Power Control Module With Compact Thermal Management Structure

A control module for supplying electric power from a DC power source to an electric motor, comprising:

• a circuit board;
• a plurality of power switch devices including a plurality of high-side power switches and a plurality of low-side power switches mounted on the circuit board and configured as a multi-phase inverter circuit to provide a plurality of output phase terminals to the electric motor, wherein each power switch device includes a first surface mounted on the circuit board and through which at least source and drain terminals of the power switch device are coupled to the circuit board, and a second surface including a metal surface electrically coupled to the drain terminal of the power switch device;
• and
• a plurality of power output terminals mounted discretely on the plurality of low-side power switches and electrically contacting the metal surface of the plurality of low-side power switches to be electrically coupled to the plurality of output phase terminals of the inverter circuit,
• wherein the circuit board is oriented along a first plane, wherein lower portions of the plurality of the plurality of power output terminals that electrically contact the metal surfaces of the plurality of power switch devices are oriented along a second plane, wherein at least one of (i) each power output terminal is located substantially above a corresponding power switch, (ii) each power output terminal is oriented along a plane that is perpendicular to the first plane, or any combination thereof, and wherein the second surfaces including the metal surfaces of the plurality of power switch devices are oriented along a third plane parallel to the first plane and the second plane.

A control module for supplying electric power from a DC power source to an electric motor, comprising:

• a circuit board;
• a plurality of power switch devices including a plurality of high-side power switches and a plurality of low-side power switches mounted on the circuit board and configured as a multi-phase inverter circuit to provide a plurality of output phase terminals to the electric motor, wherein each power switch device includes a first surface mounted on the circuit board and through which at least source and drain terminals of the power switch device are coupled to the circuit board, and a second surface including a metal surface electrically coupled to the drain terminal of the power switch device;
• and
• a plurality of power output terminals mounted discretely on the plurality of low-side power switches and electrically contacting the metal surface of the plurality of low-side power switches to be electrically coupled to the plurality of output phase terminals of the inverter circuit,
• wherein the circuit board is oriented along a first plane, wherein lower portions of the plurality of the plurality of power output terminals that electrically contact the metal surfaces of the plurality of power switch devices are oriented along a second plane, wherein at least one of (i) each power output terminal is located substantially above a corresponding power switch, (ii) each power output terminal is oriented along a plane that is perpendicular to the first plane, or any combination thereof, and wherein the second surfaces including the metal surfaces of the plurality of power switch devices are oriented between the first plane and the second plane.