# US 2014/0196871 A1 · Semiconductor module cooler and semiconductor module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196871 A1 - Document ID: US20140196871A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/105,613 - Filed: 2013-12-13 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11 - Assignees: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.; Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.; Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hiroshi OTSUKA; Tomohiro Fukazu; Kosuke Nishiyama; Takeshi Ichimura; Hiromichi Gohara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196871A1 ## CPC - H05K 7/20236: {by immersion} - H10W 40/47: by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling - H10W 90/734: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - 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 ## Abstract A semiconductor module cooler includes a fin which is a heat sink, which is thermally connected to a semiconductor element, and which has one or more notches in an edge at one or more arbitrary positions in a longitudinal direction and one or more convex ribs which are formed on a bottom of a water jacket having a cooling flow path and which fit into the one or more notches at one or more arbitrary positions. By doing so, the efficiency of transferring heat generated by the semiconductor element by a coolant is improved and cooling performance is improved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor module cooler for supplying a coolant from an outside to a water jacket and cooling a semiconductor element arranged over an outer surface of the cooler, the cooler comprising: a heat sink which is thermally connected to the semiconductor element; a first flow path which is placed in the water jacket, which extends from a coolant introduction inlet, and in which a guide portion having an incline for leading the coolant toward one side of the heat sink is placed; a second flow path which is placed in the water jacket parallel with and apart from the first flow path, which extends toward a coolant discharge outlet, and which has a sidewall parallel to another side of the heat sink; a flow speed adjusting plate which is placed in the second flow path and which is formed apart from and parallel with said another side of the heat sink; and a third flow path formed in a position in the water jacket in which the first flow path connects with the second flow path, wherein the heat sink is placed in the third flow path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 1 further comprising one or more convex ribs which are formed on a bottom of the water jacket having the third flow path and which fit into one or more notches at one or more positions, wherein the one or more notches are put in an edge in a longitudinal direction of the heat sink at one or more positions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein a position at which each notch is put in the heat sink and a position at which each notch is put in an adjacent heat sink are the same. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein the one or more ribs are formed so that the one or more ribs are approximately perpendicular to the third flow path. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein when the one or more ribs fit into the one or more notches, there is clearance, which is a space, between each rib and each notch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 5, wherein the clearance is approximately equal in length to bottom clearance, which is a space, between an end of the heat sink and the bottom of the water jacket. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein a notch and a rib which fits into the notch are arranged per a length of 10 to 30 mm in the longitudinal direction of the heat sink. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein the one or more notches and the one or more ribs which fit into the one or more notches are arranged at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the heat sink. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein the one or more notches and the one or more ribs which fit into the one or more notches are arranged at different intervals in the longitudinal direction of the heat sink. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 9, wherein: pitches at which notches and ribs which fit into the notches are arranged on an upstream side from which the coolant is introduced are wider than pitches at which notches and ribs which fit into the notches are arranged on a downstream side from which the coolant is discharged; and the pitches at which the notches and the ribs which fit into the notches are arranged on the downstream side are narrower than the pitches at which the notches and the ribs which fit into the notches are arranged on the upstream side. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein a notch and a rib which fits into the notch are arranged so that a turbulent flow or vortex flow of the coolant which occurs on a downstream side of the rib is approximately right under the semiconductor element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 2, wherein: the first flow path is placed in the water jacket; the first flow path extends from the coolant introduction inlet; and a plurality of guide portions having different inclines for leading the coolant toward one side of the heat sink are placed in the first flow path. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of guide portions: differ in height from a bottom of the first flow path; and have the different inclines. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 12, wherein: of the plurality of guide portions, a guide portion which is touching a side of the water jacket is the highest; the plurality of guide portions become lower toward the third flow path; and the plurality of guide portions are formed like fliers from the bottom of the first flow path. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 12, wherein the inclines of the plurality of guide portions are formed so that cross-sectional area of the first flow path becomes smaller in a direction in which the first flow path extends from the coolant introduction inlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 12, wherein: the plurality of guide portions include: a first guide portion which is touching a side of the water jacket; and a second guide portion which is touching the first guide portion across an area fronting the third flow path; and the first guide portion is higher than the second guide portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 16, wherein: the incline of the first guide portion has a uniform slope in an area fronting the third flow path so that cross-sectional area of the first flow path becomes smaller in a direction in which the first flow path extends from the coolant introduction inlet; and the incline of the second guide portion has different slopes in an area fronting the third flow path so that the cross-sectional area of the first flow path becomes smaller in the direction in which the first flow path extends from the coolant introduction inlet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 1, wherein: one end of the flow speed adjusting plate is at a trailing end portion of the second flow path; and the flow speed adjusting plate is placed apart from said another side of the heat sink and parallel with the heat sink. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 1, wherein: one end of the flow speed adjusting plate and the trailing end portion of the second flow path are determined distance apart on a coolant discharge outlet side of the second flow path; and the flow speed adjusting plate is placed apart from said another of the heat sink and parallel with the heat sink. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 18, wherein another end of the flow speed adjusting plate and a guide portion formed at a leading end portion of the second flow path are 0.05x or more apart where x is the length of the second flow path. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 18, wherein the flow speed adjusting plate is greater than or equal to 0.2h and smaller than or equal to 0.9h in height from a bottom of the water jacket where h is the height of the second flow path. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 1, wherein: the flow speed adjusting plate is equal in length to the second flow path; and the flow speed adjusting plate is greater than or equal to 0.2h and smaller than or equal to 0.9h in height from a bottom of the water jacket where h is the height of the second flow path. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 1, wherein: the first flow path is placed in the water jacket; the first flow path extends from a coolant introduction inlet; and a plurality of guide portions having different inclines for leading the coolant toward one side of the heat sink are placed in the first flow path. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of guide portions: differ in height from a bottom of the first flow path; and have the different inclines. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 24, wherein: of the plurality of guide portions, a guide portion which is touching a side of the water jacket is the highest; the plurality of guide portions become lower toward the third flow path; and the plurality of guide portions are formed like fliers from the bottom of the first flow path. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 23, wherein the inclines of the plurality of guide portions are formed so that cross-sectional area of the first flow path becomes smaller in a direction in which the first flow path extends from the coolant introduction inlet. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 23, wherein: the plurality of guide portions include: a first guide portion which is touching a side of the water jacket; and a second guide portion which is touching the first guide portion across an area fronting the third flow path; and the first guide portion is higher than the second guide portion. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The semiconductor module cooler according to claim 27, wherein: the incline of the first guide portion has a uniform slope in an area fronting the third flow path so that cross-sectional area of the first flow path becomes smaller in a direction in which the first flow path extends from the coolant introduction inlet; and the incline of the second guide portion has different slopes in an area fronting the third flow path so that the cross-sectional area of the first flow path becomes smaller in the direction in which the first flow path extends from the coolant introduction inlet. ### Claim 29 A semiconductor module for supplying a coolant from an outside to a water jacket included in a cooler and cooling a semiconductor element arranged over an outer surface of the cooler, the semiconductor module comprising: a heat sink which is thermally connected to the semiconductor element; a first flow path which is placed in the water jacket, which extends from a coolant introduction inlet, and in which a guide portion having an incline for leading the coolant toward one side of the heat sink is placed; a second flow path which is placed in the water jacket parallel with and apart from the first flow path, which extends toward a coolant discharge outlet, and which has a sidewall parallel to another side of the heat sink; a flow speed adjusting plate which is placed in the second flow path and which is formed apart from and parallel with said another side of the heat sink; and a third flow path formed in a position in the water jacket in which the first flow path connects with the second flow path, wherein: the coolant introduction inlet and the coolant discharge outlet are formed in a same wall of the water jacket or at positions on the water jacket diagonally opposite to each other; and the heat sink is placed in the third flow path. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The semiconductor module according to claim 29 further comprising one or more convex ribs which are formed on a bottom of the water jacket having the third flow path and which fit into one or more notches at one or more positions, wherein: the one or more notches are put in an edge in a longitudinal direction of the heat sink at one or more positions; the first flow path is placed in the water jacket; the first flow path extends from a coolant introduction inlet; and a plurality of guide portions having different inclines for leading the coolant toward one side of the heat sink are placed in the first flow path. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The semiconductor module according to claim 29, wherein: the first flow path is placed in the water jacket; the first flow path extends from a coolant introduction inlet; and a plurality of guide portions having different inclines for leading the coolant toward one side of the heat sink are placed in the first flow path.