US 11,894,292 B2 · Power module

Abstract

A power module can include a casing mounted to a baseplate that contains a substrate with circuitry. The circuitry can include pins for coupling signals to/from the circuitry. These pins can extend through a cover portion of the casing so that an electronic substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) can be press-fit onto the pins. When press-fit, the electronic substrate is supported and positioned by support pillars that extend from the base plate to above the cover portion of the casing. If the pins and the support pillars have different coefficients of thermal expansion, damage to connection points between the pins and the circuitry may occur. Here, a power module is disclosed that has thermally matched pins and support pillars so that when the system is thermally cycled over a range of temperatures, the connection points are not damaged by forces induced by thermal expansion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A power module, comprising:

pins of a first material coupled at a bottom portion to top metal layer of a direct bonded copper (DBC) substrate and having a top portion extending through pin holes in a casing of the power module, the top portion of the pins configured to be press fit into vias of an electronic substrate;
and
support pillars, of a second material, coupled at a first end to the electronic substrate and coupled at a second end to a baseplate onto which a bottom metal layer of the DBC substrate is coupled, the support pillars configured to hold the electronic substrate at a height relative to the pins, the second material of the support pillars having a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially the same as a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material of the pins.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Power module

Life of this patent

Power module

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20