Electric circuit device, electric circuit module, and power converter

• US 8,081,472 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tokuyama, Takeshi, Nakatsu, Kinya, Kawabata, Atushi
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, BRADLEY H
• Application Number:
  US12/715,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 361/717
• US Class Current: 361/716
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/08 Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/224 Housing; Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45124 Aluminium (Al) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73215 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• 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 2924/00012 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 2924/1305 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 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/02 : Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides an electric circuit device in which it is possible to achieve simultaneously the improvement of cooling performance and reduction in operating loss due to line inductance. The above object can be attained by constructing multiple plate-like conductors so that each of these conductors electrically connected to multiple semiconductor chips is also thermally connected to both chip surfaces of each such semiconductor chip to release heat from the chip surfaces of each semiconductor chip, and so that among the above conductors, a DC positive-polarity plate-like conductor and a DC negative-polarity plate-like conductor are opposed to each other at the respective conductor surfaces.

Claims

1. An electric power converter comprising:

a plurality of electric circuit devices respectively having a semiconductor chip for converting direct current to alternating current and a lead terminal for transferring said direct current to said semiconductor chip;

a capacitor block having a capacitor element for smoothing said direct current and a capacitor terminal for transferring said direct current to said lead terminal; and

a heat release base having a flow channel for carrying a cooling medium;

wherein said heat release base comprises a plurality of electric circuit device insertion sections and a cooling fin for holding said capacitor block;

said electric circuit devices respectively have a first heat releasing section and a second heat releasing section facing said first heat releasing section through said semiconductor chip;

said heat release base fixes said electric circuit devices in said electric circuit device insertion sections so that said first heat releasing section and said second heat releasing section are disposed between said flow channel; and

said capacitor block is fixed by said cooling fin so that said capacitor terminal directly connects to said lead terminal.

2. The electric power converter according to claim 1,

wherein said capacitor terminal is one of a positive capacitor terminal and a negative capacitor terminal;

said capacitor block has a casing for holding said capacitor element and a insulating sheet disposed between said positive capacitor terminal and said negative capacitor terminal; and

said positive capacitor terminal and said negative capacitor terminal protrude from said casing with said insulating sheet positioned therebetween.

3. The electric power converter according to claim 2,

wherein said lead terminal is one of a positive lead terminal and a negative lead terminal;

and

an end part of said positive capacitor terminal and an end part of said negative capacitor terminal extend to a space between said positive lead terminal and said negative lead terminal.

4. The electric power converter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit board, which has electronic components for controlling switching timing of said semiconductor chip;

wherein said control circuit board is fixed by said heat release base.

5. The electric power converter according to claim 4,

wherein said control circuit board has a plurality of through-holes;

and

each of said each through-holes faces one of said electric circuit device insertion sections and fixes one of said electric circuit devices.

6. The electric power converter according to claim 4,

wherein said control circuit board faces said capacitor block through said electric circuit devices and said flow channel.

7. The electric power converter according to claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of current sensors for detecting said alternating current;

wherein said current sensors are disposed on said circuit board;

each of said electric circuit devices has a lead wire for outputting said alternating current;

each of said lead wires extends to one of said current sensors; and

said lead terminal extends to said capacitor block.