Circuit device, circuit module, and outdoor unit

• US 7,751,194 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Semiconductor Company Limited (ON Semiconductor Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Koike, Yasuhiro, Sakamoto, Hideyuki, Tsukizawa, Masao, Saito, Hidefumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffberg; Robert J
• Application Number:
  US12/239,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 361/690, 361694-695, 361/697, 361/704, 361/715, 361720-721, 165 802- 803, 174/16.1, 174/16.3, 174521-522, 174547-548, 363/141
• US Class Current: 361/719
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• 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 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20009 using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954

Abstract

Provided is a circuit device capable of increasing the packaging density and also suppressing the thermal interference between incorporated circuit elements. In a hybrid integrated circuit device, a first circuit board and a second circuit board are incorporated into a case member being arranged in a way that the first circuit board is overlaid with the second circuit board. A first circuit element is arranged on the upper face of the first circuit board and a second circuit element is arranged on the upper face of the second circuit board. In addition, inside the case member, a hollow portion (internal space) which is not filled with a sealing resin is provided, and this hollow portion communicates with the outside through a communicating opening, which is provided by partially opening the case member.

Claims

1. A circuit device, comprising:

a case member;

a first circuit board and a second circuit board incorporated into the case member and arranged in a way that the first circuit board is overlaid with the second circuit board;

a first circuit element fixedly secured to a principal face of the first circuit board;

a second circuit element fixedly secured to a principal face of the second circuit board, the first and second circuit boards being disposed so that the first circuit element faces the second circuit element; and

a first sealing resin sealing the principal face of the first circuit board and a second sealing resin sealing the principal face of the second circuit board,

wherein the first and second sealing resins define a hollow portion between them, and

a communicating opening for allowing the hollow portion to communicate with an outside is provided in the case member.

2. The circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit board comprises a metal.

3. A circuit device, comprising:

a case member;

a first circuit board and a second circuit board incorporated into the case member and arranged in a way that the first circuit board is overlaid with the second circuit board;

a first circuit element, which is a power transistor, fixedly secured to a principal face of the first circuit board;

a second circuit element which is fixedly secured to a principal face of the second circuit board and controls an operation of the first circuit element, the first and second circuit boards being disposed so that the first circuit element faces the second circuit element;

a third circuit element fixedly secured to another face of the second circuit board opposite from the principal face of the second circuit board;

a first sealing resin sealing the first circuit element and the principal face of the first circuit board; and

a second sealing resin sealing the second circuit element and the principal face of the second circuit board,

wherein the first and second sealing resins define a hollow portion between them, and

a communicating opening for allowing the hollow portion to communicate with an outside is provided in the case member.

4. The circuit device according to claim 3, wherein the communicating opening is provided by partially opening a side wall part of the case member.

5. The circuit device according to claim 4, wherein the case member comprises two side walls facing each other, and the communicating opening is provided in one of the two side walls and another communicating opening is provided in the other of the two side walls.

6. The circuit device according to claim 3, wherein a maximum operating temperature of the second circuit element is lower than a maximum operating temperature of the first circuit element.

7. The circuit device according to claim 3, wherein the first circuit board comprises a first metal substrate, a surface of which is exposed to the outside of the case member, a second metal substrate disposed on the first metal substrate and an insulation layer disposed between the first and second metal substrates, wherein an edge of the second metal substrate recedes from an edge of the first metal substrate, the first circuit element is disposed on a top surface of the second metal substrate, and a conducting pattern is disposed on the top surface of the metal substrate so that the conducting pattern is electrically connected to the second metal substrate.

8. The circuit device according to claim 3, further comprising a lead that penetrates the second circuit board and contacts a pad formed on a first circuit board so that the first and second circuit elements are electrically connected.

9. The circuit device according to claim 3, wherein the first circuit board comprises a metal.