# US 12,010,823 B2 · High power multilayer module having low inductance and fast switching for paralleling power devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,823 B2 - Document ID: US12010823B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/890,503 - Filed: 2020-06-02 - Published: 2020-09-24 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-13 - Assignees: Wolfspeed, Inc. - Applicants: Cree Fayetteville, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Martin; Brice McPherson; Alexander Lostetter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010823B2 ## CPC - H05K 7/14329: {specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars} - H05K 1/0271: {Arrangements for reducing stress or warp in rigid printed circuit boards, e.g. caused by loads, vibrations or differences in thermal expansion} - H05K 1/181: associated with surface mounted components - H05K 7/20509: {Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures} - H05K 7/20909: {Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components} - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - G01R 31/40: Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10) - H02M 1/0054: {Transistor switching losses (periodically suspending operation of switching converter in low power mode H02M1/0035)} - H02M 1/088: for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices - H10W 72/5363: {the connected ends being wedge-shaped} - H10W 72/5445: {being orthogonal to a side surface of the chip, e.g. parallel arrangements} - H10W 72/5473: {multiple bond wires connected to a common bond pad} - H10W 72/5475: {multiple bond wires connected to common bond pads at both ends of the wires} - H10W 72/926: {Multiple bond pads having different sizes} - Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract The disclosure is directed to a power module that includes at least one power substrate, a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate, and a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate. The first terminal includes a contact surface located above the housing at a first elevation. The power module includes a second terminal including a contact surface located above the housing at a second elevation different from the first elevation, a third terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, and a plurality of power devices electrically connected to the at least one power substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of configuring and testing at least one power module, comprising: providing at least one power module; providing a power module configuration and arranging the at least one power module with the power module configuration; providing the power module configuration with at least one component comprising at least one of the following: at least one buss bar, a driver, at least one capacitor, and a cold plate; arranging a configuration housing to house and enclose the at least one power module and the at least one component; operating the at least one power module and the at least one component with the power module configuration with a controller; measuring at least one operating parameter of the at least one power module and/or the power module configuration with at least one sensor; and outputting the at least one operating parameter from the power module configuration via an electrical interface, wherein the outputting the at least one operating parameter from the power module configuration comprises outputting the at least one operating parameter to a man machine interface and/or a computer system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of configuring and testing at least one power module of claim 1 further comprising modifying the power module configuration and repeating the operating the at least one power module and the at least one component with the power module configuration with the controller, the measuring at least one operating parameter of the at least one power module and/or the power module configuration with the at least one sensor, and the outputting the at least one operating parameter from the power module configuration, wherein the power module configuration comprises at least one of the following: an inverter, a power system, a motor system, and a charging system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of configuring and testing at least one power module of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one power module comprises providing: at least one power substrate; a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate; a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate; a second terminal; and a plurality of power devices electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, wherein a switching speed of the at least one power module is less than 100 (A/ns). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of configuring and testing at least one power module of claim 1 wherein providing the at least one power module comprises providing: at least one power substrate; a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate; a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate; a second terminal; and a plurality of power devices electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, wherein the at least one power module is configured such that a switching speed is less than 80 (V/ns). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of configuring and testing at least one power module of claim 1, further comprising exchanging data through the electrical interface with at least one of the following: the driver, the controller, and the at least one sensor, wherein the at least one component comprises the at least one buss bar, the driver, the at least one capacitor, and the cold plate; and wherein the configuration housing further comprises at least one of the following: fluid connections to receive a fluid source and/or deliver fluid for cooling purposes in association with the cold plate; and/or structures for at least holding the at least one capacitor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of configuring and testing at least one power module of claim 1, further comprising testing an implementation of the at least one power module for a particular application with the power module configuration, wherein the particular application comprises at least one of the following: an inverter, a power system, a motor system, and a charging system; and wherein the power module configuration is operated, controlled, and analyzed through the electrical interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of configuring and testing at least one power module of claim 1, further comprising: connecting the electrical interface with at least one of the following: the driver, the controller, and the at least one sensor; and testing an implementation of the at least one power module for a particular application with the power module configuration; and collecting with the computer system the at least one operating parameter from the electrical interface of the power module configuration, wherein the particular application comprises at least one of the following: an inverter, a power system, a motor system, and a charging system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of configuring and testing at least one power module of claim 1, further comprising: analyzing the operating parameter with the computer system; and moving air through the configuration housing with a cooling fan. ### Claim 9 A test configuration configured to test a power module configuration having at least one power module, the test configuration comprising: at least one power module; a power module configuration that includes the at least one power module; the power module configuration further comprising at least one component comprising at least one of the following: at least one buss bar, a driver, at least one capacitor, and a cold plate; a configuration housing to house and enclose the at least one power module and the at least one component; the power module configuration being configured to operate the at least one power module and the at least one component in response to a controller; at least one sensor to generate sensor data; the power module configuration further being configured to measure at least one operating parameter of the at least one power module and/or the power module configuration with the at least one sensor; an electrical interface; and the power module configuration further being configured to output the at least one operating parameter from the power module configuration via the electrical interface, wherein the power module configuration is configured to output the at least one operating parameter to a man machine interface and/or a computer system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The test configuration of claim 9 wherein the at least one power module comprises at least one of the following: at least one power substrate; a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate; a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate; a second terminal; a third terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate; and a plurality of power devices electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, wherein the at least one power module is configured such that a switching speed is less than 100 (A/ns). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The test configuration of claim 10 wherein the at least one power module is configured such that the switching speed is less than 80 (V/ns). ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The test configuration of claim 9 wherein the at least one power module comprises: at least one power substrate; a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate; a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate; a second terminal; and a plurality of power devices electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, wherein the at least one power module is configured such that a switching speed is less than 100 (A/ns). ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The test configuration of claim 9, wherein the electrical interface is configured to connect and exchange data with at least one of the following: the driver, the controller, and the at least one sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The test configuration of claim 9, wherein the power module configuration is configured to test an implementation of the at least one power module for a particular application; and wherein the power module configuration is configured to test a modified implementation of the at least one power module for a particular application, wherein the particular application comprises at least one of the following: an inverter, a power system, a motor system, and a charging system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The test configuration of claim 9, wherein the power module configuration is configured to test an implementation for a particular application; and wherein the power module configuration is configured to test a modified implementation for a particular application. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The test configuration of claim 9, wherein the configuration housing further comprises at least one of the following: fluid connections to receive a fluid source and/or deliver fluid for cooling purposes in association with the cold plate; structures for at least holding the at least one capacitor; and/or a cooling fan configured to move air through the configuration housing. ### Claim 17 An inverter, the inverter comprising: a power module; at least one of the following: at least one buss bar, a driver, a controller, at least one capacitor, a cold plate, and at least one sensor; and the power module comprises at least one of the following: at least one power substrate; a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate; a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate; a second terminal; and a plurality of power devices electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, wherein the power module is configured such that a switching speed is less than 100 (A/ns). ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The inverter of claim 17 wherein the power module further comprises a third terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The inverter of claim 17 further comprising the at least one buss bar, the driver, and the controller. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The inverter of claim 19 further comprising the at least one capacitor, the cold plate, and the at least one sensor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The inverter of claim 17 wherein the power module is configured such that the switching speed is less than 80 (V/ns). ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The inverter of claim 17 wherein at least one portion of the first terminal is arranged at a different elevation than at least one portion of the second terminal. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The inverter of claim 17 wherein current flows in a loop through the power module through the first terminal, the at least one power substrate, and the second terminal to reduce inductance. ### Claim 24 A power module, comprising: at least one power substrate; a housing arranged on the at least one power substrate; a first terminal electrically connected to the at least one power substrate; a second terminal; and a plurality of power devices electrically connected to the at least one power substrate, wherein the power module is configured such that a switching speed is less than 100 (A/ns). ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A test configuration configured to test a power module that comprises the power module of claim 24, the test configuration comprising: the power module; a power module configuration that includes the power module; the power module configuration further comprising at least one component comprising at least one of the following: at least one buss bar, a driver, a controller, at least one capacitor, and a cold plate; a configuration housing to house and enclose the power module and the at least one component; the power module configuration configured to operate the power module and the at least one component in response to a controller; at least one sensor to generate sensor data; the power module configuration configured to measure at least one operating parameter of the power module configuration with the at least one sensor; and the power module configuration configured to output the at least one operating parameter from the power module configuration via an electrical interface, wherein the power module configuration is configured to output the at least one operating parameter to a man machine interface and/or a computer system. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The power module of claim 24, wherein the power module is configured such that the switching speed of a range of 30 to 70 (A/ns). ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The power module of claim 24, wherein the power module is configured such that the switching speed has a range of 30 to 40 (A/ns). ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The power module of claim 24, wherein the power module is configured such that the switching speed has a range of 60 (V/ns) to 80 (V/ns). ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The power module of claim 24, wherein the power module is configured such that the switching speed has a range of 40 (V/ns) to 60 (V/ns). ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The power module of claim 24, wherein the power module is configured such that the switching speed has a range of 20 (V/ns) to 40 (V/ns). ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) The power module of claim 24, wherein the power module is configured such that a total stray inductance value of a critical power switching loop comprises a range of 12 (nH) to 2 (nH). ### Claim 32 (depends on 24) The power module of claim 24, wherein the first terminal comprises a contact surface located above the housing at a first elevation; and wherein the second terminal comprises a contact surface located above the housing at a second elevation different from the first elevation. ### Claim 33 (depends on 24) An inverter that comprises the power module of claim 24, the inverter comprising: the power module; and at least one component comprising at least one of the following: at least one buss bar, a driver, a controller, at least one capacitor, a cold plate, and at least one sensor. ### Claim 34 (depends on 24) A power system that comprises the power module of claim 24, the power system comprising: the power module; and at least one component comprising at least one of the following: at least one buss bar, a driver, a controller, at least one capacitor, a cold plate, and at least one sensor, wherein the power system comprises at least one of the following: an inverter, a motor system, and a charging system. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The power system of claim 34 wherein the power system comprises at least one of the following: an inverter, a motor system, and a charging system.