Power semiconductor module and method for arranging said power semiconductor module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020352041-A1
Application number	US-202016822903-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Nov 5, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power semiconductor module contains a power semiconductor assembly, a housing which in a housing side with an outer surface has a recess with a direction of passage in the normal direction of the outer surface, having an internal contact device which has an electrically conducting contact inside the housing to an external connection element, designed as a load terminal element, with one section in the recess and having a spring element. The connection element is designed as a rigid metallic shaped body with an inner and an outer contact surface, and the outer contact surface is accessible from the outside, and the connection element is connected to the housing via an electrically insulating and mechanically elastic retaining device such that the connection element is moveable in the direction of passage, and wherein the spring element is arranged and designed in such a way that the spring action thereof acts directly or indirectly on the connection element in the direction of passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power semiconductor module ( 1 ), comprising:
a power semiconductor assembly ( 2 ) has a housing ( 7 ) which in a housing side ( 700 , 720 ) with an outer surface ( 702 , 722 ) has a recess ( 404 , 724 ) with a direction of passage in the normal direction (N) of said outer surface ( 702 , 722 ); an internal contact device ( 3 ), which has an electrically conducting contact inside the housing ( 7 ) to an external connection element ( 4 ), designed as a load terminal element, with one section arranged in the recess ( 704 , 724 ), and having a spring element ( 6 ); the connection element ( 4 ) is designed as a rigid metallic shaped body with an inner and an outer contact surface ( 40 , 42 );
wherein the outer contact surface ( 42 ) is accessible from the outside;
the connection element ( 4 ) is connected to the housing ( 7 ) via an electrically insulating and mechanically elastic retaining device ( 5 ) such that said connection element is moveable in the direction of passage ( 704 , 724 ); and wherein the spring element ( 6 ) is arranged and designed in such a way that the spring action thereof acts directly or indirectly on the connection element ( 4 ) in the direction of passage.

2 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 1 , wherein:
the connection element ( 4 ) has a first connection element position relative to the direction of passage, in which the outer contact surface ( 42 ) relative to the outer surface ( 402 , 422 ) has a first contact surface position (P 1 ); and wherein the connection element ( 4 ) can be displaced in the negative direction of passage against a spring force of the spring element.

3 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first contact surface position (P 1 ) is recessed in the direction of passage in relation to the outer surface ( 702 , 722 ), or is formed flush with the outer surface ( 702 , 722 ) or protrudes through the outer surface ( 702 , 722 ).

4 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 3 , wherein:
the spring element ( 6 ) is designed to press on the internal contact device ( 3 ) on the inner contact surface ( 40 ) of the connection element ( 4 ) in the direction of passage and wherein the internal contact device ( 3 ) is arranged between the spring element ( 6 ) and the connection element ( 4 ) for this purpose.

5 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 3 , wherein:
the internal contact device ( 3 ) has a sleeve ( 32 ) in which a section of the connection element ( 4 ) and the spring element ( 6 , 62 ) are arranged.

6 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 3 , wherein:
the housing side is designed as a base plate ( 72 ) and the recess ( 724 ) is arranged in the base plate ( 72 ).

7 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 3 , wherein:
the internal contact device ( 3 ) is designed as at least one of: (i) an integral component ( 30 ) of the power semiconductor assembly as an integral component of a substrate of the power semiconductor assembly, or (ii) is electrically conductively connected to the power semiconductor assembly at the substrate thereof.

8 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 3 , wherein:
the spring element ( 6 ) is implemented as one of a spiral spring ( 64 ), a Belleville spring, and an elastomer ( 60 , 62 ).

9 . The power semiconductor module, according to claim 3 , wherein:
the mechanically elastic retaining device ( 5 ) is implemented as a sealing device, which encloses the connection element ( 4 ) on all sides in one section and seals the recess ( 704 , 724 ) against environmental influences.

10 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 3 , wherein:
the mechanically elastic retaining device ( 5 ) is securely mounted in the housing ( 7 ) by means of a fixing device ( 50 ).

11 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 3 , wherein:
the housing ( 7 ) additionally contains a control circuit board, a capacitor device, or both.

12 . A method for arranging a power semiconductor module ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , on a motor ( 9 ) which comprises a motor contact device ( 94 ), comprising the steps of:
a) deploying the power semiconductor module ( 1 ), wherein the outer contact surface ( 42 ) is located relative to the outer surface ( 702 , 722 ) of the housing side ( 700 , 720 ) of the housing ( 7 ) of the power semiconductor module ( 1 ) in the first contact surface position (P 1 ); b) arranging the power semiconductor module ( 1 ) with respect to a power module surface ( 92 ) of the motor, in such a way that the outer contact surface ( 42 ) of the connection element ( 4 ) of the power semiconductor module ( 1 ) comes to rest on the motor contact device ( 94 ) associated with said outer contact surface, wherein the outer contact surface ( 42 ) remains in the first contact surface position (P 1 ) relative to the outer surface ( 702 , 722 ); c) fixing the power semiconductor module ( 1 ) with the outer surface ( 702 , 722 ) thereof on the power module surface ( 92 ) by means of a mounting device ( 76 , 96 ), wherein the outer contact surface ( 42 ) is displaced in the negative direction of passage from the first into a second contact surface position (P 2 ), as a result of which an electrically conducting pressure contact generated by the spring element ( 6 ) of the power semiconductor module ( 1 ) is formed between the outer contact surface ( 42 ) and the associated motor contact device ( 94 ).

13 . The method, according to claim 12 , wherein:
a sealing device ( 8 ) is arranged between the power module surface ( 92 ) and the outer surface ( 702 , 722 ).

14 . The method, according to claim 13 , wherein:
the sealing device ( 8 ) is arranged surrounding the position of the connection element ( 4 ).

15 . The method, according to claim 14 , wherein:
the sealing device ( 8 ) is implemented as a static, self-sealing and removable sealing device, as one of a flat seal ( 82 ), a profiled gasket ( 80 ) and as an O-ring seal.

Assignees

• Semikron Elektronik Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Bulovic Sandro
• Kobolla Harald

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W72/00

  Interconnections or connectors in packages · CPC title

• H05K7/14329

  specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars · CPC title

• H05K5/0091 Primary

  Housing specially adapted for small components (for resistors H01C; for capacitors H01G; for integrated circuits H10W99/00) · CPC title

• H10W70/658

  for devices provided for in groups H10D8/00 - H10D48/00 · CPC title