Heat sink-integrated double-sided cooled power module

• US 9,173,329 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Joo, Jung Hong, Jang, Ki Young, Jeon, Woo Yong, Shin, Sang Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHMAD, YAHYA A.
• Application Number:
  US13/856,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20140185243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67954, 361688-723, 165/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/04026 Bonding areas specifically adapted for layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/06181 On opposite sides of the body
• 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 2224/33181 On opposite sides of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3107 the device being completely enclosed
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3735 Laminates or multilayers, e.g. direct bond copper ceramic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4334 Auxiliary members in encapsulations H01L23/49568 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/06 of a plurality of bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/29 of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/32 of an individual layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/33 of a plurality of layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/115 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 2924/014 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: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A power module for an inverter that is used in an eco-friendly vehicle, such as a hybrid vehicle, an electrical vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle, i.e., a heat sink-integrated double-sided cooled power module in which cooling efficiency is maximized by adopting a double-sided direct cooling method that uses a heat sink manufactured by an extrusion method. In particular, the heat sink is disposed in upper and lower portions of the power module, and direct bonding materials (DBMs) are deposited between the upper and lower heat sinks where a chip is interposed between the DBMs. Faces between the heat sinks, the chip, and the DBMs are bonded to one another by a solder, and an entire circumference of the chip and the DBMs is finished by a mold portion.

Claims

1. A heat sink-integrated double-sided cooled power module that is used in an inverter for a vehicle, comprising:

heat sinks disposed in upper and lower portions of the power module; and

direct bonding materials (DBMs) that are deposited between the upper and lower heat sinks where a chip is interposed between the DBMs,

wherein faces between the heat sinks, the chip, and the DBMs are bonded to one another by a solder, and an entire circumference of the chip and the DBMs is finished by a mold portion,

wherein the heat sinks comprise a plurality of apertures through which cooling water flows and which are formed in the heat sinks,

wherein several power modules comprising the mold portion and the upper and lower heat sinks are connected to one another by a module connector, and

wherein the module connector comprises a cooling water path through which cooling water flows and which communicates with the plurality of apertures inside the heat sinks in a state where the heat sinks contact both sides of the module connector.

2. The heat sink-integrated double-sided cooled power module of claim 1, wherein the heat sinks are manufactured by an extrusion method.

3. The heat sink-integrated double-sided cooled power module of claim 2, wherein the heat sinks are formed as a rectangular case having a structure in which both facing cross-sections of the heat sinks communicate with each other in one direction, and a plurality of barrier walls are formed in the case and are parallel to one another along a direction in which both facing cross-sections of the heat sinks communicate with each other, and a space between the plurality of barrier walls is formed by the plurality of apertures.

4. The heat sink-integrated double-sided cooled power module of claim 1, wherein the module connector comprises a connector body that communicates with insides of the heat sinks and simultaneously accommodates ends of the adjacent heat sinks, latches that are caught in or released from a groove formed in the heat sinks, and latch moving portions that operate actions of the latches.

5. The heat sink-integrated double-sided cooled power module of claim 1, wherein a gasket is installed on the connector body of the module connector along a circumference of a portion of the connector body that contacts the heat sinks to prevent leakage of cooling water.