Asea Brown Boveri Ag

Brown, Boveri & Cie Ag

Abb Management Ag

Infineon Technologies Ag

Reinhold Bayerer

Thomas Stockmeier

Arno Neidig

Jens Gobrecht

Friedhelm Bauer

Hans Hartung

Gerald Hilpert

Frank Sauerland

Rolf Schifferli

Bertold Hahn

A power semiconductor module is specified. It comprises a housing into which any desired power semiconductor circuit is installed. The power semiconductor circuit has at least two connections, which are passed out of the housing. According to the invention, the connections have the form of an elongate plug contact. An insulating plate may additionally be provided between the adjacent plug contacts. Reliable, yet easily releasable, low-inductance electrical contact is achieved by this form of the connections.

Power semiconductor module having elongate plug contacts

In the case of a method for producing a power semiconductor module (10), in which a plurality of submodules (12) are arranged on a common support (11), are interconnected by means of a multilayer laminate made of metal layers (13-15) and insulating layers (16, 17), which layers are layered alternately one above the other, and can be externally connected, reliable production of the laminate is achieved by virtue of the fact that in order to construct the laminate, the individual metal layers (13-15) and insulating layers (16, 17) are stacked one above the other, are aligned with one another and with respect to the support (11) by means of auxiliary alignment means (18, 19) and are interconnected in the aligned state by techniques such as welding, soldering or bonding.

Method for producing a power semiconductor module

A power semiconductor module system includes a plurality of types of power semiconductor modules (310), which each contain one or more controllable power semiconductors (36, 37) and are each accommodated in a module housing (311) with power connections (313-317) and control connections which are passed to the outside, as well as a drive unit (325) for each of the power semiconductor modules (310), which drive unit (325) is accommodated in a separate housing (334) and can be detachably connected to the associated power semiconductor module in such a manner that the drive signals which are passed from the drive unit (325) at appropriate control signal outputs pass to the corresponding control connections of the power semiconductor module, the control connections of the power semiconductor modules (310) each being arranged in a first fixed-position three-dimensional configuration, and the control signal outputs of the drive units (325) each being arranged in a second fixed-position three-dimensional configuration which is superimposed on the first configuration. In the case of such a module system, a reduction is achieved on the drive side for the cost of storage and installation in that the first and second configurations are the same for all the power semiconductor modules (310) and drive units (325) and in that the various power semiconductor modules (310) and drive units (325) are distinguished by different wiring of the control connections and control signal outputs.

Power semiconductor module system

In a power semiconductor module (10), in which a plurality of individual controllable power semiconductors in the form of semiconductor chips (13, 15, 16) are arranged alongside one another and electrically connected on a common module substrate (11), electrical connection to the surroundings with an appreciable reduction in the required surface area of the module or substrate is achieved by virtue of the fact that the control connections (23-25) of a plurality of the controllable power semiconductors are brought together on a second plane which is vertically offset with respect to the plane of the module substrate (11).

Power semiconductor module

A power semiconductor module (201) is disclosed comprising at least one semiconductor chip, which is arranged on a baseplate (202) and is surrounded by a housing (204) arranged above the baseplate (202), and which can be externally connected by means of connecting lugs (205). The connecting lugs (205) are electrically connected to the at least one semiconductor chip and are routed to the outside through corresponding through-passage openings (210) in the housing (204). An explosion of the module in the event of a disturbance is reliably prevented or its effect is largely attenuated as a result of the fact that the connecting lugs (205) are constructed as parts of connection laminates (206), which are arranged inside the housing (204) and parallel to the baseplate (202) and are mechanically connected to the latter over a large area.

In the case of a power semiconductor module (34) having a plurality of submodules (37b), which are arranged next to one another on a common baseplate (35) and are electrically interconnected, and can be externally connected, on the power side in a low-inductance manner by means of conductors in the form of plates, a reduction in the space requirement is achieved by virtue of the fact that the conductors (40, 43) in the form of plates are each arranged in a self-supporting manner in planes above the submodules (37b), which planes have a vertical separation from one another and from the submodules (37b) which is sufficient for electrically insulation, and that the conductors (40, 43) in the form of plates are electrically connected to the individual submodules (37b) via additional, vertical conduction elements (38a,b ,42a-c). (FIGS. 4 and 7)

Power semiconductor module having a plurality of submodules

In the case of a controllable power semiconductor component, which comprises at least one planar, essentially rectangular power semiconductor chip (13), which power semiconductor chip (13) has on its top side a large-area metallization layer (14) for the large-area electrical connection to a metal mating element (17, 19), and also a separate small-area connection region for the gate connection in the form of a gate pad (16), a simplified form of the metal mating element (17, 19) and adjustment thereof are achieved by virtue of the fact that the gate pad (16) is arranged in a corner of the power semiconductor chip (13).

Controllable power semiconductor component

In the case of a power semiconductor module (1) according to the invention, substrates (8) having a power semiconductor assembly (2) are fitted on both sides of a heat sink (3). The power semiconductor assemblies (2) are made contact with by a stack of contact laminates (4), which contact laminates (4) run parallel to the heat sink (3). A very low-inductance structure is obtained thereby.

Low-inductance power semiconductor module

A power semiconductor module includes a plastic housing having an interior. A substrate in the form of a ceramic plate with upper and lower surfaces is inserted in the housing as a housing bottom. Metallizations are disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the ceramic plate. The metallization on the upper surface of the ceramic plate faces the interior of the housing and is structured to form conductor paths. Power semiconductor components, connecting elements and terminal elements for external termimals all are disposed on the upper surface of the ceramic plate. A frame is connected to the substrate in the interior of the housing for sealing against moisture.

A power semiconductor module includes a multi-layered substrate formed of a first ceramic bottom plate, at least one second ceramic plate disposed above and parallel to the first ceramic bottom plate, a metal foil in the form of a textured metallization located between and directly bonded to the ceramic plates, the second ceramic plate having cutouts formed therein, and assembly elements soldered in the cutouts.

Growing community of inventors

Reichelsheim, Germany

Reinhold Bayerer