# US 11,908,772 B2 · Semiconductor module and vehicle

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,908,772 B2
- Document ID: US11908772B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/183,386
- Filed: 2021-02-24
- Published: 2021-10-28
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-27
- Assignees: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Takafumi Yamada; Hiromichi Gohara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908772B2

## CPC

- H10W 40/47: by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling
- H05K 7/20263: {Heat dissipaters releasing heat from coolant}
- H05K 7/205: {Heat-dissipating body thermally connected to heat generating element via thermal paths through printed circuit board [PCB] (details of PCBs relating to heat transfer H05K1/0201)}
- H05K 7/20927: {Liquid coolant without phase change}
- H10W 40/22: characterised by their shape, e.g. having conical or cylindrical projections
- H10W 40/255: {having a laminate or multilayered structure, e.g. direct bond copper [DBC] ceramic substrates}
- H10W 74/127: {characterised by arrangements for sealing or adhesion}
- H10W 40/228: {the projecting parts being wire-shaped or pin-shaped}
- H10W 72/352: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. solders}
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- H10W 90/734: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

Provided is a semiconductor module including a semiconductor device and a cooling apparatus, wherein the semiconductor device includes semiconductor chips, circuit boards where the semiconductor chips are implemented, and a resin structure for sealing the semiconductor chips; the cooling apparatus includes a top plate, a side wall, a bottom plate, a coolant flow portion, a plurality of fins and reinforcement pins; the metal layer has a part overlapped with the cooling region, and other parts other than the part overlapped with one communication region of the first communication region and the second communication region in planar view; and the reinforcement pins are arranged in the one communication region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor module comprising a semiconductor device and a cooling apparatus, wherein
the semiconductor device includes semiconductor chips, circuit boards where the semiconductor chips are implemented, and a resin structure for sealing the semiconductor chips;
the cooling apparatus includes:
a top plate in which the circuit board and the resin structure of the semiconductor device are fixed on its principal surface;
a side wall connected to the top plate;
a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate;
a coolant flow portion for distributing coolant which is defined by the top plate, the side wall and the bottom plate;
an inlet for introducing the coolant to the coolant flow portion;
an outlet for deriving the coolant from the coolant flow portion; and
a plurality of fins and reinforcement pins arranged in the coolant flow portion and extending for connecting between the top plate and the bottom plate; the coolant flow portion includes:
a coolant region where the plurality of fins are arranged;
a first communication region adjacent to one side of the cooling region and communicated with the inlet, and not arranged with the plurality of fins; and
a second communication region adjacent to another side of the cooling region that is an opposite side of the one side and communicated with the outlet, and not arranged with the plurality of fins; wherein
the circuit board is a laminated substrate sequentially including an insulating plate with an upper surface and a lower surface, a circuit layer provided on the upper surface, a metal layer provided on the lower surface;
the metal layer has a part overlapped with the cooling region, and parts other than the part overlapped with one communication region of the first communication region and the second communication region in planar view;
the reinforcement pins are arranged in the first and second communication regions at each corner of the metal layer; and
a cross sectional area of the reinforcement pins is smaller than a cross sectional area of at least one fin of the plurality of fins in a plane parallel to the principal surface of the top plate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
at least a part of the reinforcement pins overlap the metal layer in planar view.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor module according to claim 2, wherein
the metal layer is rectangular in planar view; and
at least a part of the reinforcement pins overlaps a rectangular corner of the metal layer in planar view.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor module according to claim 3, wherein
a part of the reinforcement pins overlap the rectangular corner of the metal layer, and parts other than the part do not overlap the metal layer in planar view.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor module according to claim 4, wherein
the at least a part of the reinforcement pins overlap a farthest portion from the cooling region at the rectangular corner of the metal layer in planar view.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The semiconductor module according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcement pins are positioned, along a direction away from the cooling region, apart by a distance between 0 mm and 2 mm, inclusive, from a farthest portion from the cooling region in the rectangular corner of the metal layer, in planar view.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The semiconductor module according to claim 5, wherein
the semiconductor device include two or more of the circuit boards; and
in planar view, only one of the reinforcement pins is arranged between the rectangular corners of each of two metal layers including the metal layer adjacent to each other.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor module according to claim 3, wherein
the at least a part of the reinforcement pins overlap a farthest portion from the cooling region at the rectangular corner of the metal layer in planar view.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
the metal layer is rectangular in planar view; and
the reinforcement pins do not overlap the metal layer, and are positioned in a vicinity of rectangular corners of the metal layer in planar view.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor module according to claim 9, wherein
the semiconductor device include two or more of the circuit boards; and
in planar view, only one of the reinforcement pins is arranged between the rectangular corners of each of two metal layers including the metal layer adjacent to each other.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor module according to claim 10, wherein
a cross section parallel to the principal surface of the top plate of each of the plurality of fins has a shape of rectangle; and
the plurality of fins are arranged in the coolant flow portion so that any side of the rectangle is not orthogonal to a main flowing direction of the coolant in the cooling region, when the coolant is flowing through the coolant flow portion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
the coolant flow portion is rectangular in planar view; and
the reinforcement pins are positioned between rectangular corners of the coolant flow portion and the metal layer in planar view.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
a cross section parallel to the principal surface of the top plate of the reinforcement pins has a shape of circle.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
a cross section parallel to the principal surface of the top plate of the reinforcement pins has a shape of non-polygon; and
a cross section parallel to the principal surface of the top plate of each of the plurality of fins has a shape of polygon.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
a density of the plurality of reinforcement pins arranged in at least one of the communication regions is less when compared to a density of the plurality of fins arranged in the cooling region.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
the insulating plate includes ceramic;
the metal layers are firmly fixed by solder to the principal surface of the top plate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein
the resin structure includes a sealing portion for sealing the semiconductor chip, and an accommodating portion for enclosing the sealing portion; and
the accommodating portion is firmly fixed by fixing agent to the principal surface of the top plate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A vehicle comprising a semiconductor module according to claim 1.