Semiconductor control device

• US 8,953,335 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Keihin Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Abe, Seiichiro, Abe, Hidefumi, Mayumi, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sinclair, David M
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, ROBERT D
• Application Number:
  US13/479,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20130077255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67954, 361688-723, 165 801- 805, 165/104.33, 174 151- 152, 174 161- 163, 257712-722
• US Class Current: 361/761
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/36 Selection of materials, or shaping, to facilitate cooling or heating, e.g. heatsinks H01L23/28, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence; heating H01L23/345
• 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: H05K 7/209 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20909 takes precedence

Abstract

A semiconductor control device is provided with: a plurality of semiconductor modules each having a cooling member and a semiconductor element; a circuit board mounted with a control element that controls the plurality of semiconductor modules; and a case in which the plurality of semiconductor modules and the circuit board are respectively mounted. The case is provided with a cylindrical sidewall that forms an internal space within the case, and on both ends of the sidewall, a first opening and a second opening are correspondingly formed to be opposite to each other. The plurality of semiconductor modules include a first semiconductor module mounted on the sidewall on a side of the first opening, and a second semiconductor module mounted on the sidewall on a side of the second opening. The circuit board is positioned between the first semiconductor module and the second semiconductor module, in the internal space.

Claims

1. A semiconductor control device comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor modules each having a cooling member and a semiconductor element;

a circuit board mounted with a control element that controls the plurality of semiconductor modules; and

a case in which the plurality of semiconductor modules and the circuit board are respectively mounted,

wherein the case is provided with a cylindrical sidewall that forms an internal space within the case, and on both ends of the sidewall, a first opening and a second opening are correspondingly formed to be opposite to each other, while correspondingly connecting with the both ends of the sidewall to open the internal space of the case to an outer area,

wherein the plurality of semiconductor modules include a first semiconductor module mounted on the sidewall on a side of the first opening, and a second semiconductor module mounted on the sidewall on a side of the second opening,

and wherein the circuit board is positioned between the first semiconductor module and the second semiconductor module, in the internal space.

2. The semiconductor control device according to claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor module is mounted with a first semiconductor element on one surface of a first cooling member, and the second semiconductor module is mounted with a second semiconductor element on one surface of a second cooling member that faces opposite to the one surface of the first cooling member,

and wherein the circuit board is a control circuit board implemented with the control element that controls each of switching operations of the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element.

3. The semiconductor control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an input-side connecting conductor for the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element; and

an output-side connecting conductor for the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element,

wherein the internal space has a gap portion, which is not within an occupied area in the internal space occupied by the first semiconductor module, the second semiconductor module, and the control circuit board

and wherein the input-side connecting conductor and the output-side connecting conductor are respectively formed along the gap portion and penetrate the sidewall to extend outside of the case.

4. The semiconductor control device according to claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor module is mounted in the case, in a state where the first semiconductor element is positioned within the internal space through the first opening, and the first opening is closed by the first cooling member by exposing the other surface of the first cooling member to outside of the case,

and wherein the second semiconductor module is mounted in the case, in a state where the second semiconductor element is positioned within the internal space through the second opening, and the second opening is closed by the second cooling member by exposing the other surface of the second cooling member to outside of the case.

5. The semiconductor control device according to claim 2, wherein the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element respectively have an identical configuration capable of realizing a high-side switching function and a low-side switching function,

and wherein the first cooling member and the second cooling member have an identical configuration, where the members are made of a same type of material and given an identical shape to each other.

6. The semiconductor control device according to claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor module includes, in addition to the semiconductor element, a drive circuit board that operates the semiconductor element, and a frame on which the semiconductor element and the drive circuit board are attached, while the second semiconductor module includes, in addition to the semiconductor element, a drive circuit board that operates the semiconductor element, and a frame on which the semiconductor element and the drive circuit board are attached,

wherein the circuit board is a control circuit board that controls each of operations of the semiconductor element of the first semiconductor module and the semiconductor element of the second semiconductor module,

and wherein each of the frame of the first semiconductor module and the frame of the second semiconductor module includes a plurality of positioning pins that are inserted with and position the drive circuit board of the first semiconductor module, the drive circuit board of the second semiconductor module, and the control circuit board.

7. The semiconductor control device according to claim 6, wherein the first semiconductor module and the second semiconductor module are positioned to be opposite to each other.

8. The semiconductor control device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of positioning pins include positioning pins provided to correspond to diagonally opposite corners of the frame.

9. The semiconductor control device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of positioning pins include positioning pins that correspond to four corners of the control circuit board and are inserted therethrough.

10. The semiconductor control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a condenser that is electrically connected to each of the semiconductor element of the first semiconductor module and the semiconductor element of the second semiconductor module;

a resin case in which the first semiconductor module, the second semiconductor module, and the condenser are respectively mounted;

an input-side connecting conductor that electrically connects an input terminal of the semiconductor element and a connection terminal of the condenser; and

an output-side connecting conductor that electrically connects an output terminal of the semiconductor element and an external terminal

wherein each of the input-side connecting conductor and the output-side connecting conductor is integrally formed with the case and fixed to the case.

11. The semiconductor control device according to claim 10, wherein the condenser is integrally formed with the case and fixed to the case.

12. The semiconductor control device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a circuit board related to the semiconductor element; and

a connector electrically connected to the circuit board,

wherein the connector is integrally formed with the case and fixed to the case.

13. The semiconductor control device according to claim 10, wherein each of the input-side connecting conductor and the output-side connecting conductor is a block structure.