Power semiconductor module, and power semiconductor device having the module mounted therein

• US 7,564,129 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nichicon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nichicon Corporation
• Inventors: Kawamura, Toshiaki, Nakanishi, Raita
• Primary Examiner(s): CLARK, JASMINE JHIHAN B
• Application Number:
  US12/079,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20080237847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 257/276, 257/625, 257/675, 257/704, 257/706, 257/707, 257709-722, 257/729, 257/735, 257/736, 257/E33.075, 257/E31.131, 257E2308-E23113
• US Class Current: 257/722
• 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 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/367 Cooling facilitated by shape of device H01L23/38, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• 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 2924/19107 off-chip wires

Abstract

A power semiconductor module according to the present invention includes: a planar base plate having a plurality of insulated substrates soldered on the top surface, the insulated substrates each having power semiconductor elements to be cooled mounted thereon; a plurality of radiation fins projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate; and a peripheral wall projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate so as to surround the radiation fins, the projecting length of the radiation fins is less than or equal to that of the peripheral wall, and the peripheral wall has end surfaces present in the same plane. In addition, a power semiconductor device having the power semiconductor module mounted therein includes: at least one reinforcing plate disposed on the top surface side of the base plate via a first buffering member; and a cooling jacket fixed to the bottom surface side of the base plate via a second buffering member with a plurality of tightening fixtures passing through the reinforcing plate and the base plate, the cooling jacket having a flow passage for a cooling medium formed to intervene in a position with respect to the base plate, and the first buffering member and the second buffering member are respectively disposed at least inside and outside with respect to the tightening fixtures.

Claims

1. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a plurality of power semiconductor elements;

a plurality of insulated substrates having the power semiconductor elements soldered on their top surfaces;

a planar base plate having bottom surfaces of the insulated substrates soldered on its top surface;

a plurality of radiation fins projecting from an area on a bottom surface side of the base plate, the area being on the opposite side to a junction area between the insulated substrates and the base plate; and

a peripheral wall projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate so as to surround the radiation fins,

wherein the base plate, the radiation fins, and the peripheral wall are integrally formed to constitute a finned base plate,

wherein the radiation fins are disposed along a flowing direction of a cooling medium,

wherein a projecting length of the radiation fins is less than or equal to that of the peripheral wall,

wherein the peripheral wall has end surfaces present in the same plane, and

wherein the finned base plate is an aluminum-silicon carbide composite material having a linear expansion coefficient of 3 to 10 ppm/°

C.

2. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the insulated substrates each include:

an insulated ceramic layer; and

metal layers attached to both surfaces of the insulated ceramic layer.

3. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the finned base plate has a planar ring shape, and the radiation fins are concentrically disposed about a center axis of the ring shape.

4. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a plurality of power semiconductor elements;

a thermal diffusion plate having the power semiconductor elements soldered on its top surface;

an insulated resin layer disposed on a bottom surface side of the thermal diffusion plate;

a planar base plate having the insulated resin layer in close contact with its top surface;

a plurality of radiation fins projecting from an area on a bottom surface side of the base plate, the area being on the opposite side to a junction area between the insulated resin layer and the base plate; and

a peripheral wall projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate so as to surround the radiation fins,

wherein the base plate, the radiation fins, and the peripheral wall are integrally formed to constitute a finned base plate,

wherein the radiation fins are disposed along a flowing direction of a cooling medium,

wherein a projecting length of the radiation fins is less than or equal to that of the peripheral wall,

wherein the peripheral wall has end surfaces present in the same plane and

wherein the finned base plate is an aluminum-silicon carbide composite material having a linear expansion coefficient of 3 to 10 ppm/°

C.

5. The power semiconductor module according to claim 4, wherein the difference in projecting length between the radiation fins and the peripheral wall is 0.2 to 1.0 mm.

6. The power semiconductor module according to claim 4, wherein the end surfaces of the peripheral wall have a surface roughness of 2 μ

m or less.

7. The power semiconductor module according to claim 4, wherein a taper inclined by 15°

to 45°

toward the radiation fins with respect to a vertical direction is formed at an inner wall surface of the peripheral wall surrounding the radiation fins, the surface being perpendicular to the flowing direction of the cooling medium flowing between the radiation fins.

8. The power semiconductor module according to claim 4, wherein the finned base plate has a planar ring shape, and the radiation fins are concentrically disposed about a center axis of the ring shape.

9. A power semiconductor device comprising:

a power semiconductor module of claim 4; and

a cooling jacket attached to the end surfaces of the peripheral wall in the power semiconductor module via a seal material, so as to for discrete portions of a flow passage for the cooling medium between the radiation fins,

wherein the cooling jacket has an intake port for introducing the cooling medium into the flow passage, and a discharge port for discharging the cooling medium from the flow passage, such that the intake port and the discharge port are disposed at diagonally-opposed corners of a space constituting the flow passage.

10. The power semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the seal material is an O-ring or metal gasket formed by an elastic material mainly composed of ethylene propylene- or silicone-based resin.

11. A power semiconductor device comprising:

a base plate having power semiconductor elements to be cooled mounted on its top surface side;

a reinforcing plate disposed on the top surface side of the base plate;

a cooling jacket fixed to a bottom surface side of the base plate with a plurality of tightening fixtures passing through the reinforcing plate and the base plate, the cooling jacket having a flow passage for a cooling medium formed to intervene in a position with respect to the base plate;

a first buffering member disposed between the reinforcing plate and the base plate; and

a second buffering member disposed between the base plate and the cooling jacket,

wherein the cooling jacket and the reinforcing plate each have a linear expansion coefficient greater than that of the base plate, and

wherein the first buffering member and the second buffering member are respectively disposed at least inside and outside with respect to the tightening fixtures.

12. The power semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the base plate includes a plurality of radiation fins formed on an area on its bottom surface side, the area being on the opposite side to an area in which the power semiconductor elements are mounted, and wherein the radiation fins are accommodated in the flow passage, so that the cooling medium flows between the radiation fins.

13. The power semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the first buffering member and the second buffering member are each selected from among an O-ring, a metal gasket, and an adhesive resin layer.

14. The power semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the reinforcing plate is integrally formed with a housing surrounding the power semiconductor elements.

15. The power semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the reinforcing plate and/or the cooling jacket is/are made up of aluminum or stainless steel.

16. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a plurality of power semiconductor elements;

a plurality of insulated substrates having the power semiconductor elements soldered on their top surfaces;

a planar base plate having bottom surfaces of the insulated substrates soldered on its top surface;

a plurality of radiation fins projecting from an area on a bottom surface side of the base plate, the area being on the opposite side to a junction area between the insulated substrates and the base plate; and

a peripheral wall projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate so as to surround the radiation fins,

wherein the base plate, the radiation fins, and the peripheral wall are integrally formed to constitute a finned base plate,

wherein the radiation fins are disposed along a flowing direction of a cooling medium,

wherein a projecting length of the radiation fins is less than or equal to that of the peripheral wall,

wherein the peripheral wall has end surfaces present in the same plane, and

wherein the difference in projecting length between the radiation fins and the peripheral wall is 0.2 to 1.0 mm.

17. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a plurality of power semiconductor elements;

a plurality of insulated substrates having the power semiconductor elements soldered on their top surfaces;

a planar base plate having bottom surfaces of the insulated substrates soldered on its top surface;

a plurality of radiation fins projecting from an area on a bottom surface side of the base plate, the area being on the opposite side to a junction area between the insulated substrates and the base plate; and

a peripheral wall projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate so as to surround the radiation fins,

wherein the base plate, the radiation fins, and the peripheral wall are integrally formed to constitute a finned base plate,

wherein the radiation fins are disposed along a flowing direction of a cooling medium,

wherein a projecting length of the radiation fins is less than or equal to that of the peripheral wall,

wherein the peripheral wall has end surfaces present in the same plane, and

wherein the end surfaces of the peripheral wall have a surface roughness of 2 μ

m or less.

18. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a plurality of power semiconductor elements;

a plurality of insulated substrates having the power semiconductor elements soldered on their top surfaces;

a planar base plate having bottom surfaces of the insulated substrates soldered on its top surface;

a plurality of radiation fins projecting from an area on a bottom surface side of the base plate, the area being on the opposite side to a junction area between the insulated substrates and the base plate; and

a peripheral wall projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate so as to surround the radiation fins,

wherein the base plate, the radiation fins, and the peripheral wall are integrally formed to constitute a finned base plate,

wherein the radiation fins are disposed along a flowing direction of a cooling medium,

wherein a projecting length of the radiation fins is less than or equal to that of the peripheral wall,

wherein the peripheral wall has end surfaces present in the same plane, and

wherein a taper inclined by 15°

to 45°

toward the radiation fins with respect to a vertical direction is formed at an inner wall surface of the peripheral wall surrounding the radiation fins, the surface being perpendicular to the flowing direction of the cooling medium flowing between the radiation fins.

19. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a plurality of power semiconductor elements;

a plurality of insulated substrates having the power semiconductor elements soldered on their top surfaces;

a planar base plate having bottom surfaces of the insulated substrates soldered on its top surface;

a plurality of radiation fins projecting from an area on a bottom surface side of the base plate, the area being on the opposite side to a junction area between the insulated substrates and the base plate; and

a peripheral wall projecting from the bottom surface side of the base plate so as to surround the radiation fins,

wherein the base plate, the radiation fins, and the peripheral wall are integrally formed to constitute a finned base plate,

wherein the radiation fins are disposed along a flowing direction of a cooling medium,

wherein a projecting length of the radiation fins is less than or equal to that of the peripheral wall,

wherein the peripheral wall has end surfaces present in the same plane,

a cooling jacket attached to the end surfaces of the peripheral wall in the power semiconductor module via a seal material, so as to form discrete portions of a flow passage for the cooling medium between the radiation fins, and

wherein the cooling jacket has an intake port for introducing the cooling medium into the flow passage, and a discharge port for discharging the cooling medium from the flow passage, such that the intake port and the discharge port are disposed at diagonally-opposed corners of a space constituting the flow passage.

20. The power semiconductor device according to claim 19, wherein the seal material is an O-ring or metal gasket formed by an elastic material mainly composed of ethylene propylene- or silicone-based resin.