Power converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019036282-A1
Application number	US-201816039587-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Jan 31, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a power converter, a semiconductor module incorporates therein a semiconductor element that constitutes a power converter circuit. The semiconductor module has a power terminal extending therefrom, and the power terminal has opposing first and second terminal surfaces. The power converter includes a capacitor electrically connected to the semiconductor module. The power converter includes a busbar. The busbar includes a capacitor-connection terminal connected to the capacitor, and at least first and second semiconductor-connection terminals that are at least partly joined to the respective first and second terminal surfaces of the power terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power converter comprising:
a semiconductor module incorporating therein a semiconductor element constituting a power converter circuit, the semiconductor module having a power terminal extending therefrom, the power terminal having opposing first and second terminal surfaces; a capacitor electrically connected to the semiconductor module; and a busbar including:
a capacitor-connection terminal connected to the capacitor; and
at least first and second semiconductor-connection terminals that are at least partly joined to the respective first and second terminal surfaces of the power terminal.

2 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first semiconductor-connection terminal includes a first busbar terminal joined to the first terminal surface of the power terminal; and the second semiconductor-connection terminal includes a second busbar terminal joined to the second terminal surface of the power terminal.

3 . The power converter according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first and second busbar terminals joined to the power terminal are arranged to be non-overlapped with each other when viewed in a direction normal to the first and second terminal surfaces.

4 . The power converter according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first and second busbar terminals joined to the power terminal are arranged to be overlapped with each other when viewed in a direction normal to the first and second terminal surfaces.

5 . The power converter according to claim 2 , wherein:
each of the first and second busbar terminals comprises:
a base arranged to face the power terminal; and
a connector portion configured to continuously project from the bent portion along a corresponding one of the first and second terminal surfaces of the power terminal.

6 . The power converter according to claim 5 , wherein:
the connector portion of each of the first and second busbar is configured to extend toward the semiconductor module.

7 . The power converter according to claim 5 , wherein:
the connector portion of each of the first and second busbar is configured to extend toward a direction opposite to the semiconductor module.

8 . The power converter according to claim 5 , wherein:
each of the first and second busbar terminals comprises a bent portion continuously joining between the base and the connector portion; the base, the connector portion, and the bent portion respectively have outer surfaces; the outer surface of the bent portion has a predetermined curvature to thereby smoothly join the outer surface of the base and the outer surface of the connector portion.

9 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first semiconductor-connection terminal includes at least two first busbar terminals joined to the first terminal surface of the power terminal; and the second semiconductor-connection terminal includes at least one second busbar terminal joined to the second terminal surface of the power terminal.

10 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first semiconductor-connection terminal includes at least two first busbar terminals joined to the first terminal surface of the power terminal; and the second semiconductor-connection terminal includes at least two second busbar terminals joined to the second terminal surface of the power terminal, the number of the first busbar terminals being identical to the number of the second busbar terminals.

11 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the semiconductor module comprises a plurality of semiconductor modules; each of the semiconductor modules has, as the power terminal, a positive power terminal and a negative power terminal extending therefrom in a predetermined direction; the semiconductor modules are arranged in the normal direction to the first and second terminal surfaces; and the positive power terminals of the semiconductor modules and the negative power terminals of the semiconductor modules are shifted relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction and an arrangement direction of the semiconductor modules.

12 . The power converter according to claim 11 , wherein:
the busbar comprises a positive busbar and a negative busbar, each of the positive and negative busbars including the capacitor-connection terminal connected to a corresponding one of positive and negative electrodes of the capacitor; and a selected one of the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals is at least partly joined to the respective first and second terminal surfaces of the positive power terminal and a selected one of the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals is at least partly joined to the respective first and second terminal surfaces of the negative power terminal are shifted to each other in a direction normal to the first and second terminal surfaces.

13 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the semiconductor module comprises a plurality of first and second semiconductor modules arranged in the normal direction to the first and second terminal surfaces; the busbar comprises a positive busbar and a negative busbar, each of the positive and negative busbars including the capacitor-connection terminal connected to a corresponding one of positive and negative electrodes of the capacitor; the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals of the positive busbar are at least partly joined to the respective first and second surfaces of the power terminal of each of the first semiconductor modules; the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals of the negative busbar are at least partly joined to the respective first and second surfaces of the power terminal of each of the second semiconductor modules; and one of the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals of the positive busbar and one of the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals of the negative busbar, which are closer to each other, are arranged to be non-overlapped with each other in an arrangement direction of the first and second semiconductor modules.

14 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the semiconductor module comprises a plurality of semiconductor modules arranged in a predetermined direction; the busbar comprises plural sets of first and second semiconductor-connection terminals for the power terminals of the respective semiconductor modules; the capacitor-connection terminal and the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals of the busbar are arranged to be opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the power terminal and an arrangement direction of the semiconductor modules; one of the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals of each set is located to be the closest to the capacitor-connection terminal, the one of the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals of each set located to be the closest to the capacitor-connection terminal will be referred to as a closest semiconductor-connection terminal; and the closest semiconductor-connection terminals of the respective sets are aligned with each other in the arrangement direction of the semiconductor modules.

15 . The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the busbar has opposing first and second ends, and includes a slit defined through one of the first and second ends, the slit comprising opposing first and second inner peripheral surfaces of the busbar; the first and second semiconductor-connection terminals are located at the respec

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Tanabe Ryota
• Kurita Akihumi
• Yoshimura Yohei

Classifications

• H02M7/003

  Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W72/00

  Interconnections or connectors in packages · CPC title

• H10W40/613

  for stacked arrangements of a plurality of semiconductor devices · CPC title

• H10W40/47

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title