High performance power module

• US 9,640,617 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolfspeed, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Das, Mrinal K., Callanan, Robert J., Lin, Henry, Palmour, John Williams
• Primary Examiner(s): Jahan, Bilkis
• Application Number:
  US13/893,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20130248883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 257 77, 257288
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/046 using ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/049 Conductor-insulator-semiconductor electrodes, e.g. MIS contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4903 Connectors having different sizes, e.g. different diameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/072 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 27/0629 in combination with diodes, or resistors, or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/045 by their particular orientation of crystalline planes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0696 of cellular field-effect devices, e.g. multicellular DMOS transistors or IGBTs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66068 : the devices being controllable only by the electric current supplied or the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched, e.g. three-terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7395 : Vertical transistors, e.g. vertical IGBT
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7802 : Vertical DMOS transistors, i.e. VDMOS transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7805 : in antiparallel, e.g. freewheel diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7806 : the other device being a Schottky barrier diode
• 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 2924/00014 : 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 2924/12032 : Schottky diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1301 : Thyristor
• 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 2924/13062 : Junction field-effect transistor [JFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15153 : the die mounting substrate comprising a recess for hosting the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 : in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 : off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/207 : Diameter ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/084 : using a control circuit common to several phases of a multi-phase system
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 : Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 : in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 : using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/04 : by means of a H-bridge circuit
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a power module that has a housing with an interior chamber and a plurality of switch modules interconnected to facilitate switching power to a load. Each of the plurality of switch modules comprises at least one transistor and at least one diode mounted within the interior chamber and both the at least one transistor and the at least one diode are majority carrier devices, are formed of a wide bandgap material system, or both. The switching modules may be arranged in virtually any fashion depending on the application. For example, the switching modules may be arranged in a six-pack, full H-bridge, half H-bridge, single switch or the like.

Claims

1. A power module comprising:

a housing with an interior chamber; and

a plurality of switch modules mounted within the interior chamber and interconnected to facilitate switching power to a load wherein each of the plurality of switch modules comprises at least one transistor configured to receive a separate control signal that is varied to provide a sinusoidal drive current and at least one diode wherein a source of the at least one transistor and an anode of the at least one diode are directly coupled together and directly coupled to a pin and the power module is able to block 1200 volts, conduct at least 50 amperes, and has switching losses of less than ten milli-Joules.

2. The power module of claim 1, wherein both the at least one transistor and the at least one diode are majority carrier devices.

3. The power module of claim 1 wherein the at least one transistor and the at least one diode are formed from a wide bandgap material system.

4. The power module of claim 3 wherein the wide bandgap material system is silicon carbide.

5. The power module of claim 3 wherein the wide bandgap material system is gallium nitride.

6. The power module of claim 3 wherein the at least one transistor is a MOSFET and the at least one diode is a Schottky diode.

7. The power module of claim 6 wherein the Schottky diode is a junction barrier Schottky diode.

8. The power module of claim 1 wherein the at least one transistor is coupled in anti-parallel with the at least one diode.

9. The power module of claim 8 wherein the at least one transistor comprises an array of transistors effectively coupled in parallel and the at least one diode comprises an array of diodes effectively coupled in parallel.

10. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module is able to block at least 550 volts and operate at a switching frequency of at least 125 kHz.

11. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module is able to block at least 1200 volts, conduct at least 50 amperes, and operate at a switching frequency of at least 75 kHz.

12. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 400 watts/cm².

13. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 425 watts/cm².

14. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 500 watts/cm².

15. The power module of claim 2 wherein the at least one transistor is formed over an aluminum nitride substrate.

16. The power module of claim 2 wherein the plurality of switch modules are mounted to a copper base plate and the at least one transistor is formed over an aluminum nitride substrate.

17. The power module of claim 2 wherein the plurality of switch modules are mounted to an aluminum silicon carbide base plate and the at least one transistor is formed over an aluminum nitride substrate.

18. The power module of claim 2 wherein:

the plurality of switch modules consists of six switch modules;

a first and second of the switch modules are connected in series between a first bus and a second bus to form a first shunt leg;

a third and fourth of the switch modules are connected in series between the first bus and the second bus to form a second shunt leg; and

a fifth and sixth of the switch modules are connected in series between the first bus and the second bus to form a third shunt leg.

19. The power module of claim 18 wherein the at least one transistor is a SiC MOSFET and the at least one diode is a SiC Schottky diode.

20. The power module of claim 19 wherein the SiC Schottky diode is a junction barrier diode.

21. The power module of claim 19 wherein the at least one transistor is coupled in anti-parallel with the at least one diode.

22. The power module of claim 21 wherein the at least one transistor comprises an array of transistors effectively coupled in parallel and the at least one diode comprises an array of diodes effectively coupled in parallel.

23. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module is able to block 1200 volts, conduct 50 amperes, and has switching losses of less than ten milli-Joules.

24. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module is able to block at least 550 volts and operate at a switching frequency of at least 125 kHz.

25. The power module of claim 2 wherein the power module is able to block at least 1200 volts, conduct at least 50 amperes, and operate at a switching frequency of at least 75 kHz.

26. The power module of claim 19 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 400 watts/cm².

27. The power module of claim 19 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 425 watts/cm².

28. The power module of claim 19 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 500 watts/cm².

29. The power module of claim 19 wherein the at least one transistor is formed over an aluminum nitride substrate.

30. The power module of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of switch modules forms a portion of a full H-bridge or a half H-bridge.

31. The power module of claim 1, wherein both the at least one transistor and the at least one diode are formed from a wide bandgap material system.

32. The power module of claim 31 wherein the wide bandgap material system is silicon carbide.

33. The power module of claim 31 wherein the wide bandgap material system is gallium nitride.

34. The power module of claim 31 wherein the at least one transistor is a MOSFET and the at least one diode is a Schottky diode.

35. The power module of claim 34 wherein the Schottky diode is a junction barrier Schottky diode.

36. The power module of claim 31 wherein the at least one transistor is coupled in anti-parallel with the at least one diode.

37. The power module of claim 36 wherein the at least one transistor comprises an array of transistors effectively coupled in parallel and the at least one diode comprises an array of diodes effectively coupled in parallel.

38. The power module of claim 31 wherein the power module is able to block at least 550 volts and operate at a switching frequency of at least 125 kHz.

39. The power module of claim 31 wherein the power module is able to block at least 1200 volts, conduct at least 50 amperes, and operate at a switching frequency of at least 75 kHz.

40. The power module of claim 31 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 400 watts/cm².

41. The power module of claim 31 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 425 watts/cm².

42. The power module of claim 31 wherein the power module has a power density of at least 500 watts/cm².

43. The power module of claim 31 wherein the at least one transistor is formed over an aluminum nitride substrate.

44. The power module of claim 31 wherein the plurality of switch modules are mounted to a copper base plate and the at least one transistor is formed over an aluminum nitride substrate.

45. The power module of claim 31 wherein the plurality of switch modules are mounted to an aluminum silicon carbide base plate and the at least one transistor is formed over an aluminum nitride substrate.

46. The power module of claim 31 wherein:

the plurality of switch modules consists of six switch modules;

a first and second of the switch modules are connected in series between a first bus and a second bus to form a first shunt leg;

a third and fourth of the switch modules are connected in series between the first bus and the second bus to form a second shunt leg; and

a fifth and sixth of the switch modules are connected in series between the first bus and the second bus to form a third shunt leg.

47. The power module of claim 46 wherein the at least one transistor is a SiC MOSFET and the at least one diode is a SiC Schottky diode.

48. The power module of claim 47 wherein the SiC Schottky diode is a junction barrier diode.