System for a low profile, low inductance power switching module

• US 9,893,646 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Rowden, Brian Lynn, Stevanovic, Ljubisa Dragoljub
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, PHUC T
• Application Number:
  US14/871,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20170093302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4903 Connectors having different sizes, e.g. different diameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• 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 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/005 Laminated bus-bars
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/537 using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/30 Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/02 Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure

Abstract

A method and system for a power module device is provided. The device includes a base, a circuit board including a plurality of gated switches formed of a semiconductor material, and an electrical bus member configured to connect to a voltage source having a first polarity. The bus member includes a length that is substantially greater than a width of the bus member and the width is substantially greater than a thickness of the bus member. The power module device also includes a second bus member configured to connect to a voltage source having a second polarity. The second bus member is positioned in a nested face-to-face configuration with respect to the first bus member. The power module device further includes a layer of electrical insulation positioned between the first bus member and the second bus member.

Claims

1. A power module device comprising:

a base;

a component board comprising a plurality of gated switches formed of a semiconductor material;

a laminated bus structure comprising;

a first elongate electrical bus member configured to connect to a voltage source having a first polarity, said first elongate electrical bus member having a first length, a first width, and a first thickness, the first length being substantially greater than the first width and the first width being substantially greater than the first thickness;

a second elongate electrical bus member configured to connect to a voltage source having a second polarity, said second elongate electrical bus member having a second length, a second width, and a second thickness, the second length being substantially greater than the second width and the second width being substantially greater than the second thickness, said second elongate electrical bus member positioned in a nested face-to-face configuration with respect to said first elongate electrical bus member; and

a layer of electrical insulation positioned between said first elongate electrical bus member and said second elongate electrical bus member; and

an output bus layer positioned between said first elongate electrical bus member and said second elongate electrical bus member.

2. The power module device of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor material comprises a wide band gap semiconductor material.

3. The power module device of claim 1, wherein said power module device is configured such that a first current flowing in said first elongate electrical bus member is approximately equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to a second current flowing in said second elongate electrical bus member.

4. The power module device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gated switches comprise a plurality of at least one of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET), insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), junction gate field-effect transistors (JFET), and bipolar junction transistors (BJT) formed of a wide band gap semiconductor material.

5. The power module device of claim 1, wherein said layer of electrical insulation comprises polyimide film and silicone adhesive.

6. The power module device of claim 1, wherein said second elongate electrical bus member partially overlaps said first elongate electrical bus member such that a wire bonding ledge of said second elongate electrical bus member is exposed for bonding.

7. An inverter system comprising:

a direct current (DC) power source;

a power switching module electrically coupled to said DC power source, said power switching module configured to receive DC power from said DC power source and generate alternating current (AC) output, said power switching module comprising;

a base;

a circuit board comprising a plurality of gated switches formed of a wide band gap semiconductor material;

a first elongate electrical bus member configured to connect to a voltage source having a first polarity, said first elongate electrical bus member having a first length, a first width, and a first thickness, the first length being substantially greater than the first width and the first width being substantially greater than the first thickness;

a second elongate electrical bus member configured to connect to a voltage source having a second polarity, said second elongate electrical bus member having a second length, a second width, and a second thickness, the second length being substantially greater than the second width and the second width being substantially greater than the second thickness, said second elongate electrical bus member positioned in a nested face-to-face configuration with respect to said first elongate electrical bus member;

a layer of electrical insulation positioned between said first elongate electrical bus member and said second elongate electrical bus member; and

an output bus layer positioned between said first elongate electrical bus member and said second elongate electrical bus member.

8. The inverter system of claim 7, wherein said wide band gap semiconductor material comprises silicon carbide.

9. The inverter system of claim 7, wherein said power module device is configured such that a first current flowing in said first elongate electrical bus member is approximately equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to a second current flowing in said second elongate electrical bus member.

10. The inverter system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of gated switches comprise a plurality of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET) formed of a wide band gap semiconductor material.

11. The inverter system of claim 7, wherein said layer of electrical insulation comprises a polyimide film, flexible ceramics, hybrid polymer ceramic, and at least one of a fluoropolymer adhesive and a silicone adhesive.

12. The inverter system of claim 7, wherein said second elongate electrical bus member partially overlaps said first elongate electrical bus member such that a wire bonding ledge of said second elongate electrical bus member is exposed for bonding.