Semiconductor module and inverter device

• US 7,760,503 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Kazuo, Tsuruoka, Junji, Yasui, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US12/078,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20080291628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 361605-642, 361688-689, 361/699, 361704-712, 361718-724, 361/734, 361/763, 361/766, 361/775, 361/782, 361/793, 361/794, 361/818, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/80.4, 165/80.5, 165/104.33, 165/104.34, 165/185, 257706-727, 174/16.3, 174/35, 174/252, 363/56.02, 363/141, 363144-147, 363/137, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/11, 307/38, 307/115, 622/281, 622/592, 294/17, 296/021, 295/921, 297/40, 297/41, 297/59, 298/32, 298/31
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/291 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• 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 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 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 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: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections

Abstract

A semiconductor module includes a base plate; a plurality of substrates placed on one surface of the base plate, with each substrate of the plurality of substrates including a switching element, a diode element, and a connection terminal area; and a parallel flow forming device that forms parallel coolant flow paths that are provided so as to be in contact with the other surface of the base plate. The coolant flow paths are formed such that coolant flows in a coolant flow direction.

Claims

1. A semiconductor module comprising:

a base plate;

a plurality of substrates placed on one surface of the base plate, with each substrate of the plurality of substrates including a switching element, a diode element, and a connection terminal area; and

a parallel flow forming device that forms parallel coolant flow paths that are provided so as to be in contact with the other surface of the base plate, wherein;

the coolant flow paths are formed such that coolant flows in a coolant flow direction,

the switching element and the diode element are arranged in line in a perpendicular direction with respect to the coolant flow direction,

the switching element and the connection terminal area are arranged in positions differing in the coolant flow direction in each of the substrates,

a pair of substrates of the plurality of substrates is arranged in series in the coolant flow direction,

the switching element of one of the substrates of the pair of substrates is arranged on one side in the perpendicular direction, and the diode element of the other substrate of the pair of substrates is arranged on the one side in the perpendicular direction,

the connection terminal area of at least one substrate of the pair of substrates is arranged closer to a side that is between the pair of substrates with respect to the switching element of the at least one substrate of the pair of substrates, and

the switching elements of the pair of substrates are arranged at different positions in the perpendicular direction.

2. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the pair of substrates have an identical structure with each other and are arranged to be symmetrical.

3. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein both of the connection terminal areas of the pair of substrates are arranged closer to the side that is between the pair of substrates with respect to the switching elements of each substrate.

4. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the parallel flow forming device is a plurality of fins arranged parallel with each other along the other surface of the base plate.

5. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature detecting device that detects a temperature of the switching elements of both substrates of the pair of substrates, wherein the temperature detecting device is provided for the switching element of the substrate of the pair of substrates arranged on a downstream side of the coolant flow direction.

6. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the switching element of the one of the substrates of the pair of substrates is arranged on the one side in the perpendicular direction, and the switching element of the other substrate of the pair of substrates is arranged on the other side in the perpendicular direction.

7. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the pair of substrates is provided with one of a pair of a lower arm switching element and an upper arm switching element.

8. The semiconductor module according to claim 7, further comprising:

a temperature detecting device that is mounted on the lower arm switching element, wherein temperature detection is carried out for temperature control of the switching elements of both substrates of the pair of substrates.

9. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of substrates includes six substrates, each substrate including one of the lower arm switching element and the upper arm switching element of each phase forming a three-phase AC inverter circuit is placed on the one surface of the base plate.

10. An inverter device including the semiconductor module according to claim 1.

11. A semiconductor module comprising:

a base plate;

a plurality of substrates placed on one surface of the base plate, with each substrate of the plurality of substrates including a switching element, a diode element, and a connection terminal area; and

a parallel flow forming device that forms parallel coolant flow paths that are provided so as to be in contact with the other surface of the base plate, wherein;

the coolant flow paths are formed such that coolant flows in a coolant flow direction,

the switching element and the diode element are arranged in line in a perpendicular direction with respect to the coolant flow direction,

the switching element and the connection terminal area are arranged in positions differing in the coolant flow direction in each of the substrates,

a pair of substrates of the plurality of substrates is arranged in series in the coolant flow direction,

the connection terminal area is arranged on a first side in the perpendicular direction for one substrate of the pair of substrates and on a second side in the perpendicular direction for the other substrate of the pair of substrates,

the diode element is arranged on the second side in the perpendicular direction for the one substrate of the pair of substrates and on the first side in the perpendicular direction for the other substrate of the pair of substrates,

the connection terminal area of at least one substrate of the pair of substrates is arranged closer to a side that is between the pair of substrates with respect to the switching element of the at least one substrate of the pair of substrates, and

the switching elements of the pair of substrates are arranged at different positions in the perpendicular direction.

12. The semiconductor module according to claim 11, wherein the pair of substrates have an identical structure with each other and are arranged to be symmetrical.

13. The semiconductor module according to claim 11, wherein both of the connection terminal areas of the pair of substrates are arranged closer to the side that is between the pair of substrates with respect to the switching elements of each substrate.

14. The semiconductor module according to claim 11, wherein the parallel flow forming device is a plurality of fins arranged parallel with each other along the other surface of the base plate.

15. The semiconductor module according to claim 11, further comprising:

a temperature detecting device that detects a temperature of the switching elements of both substrates of the pair of substrates, wherein the temperature detecting device is provided for the switching element of the substrate of the pair of substrates arranged on a downstream side of the coolant flow direction.

16. The semiconductor module according to claim 11, wherein the switching element of the one of the substrates of the pair of substrates is arranged on the one side in the perpendicular direction, and the switching element of the other substrate of the pair of substrates is arranged on the other side in the perpendicular direction.

17. The semiconductor module according to claim 11, wherein the pair of substrates is provided with one of a pair of a lower arm switching element and an upper arm switching element.

18. The semiconductor module according to claim 17, further comprising:

a temperature detecting device that is mounted on the lower arm switching element, wherein temperature detection is carried out for temperature control of the switching elements of both substrates of the pair of substrates.

19. The semiconductor module according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of substrates includes six substrates, each substrate including one of the lower arm switching element and the upper arm switching element of each phase forming a three-phase AC inverter circuit is placed on the one surface of the base plate.

20. An inverter device including the semiconductor module according to claim 11.