Power semiconductor module and power converter using the same

• US 9,433,134 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tokuyama, Takeshi, Nakatsu, Kinya, Saito, Ryuichi, Satoh, Toshiya, Suwa, Tokihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Zachary M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jalali, Amir
• Application Number:
  US14/126,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20140118934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 165 802- 804, 165/104.33, 174/15.1, 174/16.3, 257/E21.002, 257/E21.103, 257/E21.418, 257/E23.104, 257/E29.257, 257/278, 257/618, 257/625, 257/659, 257/675, 257/688, 257/691, 257706-707, 257712-714, 257717-720, 257726-727, 361/687, 361689-690, 361697-699, 361702-704, 361709-711, 361715-716
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/367 Cooling facilitated by shape of device H01L23/38, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence
• 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 24/33 of a plurality of layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/115 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/18 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subgroups of the same main group of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N
• 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 2924/07802 not being an ohmic electrical conductor
• 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 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14329 specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2089 for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/209 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20909 takes precedence

Abstract

A power semiconductor module includes a first package having an upper arm circuit section, a second package having a lower arm circuit section, a metal case having a storage space to store the first package and the second package and an opening connecting with the storage space, and an intermediate connecting conductor to couple the upper arm circuit section with the lower arm circuit section; the case includes a first radiating section and a second radiating section facing the first radiating section through the storage space; the first package is arranged so that the arrangement direction of the first and second packages may be parallel to the respective surfaces facing the first and second radiating sections; and the intermediate connecting conductor couples an emitter side terminal extending from the first package with a collector side terminal extending from the second package in the storage space.

Claims

1. A power semiconductor module comprising:

a first package having an upper arm circuit section constituting an inverter circuit;

a second package having a lower arm circuit section constituting an inverter circuit;

a metal case having a storage space to store the first package and the second package and an opening connecting with the storage space; and

an intermediate connecting conductor to couple the upper arm circuit section with the lower arm circuit section, wherein;

the metal case includes a first radiating section and a second radiating section facing the first radiating section through the storage space,

the first package includes a first semiconductor chip, a first conductor plate and a second conductor plate to interpose the first semiconductor chip, a first collector-side terminal coupled with the first conductor plate, a first emitter-side terminal coupled with the second conductor plate, and a first sealant to seal parts of the first conductor plate and the second conductor plate and the first semiconductor chip,

the second package includes a second semiconductor chip, a third conductor plate and a fourth conductor plate to interpose the second semiconductor chip, a second collector-side terminal coupled with the third conductor plate, a second emitter-side terminal coupled with the fourth conductor plate, and a second sealant to seal parts of the third conductor plate and the fourth conductor plate and the second semiconductor chip,

further, the first package is arranged so that the arrangement direction of the first package and the second package are parallel to the respective surfaces facing the first radiating section and the second radiating section,

the first collector-side terminal and the second emitter-side terminal protrude outside the metal case from the opening of the metal case,

the intermediate connecting conductor couples the first emitter-side terminal with the second collector-side terminal in the storage space of the metal case, and

the first sealant and the second sealant are provided separately from each other.

2. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein either of the first radiating section and the second radiating section includes a first thin-wall section surrounding a first section facing the first package and being formed so as to be thinner than the first radiating section and a second thin-wall section surrounding a second section facing the second package and being formed so as to be thinner than the second radiating section.

3. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the power semiconductor module includes a bus bar connector having a positive-electrode-side bus bar coupled with the first collector-side terminal and a negative-electrode-side bus bar being coupled with the second emitter-side terminal and having a part facing the positive-electrode-side bus bar through an insulating member.

4. The power semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate connecting conductor is arranged on a side opposite to the opening of the metal case through the first package and the second package.

5. A power converter comprising:

the power semiconductor module according to claim 1, and

a cooling jacket having a flow channel to feed a coolant, wherein;

the metal case is fixed to the cooling jacket so that the first radiating section and the second radiating section are arranged in the flow channel, and

the first radiating section and the second radiating section directly touch the coolant.