Electric circuit device, electric circuit module, and power converter

• US 9,307,666 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• 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): Thompson, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US14/261,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. A power convertor comprising:

a first semiconductor chip constituting an upper arm;

a second semiconductor chip constituting a lower arm;

a capacitor device supplying DC power to the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip;

a P-electrode comprising a first lead wire connected to the first semiconductor chip and a first lead terminal connected to a positive-polarity capacitor terminal of the capacitor device;

a N-electrode comprising a second lead wire connected to the second semiconductor chip and a second lead terminal connected to a negative-polarity capacitor terminal of the capacitor device; and

a M-electrode connecting the first semiconductor chip with the second semiconductor chip;

wherein the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip, the capacitor device, the P-electrode, the N-electrode, and the M-electrode constitute a closed circuit,

the first lead terminal and the second lead terminal are laminated and disposed with a connection member sandwiched between the first lead terminal and the second lead terminal, and

the P-electrode, the first semiconductor chip, the M-electrode, the second semiconductor chip, and the N-electrode are laminated and disposed so that adjacent currents flow through the first lead wire, the M-electrode, and the second lead wire respectively in opposite directions to each other if a closed current flows through the closed circuit.

2. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein

the first semiconductor chip comprises a first IGBT and a first diode,

the second semiconductor chip comprises a second IGBT and a second diode,

a first gate wire connected to the first IGBT is disposed to protrude in the opposite direction to the protruding direction of the first lead terminal, and

a second gate wire connected to the second IGBT is disposed to protrude in the opposite direction to the protruding direction of the second lead terminal.

3. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein

the connection member includes a first nut, and

the second lead terminal is fixed to the connection member by a first screw connected to the first nut.

4. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein

an electric circuit device comprises the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip, a first heat release section and a second heat release section facing the first heat release section with the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip disposed between the first heat release section and the second heat release section,

the first lead terminal and the second lead terminal are connected to a first surface of the electric circuit device facing capacitor device, and

the electric circuit device has an alternating current side terminal connected to a second surface which is different from the first surface of the electric circuit device.

5. A power converter according to claim 1, further comprising molded material sealing the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip, the first lead wire, and the second lead wire.

6. A power converter according to claim 3, wherein

the connection member includes a second nut, and

the first lead terminal is fixed to the connection member by a second screw connected to the second nut.