Power converter package with copper-bar thermally-enhanced interposers to cooling fins

A thermal-enhanced power converter module comprising:

• a switching Printed Circuit Board (PCB) having multiple layers of patterned metal;
• a semiconductor package mounted on a top surface of the switching PCB;
• a pull-down transistor inside the semiconductor package, the pull-down transistor having a gate controlled by a first control terminal of the semiconductor package and a source connected to a ground terminal of the semiconductor package;
• a pull-up transistor inside the semiconductor package, the pull-up transistor having a gate controlled by a second control terminal of the semiconductor package and a source or drain connected to a power terminal of the semiconductor package;
• metal pads on a lower surface of the switching PCB, the metal pads including a ground pad, a power pad, a first control pad, and a second control pad;
• a ground interconnect, in the multiple layers of patterned metal in the switching PCB, the ground interconnect electrically and thermally connecting the ground terminal of the semiconductor package soldered to the top surface of the switching PCB to the ground pad on the lower surface;
• a power interconnect, in the multiple layers of patterned metal in the switching PCB, the power interconnect electrically and thermally connecting the power terminal of the semiconductor package soldered to the top surface of the switching PCB to the power pad on the lower surface;
• a first control interconnect, in the multiple layers of patterned metal in the switching PCB, the first control interconnect electrically connecting the first control terminal of the semiconductor package soldered to the top surface of the switching PCB to the first control pad on the lower surface;
• a second control interconnect, in the multiple layers of patterned metal in the switching PCB, the second control interconnect electrically connecting the second control terminal of the semiconductor package soldered to the top surface of the switching PCB to the second control pad on the lower surface;
• a first interposer heat sink having first cooling fins and having a first interposer portion having an upper surface soldered to the ground pad of the switching PCB, and having a bottom surface;
• a first conducting bar attached to the bottom surface of the first interposer heat sink, wherein a bottom of the first conducting bar fits into a first hole in a system PCB for soldering the first conducting bar to a ground metal pad nearby the first hole in the system PCB;
• wherein the first interposer heat sink carries ground currents from the switching PCB to the first conducting bar which carries ground currents to the system PCB, and dissipates heat generated by the pull-down transistor using the first cooling fins;
• a second interposer heat sink having second cooling fins and having a second interposer portion having an upper surface soldered to the power pad of the switching PCB, and having a bottom surface;
• a second conducting bar attached to the bottom surface of the second interposer heat sink, wherein a bottom of the second conducting bar fits into a second hole in the system PCB for soldering the second conducting bar to a power metal pad nearby the second hole in the system PCB;
• wherein the second interposer heat sink carries power currents from the system PCB to the second conducting bar which carries power currents to the system PCB, and dissipates heat generated by the pull-up transistor using the second cooling fins;
• an interposer PCB having multiple layers of patterned metal and an upper surface with an upper interposer first control pad that is soldered to the first control pad on the switching PCB and an upper interposer second control pad that is soldered to the second control pad on the switching PCB;
• the interposer PCB also having a bottom surface with a bottom interposer first control pad and a bottom interposer second control pad;
• and
• interposer first control interconnect in the multiple layers of patterned metal in the interposer PCB, the interposer first control interconnect electrically connecting the upper interposer first control pad on the upper surface to the bottom interposer first control pad on the bottom surface.

A power-converter module comprising:

• a switching Printed Circuit Board (PCB);
• ground traces formed in the switching PCB, the ground traces having a first upper bonding pad and a first lower bonding pad that are connected together by metal traces and vias in the switching PCB;
• input-power-supply traces formed in the switching PCB, the input-power supply traces having a second upper bonding pad and a second lower bonding pad that are connected together by metal traces and vias in the switching PCB;
• a first power transistor in a package mounted to the switching PCB, the first power transistor having a ground terminal electrically connected though a first package lead that is soldered to the first upper bonding pad;
• a second power transistor in a package mounted to the switching PCB, the second power transistor having an input-power-supply terminal electrically connected though a second package lead that is soldered to the second upper bonding pad;
• a first interposer heat sink having cooling fins and a first interposer portion;
• a second interposer heat sink having cooling fins and a second interposer portion;
• wherein the cooling fins are outside of a perimeter of the switching PCB;
• wherein the first interposer portion and the second interposer portion are at least partially within the perimeter of the switching PCB;
• wherein the first interposer portion has an upper surface that is soldered to the first lower bonding pad and a bottom surface;
• a first copper bar extending downward from the bottom surface of the first interposer portion of the first interposer heat sink, the first copper bar for fitting into a hole in a system PCB for soldering to metal traces surrounding the hole in the system PCB;
• wherein the second interposer portion has an upper surface that is soldered to the second lower bonding pad and a bottom surface;
• a second copper bar extending downward from the bottom surface of the second interposer portion of the second interposer heat sink, the second copper bar for fitting into a hole in a system PCB for soldering to metal traces surrounding the hole in the system PCB;
• an interposer PCB;
• and
• control traces formed in the interposer PCB, the control traces each having a control upper bonding pad and a control bottom bonding pad that are connected together by metal traces and vias in the interposer PCB;
• wherein the control bottom bonding pad is for soldering to a bonding pad on the system PCB;
• wherein the control upper bonding pad on an upper surface of the interposer PCB is soldered to a lower bonding pad on a lower surface of the switching PCB.