# US 9,439,332 B2 · Power module

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- Number: US 9,439,332 B2
- Document ID: US9439332B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/237,975
- Filed: 2012-08-09
- Published: 2014-06-19
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-26
- Assignees: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
- Applicants: Eiichi Ide; Eiji Nishioka; Toshiaki Ishii; Junpei Kusukawa; Kinya Nakatsu; Tokihito Suwa
- Inventors: Eiichi Ide; Eiji Nishioka; Toshiaki Ishii; Junpei Kusukawa; Kinya Nakatsu; Tokihito Suwa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9439332B2

## CPC

- H05K 7/209: {Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure (H05K7/20909 takes precedence)}
- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits
- B60L 3/003: {relating to inverters}
- B60L 15/007: {Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles}
- B60L 15/2036: {Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles}
- B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
- B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
- H05K 7/20927: {Liquid coolant without phase change}
- H10W 40/10: Arrangements for heating
- H10W 40/47: by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling
- H10W 40/778: {in encapsulations}
- H10W 70/466: {Tape carriers or flat leads}
- H10W 72/60: Strap connectors, e.g. thick copper clips for grounding of power devices
- H10W 90/811: {Multiple chips on leadframes}
- B60L 2200/26: Rail vehicles
- B60L 2200/42: Fork lift trucks
- B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters
- B60L 2220/14: Synchronous machines
- B60L 2240/12: Speed
- B60L 2240/24: Steering angle
- B60L 2240/36: Temperature of vehicle components or parts
- B60L 2240/421: Speed
- B60L 2240/423: Torque
- B60L 2240/525: Temperature of converter or components thereof
- B60L 2250/16: by display
- B60L 2250/24: by lever actuation
- B60L 2250/26: by pedal actuation
- B60L 2260/28: Four wheel or all wheel drive
- H02M 7/003: {Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections}
- H10W 72/00: Interconnections or connectors in packages
- H10W 72/07331: {Connecting techniques}
- H10W 72/07336: {Soldering or alloying}
- H10W 72/07552: {changes in structures or sizes}
- H10W 72/352: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. solders}
- H10W 72/527: {Multiple bond wires having different sizes}
- H10W 72/534: {being rectangular}
- 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 72/5475: {multiple bond wires connected to common bond pads at both ends of the wires}
- H10W 72/5524: {comprising aluminium [Al]}
- H10W 72/5525: {comprising copper [Cu]}
- H10W 72/59: Bond pads specially adapted therefor
- H10W 72/622: {Multilayered strap connectors, e.g. having a coating on a lowermost surface of a core}
- H10W 72/652: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. silver}
- H10W 72/871: {Bond wires and strap connectors}
- H10W 72/884: {Die-attach connectors and bond wires}
- H10W 72/886: {Die-attach connectors and strap connectors}
- H10W 72/926: {Multiple bond pads having different sizes}
- H10W 72/944: {Dispositions of multiple bond pads}
- H10W 74/00: Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings
- H10W 74/016: {using moulds}
- H10W 90/734: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- H10W 90/753: {between laterally-adjacent chips}
- H10W 90/754: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- H10W 90/756: {between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink}
- H10W 90/759: {between a chip and a laterally-adjacent discrete passive device}
- H10W 90/763: {between laterally-adjacent chips}
- Y02P 90/60: Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- 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)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A power module includes a sealed body in which a semiconductor chip-mounted conductor plate is sealed by a resin in such a manner that a heat dissipating surface of the conductor plate is exposed, a heat dissipating member that is arranged to face the heat dissipating surface, and an insulation layer that is arranged between the sealed body and the heat dissipating member. The insulation layer has a laminated body that is made by laminating an impregnation resin-impregnated ceramic thermal spray film and a bonding resin layer in which a filler having good thermal conductivity is mixed, and that is provided to be in contact with the heat dissipating member and at least the entirety of the heat dissipating surface, and a stress relief resin portion that is provided in a gap between the heat dissipating member and the sealed body to cover an entire circumferential end portion of the laminated body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power module comprising:
a sealed body in which a semiconductor chip-mounted conductor plate is sealed by a resin in such a manner that a heat dissipating surface of the conductor plate is exposed;
a heat dissipating member that is arranged to face the heat dissipating surface; and
an insulation layer that is arranged between the sealed body and the heat dissipating member,
wherein the insulation layer has
a laminated body that is made by laminating a ceramic thermal spray film, which is impregnated with an impregnation resin, and a bonding resin layer in which a filler having good thermal conductivity is mixed, and that is provided to be in contact with the heat dissipating member and at least the entirety of the heat dissipating surface, and
a stress relief resin portion that is provided in a gap between the heat dissipating member and the sealed body to cover an entire circumferential end portion of the laminated body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1, wherein
a concave portion is formed in a surface that is positioned on an outer circumferential side of the laminated body in at least one of the sealed body and the heat dissipating member, and
the concave portion is filled with a part of a resin that configures the stress relief resin portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein an annular convex portion that surrounds the stress relief resin portion is formed in a surface of the sealed body or the heat dissipating member which the ceramic thermal spray film faces.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein a circumferential edge of the ceramic thermal spray film is set to have a thickness smaller than a thickness in an area farther inside than the circumferential edge in such a manner that a clearance between the heat dissipating member and the sealed body in a circumferential edge position of the ceramic thermal spray film is greater than a clearance in the area farther inside than the circumferential edge of the ceramic thermal spray film.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein a step is formed in a surface of the sealed body or the heat dissipating member, with which the circumferential edge of the ceramic thermal spray film is in contact, in such a manner that the clearance between the heat dissipating member and the sealed body in the circumferential edge position of the ceramic thermal spray film is greater than the clearance in the area farther inside than the circumferential edge of the ceramic thermal spray film.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein an elastic modulus of a resin used in the stress relief resin portion is smaller than an elastic modulus of a resin used in the bonding resin layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein a filler is mixed in the stress relief resin portion at a fill factor lower than the fill factor of the bonding resin layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein the resin used in the bonding resin layer has a glass transition temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the resin used in the stress relief resin portion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein the resin used in the bonding resin layer is a thermoplastic resin, and the resin used in the stress relief resin portion is a thermosetting resin.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1, wherein
a void formed in the ceramic thermal spray film has a size greater than the size of a front-surface concave portion thereof, and
the filler mixed in the bonding resin layer has a size smaller than the size of the front-surface concave portion, and greater than the size of the void.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1,
wherein when the heat dissipating member has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the conductor plate, the laminated body is configured in such a manner that the heat dissipating member has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the conductor plate, and in contrast, when the conductor plate has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heat dissipating member, the laminated body is configured in such a manner that the conductor plate has a coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the heat dissipating member.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the semiconductor chip has electrodes on both front and back surfaces thereof,
the conductor plate includes a front surface-side conductor plate that is joined to a side of the front surface of the chip, and a back surface-side conductor plate that is joined to a side of the back surface of the chip,
the heat dissipation member is a module case that accommodates the sealed body in which the semiconductor chip, the front surface-side conductor plate, and the back surface-side conductor plate are sealed by a resin, and the heat dissipation member has a first heat dissipating wall that faces the front surface-side conductor plate, a second heat dissipating wall that faces the back surface-side conductor plate and a thin-walled plastically deformable portion that is formed in the circumference of the first and the second heat dissipating walls, and
the insulation layer includes a first insulation layer that is arranged between the front surface-side conductor plate and the first heat dissipating wall, and a second insulation layer that is arranged between the back surface-side conductor plate and the second heat dissipating wall.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The power module according to claim 1, wherein
the semiconductor chip has electrodes on both front and back surfaces thereof,
the conductor plate includes a front surface-side conductor plate that is joined to a side of the front surface of the chip, and a back surface-side conductor plate that is joined to a side of the back surface of the chip,
the heat dissipation member has a first heat dissipating wall that faces the front surface-side conductor plate, and a second heat dissipating wall that faces the back surface-side conductor plate, and
the insulation layer includes a first insulation layer that is arranged between the front surface-side conductor plate and the first heat dissipating wall, and a second insulation layer that is arranged between the back surface-side conductor plate and the second heat dissipating wall.