Power semiconductor module with a plurality of semiconductor chips

• US 6,060,772 A
• Filed: 06/29/1998
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakao, Satoshi, Sugawara, Hidekazu, Tsunoda, Tetsujiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Saadat, Mahshid
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARK, JASMINE JHIHAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/106,351
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 257/678, 257/722, 257/691, 257/723
• US Class Current: 257/678
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05553 being rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49113 the connectors connecting different bonding areas on the semiconductor or solid-state body to a common bonding area outside the body, e.g. converging wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• 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 25/162 the devices being mounted on two or more different substrates
• 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 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• 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 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance

Abstract

On a metal base, an insulated wiring substrate is fixed, and, on a conductive layer on the insulated wiring substrate, semiconductor chips are disposed. Above the semiconductor chips, a controlling substrate is provided, and the signals produced in this controlling substrate are supplied to electrodes on the surfaces of the semiconductor chips via bonding wires passing through openings provided in the controlling substrate.

Claims

1. A power semiconductor module, comprising:

a metal base;

an insulated wiring substrate fixed on the metal base;

at least one semiconductor chip which is fixed on the insulated wiring substrate and has control electrode on the upper surfaces thereof;

a controlling substrate disposed above the at least one semiconductor chip and having a plurality of parts mounted thereon, the plurality of parts constituting a control circuit for controlling the at least one semiconductor chip, the controlling substrate having at least one wiring pattern formed thereon; and

at least one bonding wire which electrically connect the control electrode of the at least one semiconductor chip and the at least one wiring pattern on the controlling substrate to each other.

2. A module according to claim 1, wherein the controlling substrate has opening through which the at least one bonding wire pass.

3. The module according to claim 1, wherein the controlling substrate has a cut-away recess through which the at least one bonding wire pass.

4. The module according to claim 1, wherein the controlling substrate is divided into a plurality of portions, whereby gaps through which the at least one bonding wire pass exist between the respective controlling substrate portions.

5. The module according to claim 1, wherein the insulated wiring substrate comprising:

an insulating substrate which has first and second surfaces opposed to each other; and

conductive layers which are formed on the first and second surfaces of the insulating substrate, respectively.

6. The module according to claim 5, wherein the at least one semiconductor chip is fixed by soldering to the conductive layer formed on the first or second surface of the insulated wiring substrate.

7. The module according to claim 1, wherein the metal base is a radiation fin.

8. A power semiconductor module, comprising:

a metal base;

an insulated wiring substrate fixed on the metal base;

at least one semiconductor chip which is fixed on the insulated wiring substrate and has control electrode on the upper surfaces thereof;

a controlling substrate which is disposed above the at least one semiconductor chip and has a plurality of parts mounted thereon, the plurality of parts constituting a control circuit for controlling the at least one semiconductor chip, the controlling substrate having at least one wiring pattern formed thereon; and

at least one wiring which has one end and the other end, the one end being connected by soldering to the control electrode for controlling the at least one semiconductor chip, the other end being connected by soldering to the wiring pattern on the controlling substrate.

9. The module according to claim 8, wherein the insulated wiring substrate comprise

an insulating substrate which has first and second surfaces opposed to each other, and

conductive layers formed on the first and second surfaces of the insulating substrate, respectively.

10. The module according to claim 8, wherein the at least one semiconductor chip is fixed by soldering to the conductive layer formed on the first or second surface of the insulated wiring substrate.

11. The module according to claim 8, wherein the metal base is a radiation fin.

12. A power semiconductor module, comprising:

a metal base;

an insulated wiring substrate fixed on the metal base;

at least one semiconductor chip which is fixed on the insulating substrate and has a control electrode on the upper surface thereof;

a controlling substrate which is disposed above the at least one semiconductor chip and has a plurality of parts mounted thereon, the plurality of parts constituting a control circuit for controlling the at least one semiconductor chips, the controlling substrate having at least one wiring pattern formed thereon; and

a pressure contacting mechanism which is provided between the control electrode of the at least one semiconductor chip and the wiring pattern on the controlling substrate to electrically connect the control electrode and at least one wiring pattern to each other.

13. The module according to claim 12, wherein the pressure contacting mechanism includes pressure-contacting metal pin provided between the control electrode and the at least one wiring pattern on the controlling substrate.

14. The module according to claim 12, wherein the insulated wiring substrate comprising

an insulating substrate which has first and second surfaces opposed to each other, and

conductive layers formed on the first and second surfaces of the insulating substrate, respectively.

15. The module according to claim 12, wherein the metal base is a radiation fin.

16. The module according to claim 14, wherein the at least one semiconductor chip is fixed by soldering onto the conductive layer formed on the first or second surface of the insulated wiring substrate.

17. A power semiconductor module, comprising:

a metal base;

an insulated wiring substrate having an insulating substrate which has first and second surfaces opposed to each other and first and second conductive layers formed on the first and second surfaces of the insulating substrate, the first conductive layer being fixed by soldering onto the metal base;

at least one IGBT chip which has first and second surfaces opposed to each other, a collector electrode being formed on the first surface, a gate electrode and emitter electrodes being formed on the second surface in a state electrically separated from each other, the collector electrodes being fixed by soldering onto the second conducive layer of the insulated wiring substrate;

a controlling substrate which is disposed above at least one IGBT chip and has a plurality of parts mounted thereon, the plurality of parts constituting a control circuit for controlling the IGBT chip, the controlling substrate having at least one wiring pattern formed thereon; and

at least one bonding wire which electrically connect the gate electrode of the at least one IGBT chip and at least one wiring pattern on the controlling substrate to each other.

18. The module according to claim 17, wherein the controlling substrate has opening through which the at least one bonding wire pass.

19. The module according to claim 17, wherein the controlling substrate has a cut-away recess through which the at least one bonding wire pass.

20. The module according to claim 17, wherein the controlling substrate is divided into a plurality of portions, whereby at least one gap through which the at least one bonding wire pass exist between the controlling substrate portions.

21. The module according to claim 17, wherein the metal base is a radiation fin.