one flexible, compressible contact element.

7. Power semiconductor module of claim 2, wherein each submodule comprises at least one flexible, compressible contact element.

8. Power semiconductor module of claim 1, comprising submodule housing elements arranged between the chips to fix the positions of the chips relative to each other.

9. Power semiconductor module of claim 2, wherein the submodule housing elements are arranged between the chips and fix the positions of the chips relative to each other.