Semiconductor module, vehicle and manufacturing method

Abstract

The efficiency of heat generated by multiple semiconductor elements of the semiconductor module moving to the refrigerant passing near the heat sink is low. In the semiconductor module of the present invention, the semiconductor device has a semiconductor chip and a circuit substrate on which the semiconductor chip is mounted, and the cooling device includes: a top plate on which the semiconductor device is mounted; a side wall connected to the top plate; a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate; a refrigerant circulation part, which is defined by the top plate, the side wall and the bottom plate, and the cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate is a roughly rectangular shape with long sides and short sides for the circulation of refrigerant; an inlet, which is connected to one side in the short side direction and is used to introduce the refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation part; an outlet, which is connected to the other side in the short side direction and is used to lead the refrigerant out of the refrigerant circulation part; a pin-fin heat sink, which is arranged in the refrigerant circulation part, extends between the top plate and the bottom plate, and has a roughly rhombus shape that is longer in the short side direction than in the long side direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a semiconductor module, a vehicle and a manufacturing method. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a semiconductor module that is equipped with a cooling device including a cooling fan and includes a plurality of semiconductor elements such as power semiconductor chips (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 8).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5955651

[0006] Patent Document 2: WO2014 / 109235

[0007] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-148617

[0008] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-049861

[0009] Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-120897

[0010] Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-201391

[0011] Patent Document 7: Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-02357

[0012] Patent Document 8: WO2012 / 157247

[0013] Patent Document 9: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-056131

[0014] Patent Document 10: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-258655

[0015] Patent Document 11: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-071386

[0016] Patent Document 12: Japanese Patent No. 6493612 Summary of the invention

[0017] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0018] In the above-mentioned semiconductor module, the efficiency of transferring the heat generated by the plurality of semiconductor elements to the refrigerant passing near the heat sink is low.

[0019] Technical solutions adopted to solve technical problems

[0020] In order to solve the above problems, in a first embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor module having a semiconductor device and a cooling device is provided. The semiconductor device may include a semiconductor chip and a circuit substrate on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The cooling device may include a top plate on which the semiconductor device is mounted. The cooling device may include a side wall connected to the top plate. The cooling device may include a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate. The cooling device may include a refrigerant circulation portion, which is demarcated by the top plate, the side wall and the bottom plate, and the cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate is substantially rectangular with long sides and short sides, and is used to circulate the refrigerant. The cooling device may include an inlet, which is connected to one side in the short side direction and is used to introduce the refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation portion. The cooling device may include an outlet, which is connected to the other side in the short side direction and is used to lead the refrigerant out of the refrigerant circulation portion. The cooling device may include a pin-fin heat sink, which is arranged in the refrigerant circulation portion, extends between the top plate and the bottom plate, and has a substantially rhombus shape that is longer in the short side direction than in the long side direction.

[0021] The refrigerant circulation portion may include a fin region in which more pin-fin fins are arranged in the long-side direction than in the short-side direction and have a substantially rectangular shape that is longer in the long-side direction than in the short-side direction. The refrigerant circulation portion may include a connecting region that is located on one side of the fin region, connected to the inlet, and extends in the long-side direction. The refrigerant circulation portion may include another connecting region that is located on the other side of the fin region, connected to the outlet, and extends in the long-side direction.

[0022] The top plate may include a fastening portion located outside the side wall and used for fastening to an external device. The fastening portion may be thicker than the fin region in the top plate.

[0023] The thickness of the side walls may be thicker than the thickness of the fin area in the top plate.

[0024] The top plate, side walls and pin-fin heat sinks may be integrally formed.

[0025] The bottom plate may be a step portion for determining a fixing position of the side wall, and may include step portions in contact with the side wall on at least two different surfaces.

[0026] The bottom plate may be thicker than any of the top plate and the side wall. The inlet and the outlet may be formed in the bottom plate, respectively.

[0027] The side wall and the bottom plate may be fixed with a fixing agent. The bottom plate profile may be located further inward than the side wall profile. The bottom plate profile may be chamfered at a corner on the side fixed to the side wall and have an area for the fixing agent to form a fillet.

[0028] The length of each side of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section of the pin-fin heat sink may be 1.8 mm to 2.0 mm. Each corner of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section may be rounded with a curvature radius of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0029] Regarding the pin-fin heat sink, corners at both ends of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section in the short-side direction may be rounded with a smaller curvature radius than corners at both ends of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section in the long-side direction.

[0030] In a second embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor module having a semiconductor device and a cooling device is provided. The semiconductor device may include a semiconductor chip and a circuit substrate on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The cooling device may include a top plate on which the semiconductor device is mounted in a substantially rectangular area having long sides and short sides. The cooling device may include a side wall connected to the top plate. The cooling device may include a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate. The cooling device may include a refrigerant circulation portion, which is defined by the top plate, the side wall and the bottom plate and is used to circulate the refrigerant. The cooling device may include an inlet, which is connected to one side in the short side direction and is used to introduce the refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation portion. The cooling device may include an outlet, which is located on the opposite side of the inlet in the diagonal direction of the area when viewed from above, is connected to the other side in the short side direction, and is used to guide the refrigerant out of the refrigerant circulation portion. The cooling device may include a pin-fin heat sink, which is arranged in the refrigerant circulation portion and extends between the top plate and the bottom plate. At least a portion of the inner side of the side wall on the other side in the short direction is inclined more inwardly than the inner side of the side wall on one side in the short direction on the side where the entrance is located in the long direction in a plan view.

[0031] The side wall may not overlap with the semiconductor chip when viewed from above.

[0032] When viewed from above, the profile of the side wall may be substantially symmetrical in the short side direction relative to the central axis extending in the long side direction. On the side where the entrance is located in the long side direction, the thickness of at least a portion of the side wall on the other side may be thicker than the thickness of the side wall on one side, whereby at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall on the other side may be more inclined inwardly than the inner side of the side wall on one side.

[0033] At least a portion of the side wall on the other side of the entrance in the long side direction may have, in the surface facing the base plate, either a positioning pin engaged with a positioning hole formed in the base plate or a positioning hole engaged with a positioning pin formed in the base plate.

[0034] The side wall and the bottom plate may be fixed with a fixing agent. At least a portion of the side wall on the other side of the inlet in the longitudinal direction may have a groove for receiving the fixing agent in a surface facing the bottom plate.

[0035] When viewed from above, the profile of the side wall is approximately symmetrical in the short side direction relative to the central axis extending in the long side direction. The side wall may include an outer wall portion that forms the profile and surrounds the refrigerant flow portion. The side wall may include a slope that is located on the other side of the side where the inlet is located in the long side direction and is connected to the inner surface of the outer wall portion. The inner side of the slope portion may be at least a part of the inner side of the side wall on the other side, and may be more inclined inward than the inner side of the outer wall portion on one side.

[0036] The outer wall portion can be formed integrally with the top plate. The slope portion can be detachably fixed to the top plate.

[0037] The side wall and the top plate may be formed integrally. The thickness of the side wall may be substantially constant. At least a portion of the contour of the side wall on the other side may be located further inward than the contour of the bottom plate. The top plate may be outside at least a portion of the side wall on the other side of the inlet in the long side direction, and include a support pin for supporting the bottom plate. The side wall, the support pin and the bottom plate may be fixed by a fixing agent.

[0038] In a top view, the pin-fin heat sink has a substantially rhombus shape that is longer in the short-side direction than in the long-side direction, and a straight line connecting one side of each of the plurality of pin-fin heat sinks may extend in a diagonal direction. In a top view, a straight line extending between a side where the outlet in the long-side direction is located, i.e., one side in the short-side direction, and a side where the inlet in the long-side direction is located, i.e., the other side in the short-side direction, intersects an extending direction of at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall on the other side where the inlet in the long-side direction is located at an angle less than 90°.

[0039] The bottom plate may be thicker than any one of the top plate and the side wall. The inlet and the outlet may be formed at the bottom plate, respectively.

[0040] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle including the semiconductor module according to the first embodiment is provided.

[0041] In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle is provided that includes the semiconductor module of the second embodiment and a pump that introduces a refrigerant into a refrigerant circulation portion through an inlet of the semiconductor module and discharges the refrigerant from the refrigerant circulation portion through an outlet. The semiconductor module can be fixed in the vehicle so that the inlet is on the upper side in the direction of gravity and the outlet is on the lower side in the direction of gravity.

[0042] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing the semiconductor module according to the first and second aspects. In the manufacturing method, the top plate, the side wall, and the pin-fin heat sink may be integrally formed by a single continuous plate member.

[0043] The top plate, the side wall, and the pin-fin fins may be integrally formed by punching the plate member using a die corresponding to the shapes of the top plate, the side wall, and the pin-fin fins.

[0044] In addition, the above-mentioned summary of the invention does not list all the necessary features of the present invention. In addition, the modification of these feature groups can also become the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 It is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a semiconductor module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 2 It is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a cooling device 10 of a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a semiconductor module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 4 The diagram shows an example of the arrangement of the fin region 95 of the cooling device 10 and the semiconductor device 70 , the shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 , and the flow direction of the refrigerant in the semiconductor module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 5 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the cross-sectional shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 on the xy plane.

[0050] Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the R-processed shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 and the thermal resistance between the semiconductor chip 78 and the cooling water.

[0051] Figure 7 2 is a diagram illustrating another example of the cross-sectional shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 in the xy plane.

[0052] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of area A in FIG.

[0053] Fig. 9 This is a diagram schematically showing a vehicle 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Fig.10 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a semiconductor module 101 connected to a pump 221 via an inlet pipe 222 and an outlet pipe 223 in a vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Fig.11 It is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a cooling device 11 of a semiconductor module 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Fig.12 This is a diagram for explaining an example of the structure of the side wall 37 of the cooling device 11 of the semiconductor module 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Fig.13 Yes Description Fig.12 FIG. 4 is a diagram of a first modified example of the side wall 37 in the region [R1] shown.

[0058] Fig.14 Yes Description Fig.12 FIG. 2 is a diagram of a second modified example of the side wall 37 in the region [R1] shown.

[0059] Fig.15 Yes Description Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a diagram of a modified example of the pin-fin heat sink 94 in the region [R2] shown.

[0060] Fig.16 This is a main circuit diagram of semiconductor modules 100 and 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The present invention is described below by way of the embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention involved in the claims. In addition, the combination of all the features described in the embodiments is not necessarily required for solving the technical problem of the invention.

[0062] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a semiconductor module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 1 is a schematic perspective view of an example of a cooling device 10 for a semiconductor module 100 . Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a semiconductor module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The diagram shows an example of the arrangement of the fin region 95 of the cooling device 10 and the semiconductor device 70 , the shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 , and the flow direction of the refrigerant in the semiconductor module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 In the figure, the xz plane is assumed to be cut. Figure 1 The semiconductor chip 78 of the U-phase unit 70U in the semiconductor module 100 shown in FIG. Figure 2 The cooling device 10 is shown in a state after the outlet 42 is doubled. Figure 4 In the middle, the dotted line indicates Figure 1 The U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W are shown. Figure 3 The area [A] indicated by the dotted line in the figure is described later. Figure 8 The area shown is enlarged.

[0063] The semiconductor module 100 includes a semiconductor device 70 and a cooling device 10. The semiconductor device 70 of this example is placed on the cooling device 10. In the description of this embodiment, the surface of the cooling device 10 on which the semiconductor device 70 is placed is referred to as the xy plane, and the axis perpendicular to the xy plane is referred to as the z axis. The xyz axes constitute a right-handed coordinate system. In the description of this embodiment, the direction from the cooling device 10 toward the semiconductor device 70 in the z-axis direction is referred to as the top, and the opposite direction is referred to as the bottom, and the top and bottom are not limited to the direction of gravity. In addition, in the description of this embodiment, among the surfaces of each component, the surface on the upper side is referred to as the upper surface, the surface on the lower side is referred to as the lower surface, and the surface between the upper surface and the lower surface is referred to as the side surface. In the description of this embodiment, the top view represents the situation of observing the semiconductor module 100 from the positive direction of the z-axis.

[0064] The semiconductor device 70 has a semiconductor chip 78 and a circuit substrate 76 on which the semiconductor chip 78 is mounted. The semiconductor device 70 of this example may include three circuit substrates 76, and two semiconductor chips 78 may be mounted on each circuit substrate 76. The semiconductor device 70 of this example may be a power semiconductor device, including: a U-phase unit 70U including a circuit substrate 76, a semiconductor chip 78-1, and a semiconductor chip 78-4; a V-phase unit 70V including a circuit substrate 76, a semiconductor chip 78-2, and a semiconductor chip 78-5; and a W-phase unit 70W including a circuit substrate 76, a semiconductor chip 78-3, and a semiconductor chip 78-6. The semiconductor module 100 of this example may function as a device constituting a three-phase AC inverter. In addition, each semiconductor chip 78 of the U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W is a heat source that generates heat when the semiconductor module 100 is in operation.

[0065] The semiconductor chip 78 is a vertical semiconductor element having a top electrode and a bottom electrode. As an example, the semiconductor chip 78 includes: an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a MOS field effect transistor (MOSFET), and a freewheeling diode (FWD) formed on a semiconductor substrate such as silicon. The semiconductor chip 78 can be a reverse conducting IGBT (RC-IGBT) in which the IGBT and the FWD are formed on a semiconductor substrate. In the RC-IGBT, the IGBT and the FWD can be connected in reverse parallel.

[0066] The bottom electrode of the semiconductor chip 78 is connected to the upper surface of the circuit substrate 76. The top electrode of the semiconductor chip 78 can be an emitter, a source or an anode electrode, and the bottom electrode can be a collector, a drain or a cathode electrode. The semiconductor substrate in the semiconductor chip 78 can be silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN).

[0067] The semiconductor chip 78 including a switching element such as an IGBT or a MOSFET has a control electrode. The semiconductor module 100 may have a control terminal connected to the control electrode of the semiconductor chip 78. The switching element can be controlled by an external control circuit via the control terminal.

[0068] The circuit substrate 76 is, as an example, a laminated substrate, which includes, in order: an insulating plate having an upper surface and a lower surface; a circuit layer provided on the upper surface of the insulating plate; and a metal layer provided on the lower surface. The circuit substrate 76 has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the lower surface is arranged on the upper surface of the cooling device 10. As an example, the circuit substrate 76 is fixed to the upper surface of the cooling device 10 via the metal layer using solder or the like. On the upper surface side of the circuit substrate 76, as an example, two semiconductor chips 78 are fixed via the circuit layer.

[0069] The circuit board 76 may be, for example, a DCB (Direct Copper Bonding) board or an AMB (Active Metal Brazing) board. 2 O 3 ), aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) or other ceramic materials. The circuit layer and the metal layer may be plates containing conductive materials such as copper or copper alloys. The circuit layer is fixed to the upper surface side of the insulating plate by welding, soldering, etc. On the upper surface of the circuit layer, it is electrically and mechanically connected to the semiconductor chip 78 by solder, etc., that is, it is directly connected in an electrical circuit. In addition, the circuit layer can be electrically connected to other conductive components by leads, etc.

[0070] The cooling device 10 has a chassis 40 and a bottom plate 64. The chassis 40 includes a top plate 20 on which a semiconductor device 70 is mounted, a side wall 36 connected to the top plate 20, and a plurality of pin-fin heat sinks 94 connected to the top plate 20.

[0071] The top plate 20 is a plate-shaped member having a main surface unfolded in the xy plane. When viewed from above, the top plate 20 of this example is roughly rectangular with long sides and short sides. The short side of the top plate 20 of this example is parallel to the x-axis, and the long side is parallel to the y-axis. The top plate 20 includes a fastening portion 21 for fastening to an external device on which the semiconductor module 100 is installed. When viewed from above, the fastening portion 21 is located further outside than the side wall 36 connected to the top plate 20, and has a through hole 80 for inserting a sleeve of an external device. The fastening portion 21 of this example has one through hole 80 at each of the four corners of the roughly rectangular top plate 20, for a total of four through holes 80.

[0072] The side wall 36 has a substantially constant thickness and constitutes the side surface of the cooling device 10. In the xy plane, the side wall 36 of this example has a substantially rectangular outline having a long side and a short side. The side wall 36 constitutes the side surface of the cooling device 10, so that when viewed from above, the short side of the outline of the side wall 36 is parallel to the x-axis, and the long side is parallel to the y-axis. When viewed from above, the side wall 36 of this example is located further inside than the fastening portion 21 of the top plate 20, and extends from the top plate 20 toward the negative direction of the z-axis.

[0073] At least one of the plurality of pin-fin heat sinks 94 has a substantially rhombus-shaped cross-sectional shape in the xy plane. In the following description, one or more pin-fin heat sinks 94 are sometimes referred to as pin-fin heat sinks 94. The pin-fin heat sink 94 extends from the top plate 20 in the negative z-axis direction. In a plan view, the pin-fin heat sink 94 is located further inside than the side wall 36 and is surrounded by the side wall 36.

[0074] exist Figure 2 In the cooling device 10, for simplicity, the area where the pin-fin heat sink 94 is provided, that is, the fin area 95 is indicated by dots instead of illustrating the pin-fin heat sink 94. The fin area 95 may be a rectangle in a plan view, with a short side parallel to the x-axis and a long side parallel to the y-axis.

[0075] In the chassis 40 of this example, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the pin-fin fins 94 are formed as one body. For example, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the pin-fin fins 94 may be formed as one body by a continuous plate member. For example, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the pin-fin fins 94 may be formed as one body by punching the continuous plate member using a die corresponding to the shapes of the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the pin-fin fins 94. As another example, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the pin-fin fins 94 may be formed as one body by forming by any forging method such as cold forging at room temperature using a stamping press, warm forging at a high temperature, hot forging, molten metal forging, or by casting. The semiconductor module 100 of this embodiment can reduce the number of components by forming the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the pin-fin fins 94 as one body, compared with a method in which the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the pin-fin fins 94 formed separately are fixed to each other.

[0076] The bottom plate 64 is a plate-shaped member. In a top view, the bottom plate 64 of this example is roughly rectangular with long sides and short sides. The short side of the bottom plate 64 of this example is parallel to the x-axis, and the long side is parallel to the y-axis direction. The bottom plate 64 constitutes the bottom surface of the refrigerant flow portion 92. The bottom plate 64 is connected to the side wall 36 and is opposite to the top plate 20.

[0077] The top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the bottom plate 64 define a refrigerant flow portion 92 through which the refrigerant passes. In other words, the side wall 36 is arranged to surround the refrigerant flow portion 92 in the xy plane, and the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64 are arranged to face each other with the refrigerant flow portion 92 sandwiched therebetween in the z-axis direction. Thus, the contour of the refrigerant flow portion 92 in the xy plane is defined by the inner periphery of the side wall 36, and the refrigerant flow portion 92 is substantially rectangular with long sides and short sides in the xy plane.

[0078] In addition, the bottom plate 64 of the present example is formed with an inlet 41 which is a through hole for introducing the refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation portion 92, and an outlet 42 which is a through hole for leading the refrigerant out of the refrigerant circulation portion 92. In addition, as an example, the bottom plate 64 of the present example has a step portion 65 for determining the fixed position of the side wall 36 on the side facing the top plate 20. When viewed from above, the outline of the step portion 65 of the present example is smaller than the outline of the bottom plate 64, and is roughly rectangular with long sides and short sides, similar to the bottom plate 64. In addition, the short side of the step portion 65 of the present example is parallel to the x-axis, and the long side is parallel to the y-axis direction. In addition, the bottom plate 64 may have any other step that can determine the fixed position of the side wall 36 instead. Figure 2 to Figure 4 The step portion 65 shown in the figure is shown in the figure. In addition, the bottom plate 64 may not have the step portion 65. In addition, on the basis of the step portion 65, or in place of the step portion 65, the bottom plate 64 may have other structures for determining the fixed position of the side wall 36, for example, it may have pins arranged at at least three points in the surface of the bottom plate 64 on the side of the side wall 36, and the pins may abut against the surface of the inner periphery of the side wall 36 and may be inserted into a hole having a shape complementary to the pin and provided on the end surface of the side wall 36.

[0079] The inlet 41 and the outlet 42 can be connected to pipes connected to an external refrigerant supply source, respectively. In other words, the cooling device 10 can be connected to an external refrigerant supply source through two pipes. Thus, the cooling device 10 can input refrigerant from one pipe via the inlet 41, and the refrigerant can be output to the other pipe via the outlet 42 after circulating inside the refrigerant circulation portion 92.

[0080] The inlet 41 and the outlet 42 are located at one side and the other side opposite to the one side of the cooling device 10 in the x-axis direction, and at one side and the other side opposite to the one side of the cooling device 10 in the y-axis direction. That is, in the diagonal direction of the refrigerant flow portion 92 having a substantially rectangular shape on the xy plane, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 are located at opposite ends of the refrigerant flow portion 92.

[0081] The semiconductor module 100 of this embodiment uses a refrigerant to effectively cool the heat generated by each semiconductor chip 78 arranged in the z-axis direction on the upper surface of the cooling device 10. The refrigerant flows into the refrigerant circulation part 92 through the inlet 41 of the cooling device 10, diffuses throughout the entire range of the refrigerant circulation part 92, and flows out through 42.

[0082] like Figure 3 As shown, the top plate 20 has an upper surface (front) 22 and a lower surface (back) 24 parallel to the xy plane. As an example, the top plate 20 is formed of metal, and as a more specific example, it is formed of a metal containing aluminum. The top plate 20 may be formed with a plating layer of nickel or the like on the surface. A semiconductor device 70 is placed on the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20. In this case, a circuit substrate 76 of the semiconductor device 70 is directly fixed to the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20 by solder or the like. The heat generated in each semiconductor chip 78 is transferred to the top plate 20. The top plate 20, the circuit substrate 76, and the semiconductor chip 78 are arranged in the positive direction of the z-axis in the order of the top plate 20, the circuit substrate 76, and the semiconductor chip 78. Thermal connection can be made between the top plate 20 and the circuit substrate 76, and between the circuit substrate 76 and the semiconductor chip 78. When the components are fixed to each other by solder, the thermal connection is made by the solder.

[0083] The semiconductor device 70 may additionally have a storage portion 72. The storage portion 72 may be a frame formed of an insulating material such as a thermosetting resin or an ultraviolet curing resin, and is provided on the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20 to surround an area where a circuit substrate 76 and the like are arranged. The storage portion 72 may be bonded to the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20. The storage portion 72 has an internal space capable of accommodating a semiconductor chip 78, a circuit substrate 76, and other circuit elements. The storage portion 72 may accommodate various components including the circuit substrate 76 and the semiconductor chip 78 of the semiconductor device 70 in the internal space. The internal space of the storage portion 72 may be filled with a sealing portion 74 for sealing the semiconductor chip 78, the circuit substrate 76, and other circuit elements. The sealing portion 74 is an insulating component containing a resin such as silicone or epoxy resin. In addition, in Figure 1 In order to simplify the description, the housing portion 72 and the sealing portion 74 are omitted from the illustration.

[0084] The refrigerant flow portion 92 is disposed on the lower surface 24 side of the top plate 20. Figure 4 As shown, the refrigerant flow portion 92 has a substantially rectangular shape having long sides 96 and short sides 93 in a cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20 .

[0085] A refrigerant such as LLC or water flows through the refrigerant flow portion 92. In the refrigerant flow portion 92, the refrigerant is introduced from the inlet 41 communicating with one side in the direction of the short side 93 and is discharged from the outlet 42 communicating with the other side in the direction of the short side 93. The refrigerant contacts the lower surface 24 of the top plate 20 on which the circuit board 76 is arranged and the pin-fin heat sink 94, thereby cooling the semiconductor device 70.

[0086] The refrigerant circulation part 92 can be a closed space that contacts the top plate 20, the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64 respectively. The bottom plate 64 is configured to be in close contact with the lower end of the side wall 36 in the negative direction of the z-axis directly or indirectly, and the refrigerant circulation part 92 is sealed by the top plate 20, the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64. In addition, indirect close contact refers to a state in which the lower end of the side wall 36 is in close contact with the bottom plate 64 by a sealing material, an adhesive, a welding material, or other components, i.e., a fixing agent 98, which is arranged between the lower end of the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64. Close contact refers to a state in which the refrigerant inside the refrigerant circulation part 92 does not leak from the close contact portion. The lower end of the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64 are preferably brazed. In addition, the chassis 40 and the bottom plate 64 can be formed of a metal of the same composition, and the welding material can be formed of a metal having a melting point lower than that of the chassis 40, such as a metal containing aluminum.

[0087] The pin-fin heat sink 94 is disposed in the refrigerant flow portion 92 and extends between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64. The pin-fin heat sink 94 of this example extends in the z-axis direction and is substantially orthogonal to each main surface of the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64. Figure 4 As shown, the pin-fin heat sink 94 is arranged in a predetermined pattern in the xy plane and extends in the z-axis direction in a manner substantially orthogonal to the respective main surfaces of the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64. In addition, the pin-fin heat sink 94 of this example has a substantially rhombus shape in which the short side 93 direction is longer than the long side 96 direction of the refrigerant flow portion 92 in the cross section in the xy plane. Of a pair of diagonal lines of the substantially rhombus shape, the diagonal line parallel to the long side 96 is shorter than the diagonal line parallel to the short side 93.

[0088] The pin-fin heat sink 94 has an upper end and a lower end opposite to each other in the z-axis direction, and the upper end is thermally and mechanically connected to the lower surface 24 of the top plate 20, and extends from the lower surface 24 of the top plate 20 toward the refrigerant flow portion 92. When the pin-fin heat sink 94 is formed integrally with the top plate 20, the upper end of the pin-fin heat sink 94 integrally protrudes from the lower surface 24 of the top plate 20, and extends from the lower surface 24 of the top plate 20 toward the refrigerant flow portion 92. The lower end of the pin-fin heat sink 94 of this example is fixed to the bottom plate 64 by a fixing agent 98. The lower end of the pin-fin heat sink 94 can be away from the bottom plate 64. If there is a gap between the pin-fin heat sink 94 and the bottom plate 64, even if the bottom plate 64 is warped, stress is not easily generated between the pin-fin heat sink 94 and the bottom plate 64. The heat generated by each semiconductor chip 78 is transferred to the refrigerant passing near the pin-fin heat sink 94. Thus, each semiconductor chip 78 is cooled.

[0089] like Figure 4 As shown by the middle dotted line, in the fin region 95 of the refrigerant flow portion 92, the pin-fin heat sink 94 is arranged more in the direction of the long side 96 of the refrigerant flow portion 92 than in the direction of the short side 93, and is in a substantially rectangular shape with the long side 96 being longer than the short side 93. The pin-fin heat sink 94 may be arranged more in the direction of the long side 96 of the refrigerant flow portion 92 than in the direction of the short side 93 per unit length. As an example, in the fin region 95, the ratio of the number of pin-fin heat sinks 94 arranged in the direction of the long side 96 of the refrigerant flow portion 92 to the number of pin-fin heat sinks 94 arranged in the direction of the short side 93 of the refrigerant flow portion 92 may be within a prescribed range. The fin region 95 includes a region where the pin-fin heat sink 94 is provided and a flow path between the heat sinks 94. As shown in the figure, in the fin region 95 of this example, the pin-fin heat sinks 94 are arranged in a staggered manner, but may be arranged in a square shape instead. In addition, the intervals between adjacent pin-fin heat sinks 94 may be narrower than the width of the pin-fin heat sink 94 itself. Figure 4 As shown, the U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W of this example may all be arranged inside the fin region 95 , or may be partially arranged outside the fin region 95 .

[0090] In a plan view, the refrigerant flow section 92 includes a first refrigerant flow path 30-1 and a second refrigerant flow path 30-2 disposed with the fin region 95 interposed therebetween. The refrigerant flow path 30 refers to a space having a height greater than a predetermined height (length in the z-axis direction) in the refrigerant flow section 92. The predetermined height may be the distance between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64.

[0091] The first refrigerant flow path 30-1 is located on one side of the fin region 95 in the direction of the short side 93, is connected to the inlet 41, and extends in the direction of the long side 96. The second refrigerant flow path 30-2 is located on the other side of the fin region 95 in the direction of the short side 93, is connected to the outlet 42, and extends in the direction of the long side 96. The direction in which the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 and the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 extend is also referred to as the direction of the long side 96 of the fin region 95. In addition, the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 is an example of a connecting region, and the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 is an example of another connecting region.

[0092] As described above, in the semiconductor device 70 of the semiconductor module 100, when a plurality of heat sources such as semiconductor chips 78 exist in the y-axis direction, if the main flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling device 10 is set to be parallel to the arrangement direction (y-axis direction) of the heat sources, it is impossible to uniformly cool each heat source. Therefore, as in the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment, it is considered to adopt a configuration structure that makes the main flow direction (x-axis direction) of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling device 10 orthogonal to the arrangement direction (y-axis direction) of the plurality of heat sources. More specifically, according to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment, in a cross section (on the xy plane) parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20, the refrigerant circulation portion 92 is a substantially rectangular shape having a long side 96 and a short side 93, and the refrigerant is introduced from the inlet 41 on one side of the direction (x-axis direction) connected to the short side 93, and is exported from the outlet 42 on the other side of the direction (x-axis direction) connected to the short side 93.

[0093] In order to effectively dissipate the heat transferred from multiple heat sources to the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant flow portion 92, a pin fin heat sink 94 is arranged in the cooling device 10. In the cooling device 10, when a pin fin having a circular cross-sectional shape (on the xy plane) parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20 is used, the surface area of ​​the pin fin in contact with the refrigerant is small, so the heat dissipation efficiency is lower than that of a pin fin having a polygonal cross-sectional shape (on the xy plane) parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20. In addition, when a pin fin having a polygonal cross-sectional shape (on the xy plane) parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20 is used, if the pin fin has a cross-sectional shape such as a square or a regular hexagon in which the width in the main flow direction of the refrigerant on the xy plane is equal to the width in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction, or a rectangular cross-sectional shape such as a rectangle in which the width in the perpendicular direction is longer than the width in the flow direction, the area in the plane perpendicular to the flow direction is large, the flow velocity loss of the refrigerant is large, and the heat dissipation efficiency is low. In contrast, according to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment, the pin-fin heat sink 94 arranged in the refrigerant circulation portion 92 has a roughly rhombus shape that is longer in the direction of the short side 93 than in the direction of the long side 96 of the refrigerant circulation portion 92 in the cross-section on the xy plane. Therefore, compared with the case of using the above-mentioned polygonal pin fins, the area within the plane orthogonal to the main flow direction of the refrigerant is smaller, and the flow velocity loss of the refrigerant is smaller.

[0094] According to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment having the above-described structure, in the cooling device 10 mounted on the semiconductor device 70, the main flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant flow portion 92 having a substantially rectangular cross section in the xy plane is the direction of the short side 93 of the substantially rectangular shape, and the cross-sectional shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 disposed in the refrigerant flow portion 92 in the xy plane has a substantially rhombus shape that is long in the main flow direction of the refrigerant. Thus, according to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment, multiple heat sources of the semiconductor device 70 that generate heat during the operation of the semiconductor module 100 are uniformly cooled, and the flow velocity loss of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant flow portion 92 can be reduced to improve the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0095] Furthermore, according to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment, in the diagonal direction of the refrigerant flow portion 92 having a substantially rectangular shape on the xy plane, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 in the cooling device 10 are located at opposite ends of the refrigerant flow portion 92. In the fin region 95 of the refrigerant flow portion 92, the pin-fin heat sink 94 is arranged more in the direction of the long side 96 of the refrigerant flow portion 92 than in the direction of the short side 93, and is in a substantially rectangular shape with the long side 96 being longer than the short side 93. In a plan view, the refrigerant flow portion 92 includes a first refrigerant flow path 30-1 and a second refrigerant flow path 30-2 arranged with the fin region 95 sandwiched therebetween, and the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 is located on the side closer to the short side 93 than the fin region 95, is connected to the inlet 41, and extends in the direction of the long side 96. The second refrigerant flow path 30 - 2 is located on the other side of the fin region 95 in the direction of the short side 93 , communicates with the outlet 42 , and extends in the direction of the long side 96 .

[0096] According to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment having the above-described structure, the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant flow portion 92 from the inlet 41 advances toward the outlet 42 located on the opposite side of the inlet 41 in the diagonal direction of the refrigerant flow portion 92 while diffusing in the first refrigerant flow path 30-1, and is discharged from the outlet 42, thereby advancing not only in the direction of the short side 93 of the refrigerant flow portion 92, which is the main flow direction of the refrigerant, but also collides with the pin-fin heat sink 94 of the fin region 95 and advances in the direction of the long side 96 of the refrigerant flow portion 92 orthogonal to the main flow direction of the refrigerant. Therefore, according to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment, compared with the case where the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant are located at opposite ends of the refrigerant flow portion 92 in the direction of the short side 93 of the refrigerant flow portion 92, a plurality of heat sources of the semiconductor device 70 that generate heat during the operation of the semiconductor module 100 can be more effectively and uniformly cooled.

[0097] Figure 5 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross-sectional shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 in the xy plane. Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the R-processed shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 and the thermal resistance between the semiconductor chip 78 and the cooling water. Figure 5 In FIG. 1 , L represents the length of one side of the pin-fin heat sink 94 having a substantially rhombus-shaped cross section on the xy plane, D1 represents the length of the longer side of the diagonal lines extending in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction of the substantially rhombus, and D2 represents the length of the shorter side. Figure 5 The pin-fin heat sink 94 shown is subjected to R chamfering so that the respective corners of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section on the xy plane have the same radius of curvature, and each radius of curvature is represented by R. Figure 6In the graph shown, the horizontal axis represents the curvature radius [mm], and the vertical axis represents the thermal resistance Rth(j-w) [° C. / W].

[0098] The pin-fin heat sink 94 of this example is taken as an example, and the length L of each side of the roughly diamond-shaped cross section can be 1.8mm to 2.0mm. The pin-fin heat sink 94 of this example is taken as an example, and each corner of the roughly diamond-shaped cross section can have a rounded corner with a curvature radius R of 0.1mm to 0.2mm. Figure 6 As shown in the graph, according to the simulation, the thermal resistance Rth(j-w)[℃ / W] between the semiconductor chip 78 and the cooling water is greatly reduced from 0.211℃ / W to 0.197℃ / W as the radius of curvature R of the corner of the pin-fin heat sink 94 changes from 0.0mm to 0.1mm, and further reduced to 0.194℃ / W as the radius of curvature R changes from 0.1mm to 0.2mm, and greatly increased to 0.224℃ / W as the radius of curvature R changes from 0.2mm to 0.3mm.

[0099] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating another example of the cross-sectional shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 in the xy plane. Figure 5 The difference in the cross-sectional shape of the pin-fin heat sink 94 shown in the xy plane is that the corners at both ends of the short side 93 of the roughly rhombus cross-section (x-axis direction) have a larger curvature radius (or a smaller curvature) than the corners at both ends of the long side 96 of the roughly rhombus cross-section (y-axis direction).

[0100] As shown in this example, by configuring the pin-fin heat sink 94 to have a roughly rhombus-shaped cross-sectional shape in the xy plane so that the corners at both ends in the main flow direction (x-axis direction) of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation portion 92 are relatively more rounded, the flow velocity loss can sometimes be further reduced compared to a case where the curvature radius R of all corners is equal.

[0101] Figure 8 yes Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of area A in FIG. Figure 8 It is shown in Figure 3 The state where region A is rotated 180 degrees. In addition, Figure 8 , T1 represents the thickness of the fastening portion 21 of the top plate 20 in the z-axis direction, T2 represents the thickness of the top plate 20 in the fin area 95 in the z-axis direction, T3 represents the thickness of the side wall 36 in the x-axis direction, and T4 represents the thickness of the bottom plate 64 in the z-axis direction.

[0102] like Figure 8As shown, in the cooling device 10 of this example, the thickness T1 of the fastening portion 21 can be thicker than the thickness T2 of the fin region 95 in the top plate 20. By reducing the thickness of the fin region 95 in the top plate 20, the heat from the semiconductor device 70 arranged on the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20 can be effectively transferred to the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant flow portion 92. On the other hand, by improving the strength of the fastening portion 21, it is possible to suppress the fastening portion 21 from being damaged due to the strong fastening force that can be applied when the semiconductor module 100 is firmly fastened to the external device with bolts or the like.

[0103] The thickness T3 of the side wall 36 may be thicker than the thickness T2 of the fin region 95 in the top plate 20. By reducing the thickness of the fin region 95 in the top plate 20, the cooling efficiency can be improved in the same manner as described above, and on the other hand, by increasing the strength of the side wall 36 connected to the top plate 20, deformation such as distortion of the fin region 95 in the top plate 20 due to mechanical or thermal influences can be suppressed.

[0104] The thickness T4 of the bottom plate 64 may be thicker than at least the thickness T2 of the fin region 95 of the top plate 20 and the thickness T3 of the side wall 36, and may be thicker than the thickness T1 of the fastening portion 21 of the top plate 20. As described above, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 are respectively formed in the bottom plate 64. By forming the through holes, namely the inlet 41 and the outlet 42, in the bottom plate 64 having the largest thickness, the strength of the cooling device 10 can be improved, and the processing of the cooling device 10 can be facilitated.

[0105] In addition, Figure 8 and the above Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , the contour of the bottom plate 64 in a plan view is indicated by C1, and the contour of the side wall 36 is indicated by C2. In the cooling device 10 of this example, the contour C1 of the bottom plate 64 may be located inside the contour C2 of the side wall 36.

[0106] In addition, the step portion 65 of this example protrudes from the main surface of the bottom plate 64, is slightly smaller than the inner periphery of the side wall 36 in a plan view, and has a contour substantially consistent with the inner periphery of the side wall 36. Therefore, when the bottom plate 64 and the side wall 36 are fixed, the step portion 65 contacts the side wall 36 on at least two different surfaces, and plays a role in determining the position of fixing the side wall 36 to the bottom plate 64.

[0107] In addition, the bottom plate 64 of this example can be chamfered at the corner of the side fixed to the side wall 36 in the outline when viewed from above. In the following description, the chamfered portion of the bottom plate 64 is sometimes referred to as the chamfered portion 66. In the case where the bottom plate 64 and the side wall 36 are fixed using a fixing agent 98 such as wax, the solder may fall outside the fixed area. In response to this, chamfering is performed in advance so that the bottom plate 64 has the above-mentioned chamfered portion 66. Before the fixing agent 98 solidifies, the bottom plate 64 is placed on the upper side of the side wall 36 in the direction of gravity as shown in the figure, and the bottom plate 64 and the side wall 36 are fixed, thereby having an area with rounded corners formed by the fixing agent 98, which can prevent the solder from falling.

[0108] The chamfered portion 66 may be C-chamfered or R-chamfered. For the same purpose, the corners of the side wall 36 and the lower end of the pin-fin heat sink 94 in the negative z-axis direction may also be chamfered.

[0109] Fig. 9 2 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 200 is a vehicle that generates at least a portion of its propulsion force using electricity. As an example, the vehicle 200 is an electric vehicle that generates all of its propulsion force using an electric drive device such as an electric motor, or a hybrid vehicle that uses an electric drive device such as an electric motor and an internal combustion engine driven by a fuel such as gasoline.

[0110] The vehicle 200 includes a control device 210 (external device) for controlling electric drive devices such as a motor. The control device 210 is provided with a semiconductor module 100. The semiconductor module 100 can control the electric power supplied to the electric drive devices.

[0111] Fig.10 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of a pump 221 and a semiconductor module 101 connected to the pump 221 via an inlet pipe 222 and an outlet pipe 223 in a vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The semiconductor module 101 according to the present embodiment has a Figures 1 to 9 Therefore, among the structures of the semiconductor module 101 , the same reference numerals are used for the same structures as those of the semiconductor module 100 , and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0112] The semiconductor module 101 according to the present embodiment has the surface of the cooling device 10 on which the semiconductor device 70 is placed as the xz plane, and the axis perpendicular to the xz plane as the y axis. That is, the posture of the semiconductor module 101 according to the present embodiment in the xyz space is expressed by Figures 1 to 9The semiconductor module 101 of the embodiment described above is a state in which the semiconductor module 101 is rotated 90° around the x-axis. Figures 1 to 9 The semiconductor module 100 of the described embodiment has the same structure but different extending directions and the like.

[0113] In this embodiment, vehicle 200 includes pump 221 and semiconductor module 101 . Pump 221 circulates the refrigerant in vehicle 200 , introduces the refrigerant into refrigerant circulation section 92 via inlet 41 of semiconductor module 101 , and discharges the refrigerant from refrigerant circulation section 92 via outlet 42 .

[0114] In order to meet the requirements of the vehicle 200 equipped with the semiconductor module 101 or the requirements of the user, the semiconductor module 101 is sometimes used with the inlet 41 on the upper side in the gravity direction and the outlet 42 on the lower side in the gravity direction. Fig.10 As an example, the semiconductor module 101 shown is fixed in the vehicle 200 with the inlet 41 at the upper side in the z-axis direction and the outlet 42 at the lower side in the z-axis direction, that is, in a state of being placed vertically, and the refrigerant is introduced from above.

[0115] use Figures 1 to 9 In the case where the semiconductor module 100 of the embodiment described is generally used in a state where the refrigerant is introduced from above in a vertically placed state, air may sometimes accumulate in the refrigerant circulation portion 92 of the cooling device 10 due to unexpected reasons. For example, the following reasons may be considered: air is contained in the pump 221 that supplies the refrigerant to the semiconductor module 100, or air enters when the refrigerant circulating between the semiconductor module 100 and the pump 221 is replaced. Air has poorer thermal conductivity than refrigerant, and sometimes the heat dissipation efficiency of the semiconductor device 70 is reduced in the portion where air accumulates, and the temperature of the semiconductor device 70 becomes higher.

[0116] Furthermore, according to the test, it is known that when water is introduced into the cooling device 10 from above in a state where the semiconductor module 100 is placed vertically to the horizontal plane, that is, the surface of the cooling device 10 on which the semiconductor device 70 is placed is the xz plane, air is most likely to gather in the refrigerant circulation section 92. Furthermore, after a flow analysis of introducing the refrigerant from the pump 221 into the cooling device 10 in a state where the semiconductor module 100 is set in the same manner as in the test, it is known that when the flow rate of water provided from the pump 221 to the cooling device 10 of the semiconductor module 100 is 5 [l / min] or less, the flow rate of water decreases most near the side wall 36 of the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side of the inlet 41 in the direction of the long side 96 in the refrigerant circulation section 92.

[0117] For example, when the pump 221 is used in the vehicle 200, the output of the pump 221 may be preferably as low as about 5 [l / min]. In addition, when the pump 221 is used in the vehicle 200, for example, even if the rated output of the pump 221 is 6 [l / min] or more, the viscosity of the circulating refrigerant may increase due to a decrease in the outside temperature, and the output may be as low as about 5 [l / min].

[0118] Fig.11 It is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a cooling device 11 of a semiconductor module 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.12 This is a diagram for explaining an example of the structure of the side wall 37 of the cooling device 11 of the semiconductor module 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0119] In addition, Fig.11 In the cooling device 11, Figure 2 Similarly, for simplicity, the area where the pin-fin heat sink 94 is provided, that is, the fin area 95 is indicated by dots instead of illustrating the pin-fin heat sink 94. Fig.12 The region [R1] indicated by the dashed line in the figure is different from the region [R2] in the following description. Fig.13 and Fig.14 The area shown in the enlarged image is Fig.12 The dotted line region [R2] in FIG. Fig.15 In addition, Fig.12 In, with Figure 4 Similarly, the U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W are indicated by dotted lines.

[0120] The semiconductor module 101 of the present embodiment is different from the semiconductor module 100 of the above-mentioned embodiment in that a cooling device 11 is provided instead of the cooling device 10. The cooling device 11 is different from the cooling device 10 in that the cooling device 11 does not have a chassis 40 including the side wall 36, but instead has a chassis 45 including the side wall 37. The cooling device 11 is different from the cooling device 10 in that a bottom plate 67 is provided instead of the bottom plate 64.

[0121] In this embodiment, the fin area 95 is connected with the Figures 1 to 9 The fin region 95 in the described embodiment is the same and can be rectangular when viewed from above. In the description of this embodiment, the view from above refers to the situation where the semiconductor module 101 is viewed from the positive direction of the y-axis. In this embodiment, the fin region 95 has a long side 99 parallel to the z-axis and a short side 91 parallel to the x-axis in a cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20.

[0122] In a top view, the U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W of this example are all the same as those of the user. Figures 1 to 9 The semiconductor device 70 is arranged inside the fin region 95, as in the embodiment described above. In other words, the semiconductor device 70 is mounted inside the region on the top plate 20 overlapping the fin region 95 when viewed from above. In addition, the region on the top plate 20 when viewed from above is an example of a substantially rectangular region having long sides and short sides. The diagonal direction of the region is substantially consistent with the diagonal direction of the refrigerant flow portion 92.

[0123] In a plan view, the substantially rectangular region having long sides and short sides may be a rectangular region that tightly surrounds the outlines of the three units, namely, the U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W. In this case, in a plan view, the length of the rectangular region in the z-axis direction is equal to the length from the outer side of the U-phase unit 70U in the z-axis direction to the outer side of the W-phase unit 70W, and the length of the rectangular region in the x-axis direction is equal to the length of the U-phase unit 70U and the like in the x-axis direction.

[0124] The shape of the side wall 37 in the present embodiment when viewed from above is different from that of the side wall 36 of the cooling device 10. More specifically, when viewed from above, at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 in the direction of the long side 99 is located is more inclined inward than the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1.

[0125] More specifically, if Fig.12 As shown in FIG. 1 , the side wall 37 in this embodiment has a substantially rectangular outline in the xz plane. That is, the outline of the side wall 37 is substantially symmetrical in the direction of the short side 91 relative to the central axis extending in the direction of the long side 99 when viewed from above. Fig.12 As shown, in a plan view, at least a portion of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30 - 2 on the side of the inlet 41 in the direction of the long side 99 is thicker than the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30 - 1 .

[0126] Thus, when viewed from above, at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 in the direction of the long side 99 is located is inclined more inward than the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the side wall 37 in the direction of the short side 91 on the side where the inlet 41 in the direction of the long side 99 is located is asymmetric with respect to the central axis extending in the direction of the long side 99.

[0127] In addition, the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 in the direction of the long side 99 is located is an example of the side wall on the other side in the short side direction (also referred to as the "second side wall"), and the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 is an example of the side wall on one side in the short side direction (also referred to as the "first side wall"). In addition, the state in which the side wall 37 is relatively greatly inclined inwardly may refer to the state in which the side wall 37 is relatively close to the fin area 95, or may refer to the state in which the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 or the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 is relatively narrowed by the side wall 37, or may refer to the state in which the protrusion of the side wall 37 toward the fin area 95 is relatively large. The inclination may be associated with the angle (less than 90 degrees) between the short side direction and the extension direction of the side wall when viewed from above, and a larger inclination may refer to a relatively larger angle.

[0128] In the following description, at least a portion of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99 is sometimes referred to as a slope surface 37-1. In addition, the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99 is sometimes referred to as a non-slope surface 37-2.

[0129] like Fig.12 As shown, the side wall 37 in this embodiment is taken as an example. When viewed from above, at least a portion of the thickness of the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 on the side where the outlet 42 is located in the direction of the long side 99 is thicker than the thickness of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2. Therefore, when viewed from above, at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 on the side where the outlet 42 is located in the direction of the long side 99 is inclined more inwardly than the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2.

[0130] In the following description, at least a portion of the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 on the side where the outlet 42 is located in the direction of the long side 99 is sometimes referred to as a slope surface 37-1. The side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the outlet 42 is located in the direction of the long side 99 is sometimes referred to as a non-slope surface 37-2.

[0131] exist Fig.12 In FIG. 1 , the slope surface 37 - 1 located at two different locations of the side wall 37 and the non-slope surface 37 - 2 located at two different locations of the side wall 37 are indicated by bold dashed lines. Fig.12 As shown, the slope surfaces 37 - 1 located at two different locations of the side wall 37 may have substantially the same size and shape. That is, the two slope surfaces 37 - 1 may have substantially the same inclination angle and substantially the same length.

[0132] like Fig.12 As shown, in a plan view, the plurality of pin-fin heat sinks 94 have a substantially rhombus shape that is longer in the direction of the short side 91 than in the direction of the long side 99, and a straight line connecting one side of each of the plurality of pin-fin heat sinks 94 extends in the diagonal direction of the fin region 95. Fig.12 , among the plurality of straight lines extending in the diagonal direction, two straight lines L extending between the side where the outlet 42 in the long side 99 is located, i.e., the first refrigerant flow path 30 - 1 side, and the side where the inlet 41 in the long side 99 is located, i.e., the second refrigerant flow path 30 - 2 side.

[0133] In this embodiment, when viewed from above, one of the two straight lines L intersects the extension direction of the slope surface 37-1 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99 at an angle A less than 90°. In addition, similarly, when viewed from above, the other of the two straight lines L intersects the extension direction of the slope surface 37-1 on the side where the outlet 42 is located in the direction of the long side 99 at an angle A less than 90°.

[0134] The side wall 37 in this embodiment includes the slope surface 37-1 at two different locations. Fig.12 As shown, in a plan view, the side wall 37 does not overlap with the semiconductor device 70. The semiconductor device 70 can be arranged inside the side wall 37 in a plan view. Thus, the refrigerant can effectively cool the semiconductor device 70 from the back side of the semiconductor device 70.

[0135] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, at least a portion of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99, that is, the portion where the slope surface 37-1 of the side wall 37 is located, has a pin 38 for positioning in the surface opposite to the bottom plate 67. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the portion where the other slope surface 37-1 of the side wall 37 is located also has a pin 38.

[0136] In addition, in the present embodiment, the bottom plate 67 is different from the bottom plate 64 of the cooling device 10 in that it does not have the step portion 65 and the chamfered portion 66, but instead has a hole 68 into which the positioning pin 38 of the side wall 37 is fitted. In addition, in the present embodiment, the bottom plate 67 has two holes 68 corresponding to the two pins 38 formed on the side wall 37.

[0137] By inserting the two pins 38 of the side wall 37 into the two holes 68 of the bottom plate 67, respectively, the position of the bottom plate 67 relative to the chassis 45 can be determined. In addition, the number of sets of the pins 38 of the side wall 37 and the holes 68 of the bottom plate 67 may be greater than 2. In addition, the portion where the slope surface 37-1 of the side wall 37 is located may be formed with a positioning hole instead of the pin 38, and in this case, the bottom plate 67 may have a positioning pin that fits with the hole instead of the hole 68. In addition, for their combination, the side wall 37 and the bottom plate 67 may have, for example, one pin and one hole, respectively.

[0138] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the side wall 37 and the bottom plate 67 are fixed by the fixing agent 98, and at least a portion of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99, that is, the portion where the slope surface 37-1 of the side wall 37 is located, has a groove 39 for accommodating the fixing agent 98 in the surface facing the bottom plate 67. Thus, it is possible to suppress the fixing agent 98 from overflowing and hardening in the area other than the contact surface between the side wall 37 and the bottom plate 67.

[0139] As described above, in the cooling device 11 of the semiconductor module 101 of the present embodiment, when viewed from above, at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99 is inclined more inwardly than the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1. According to the semiconductor module 101 having this structure, Fig.10 As shown, it is fixed in the vehicle 200 in a longitudinally placed state, and the refrigerant is introduced into the refrigerant flow portion 92 from the inlet 41 above the gravity direction by the pump 221. Even when the output of the pump 221 is small, air can be prevented from accumulating in the refrigerant flow portion 92.

[0140] After the above-mentioned flow analysis was performed on the semiconductor module 101, it was confirmed that no air was accumulated in the refrigerant flow portion 92 when the flow rate of water supplied from the pump 221 to the cooling device 11 was 5 [l / min]. In addition, it was confirmed that the thermal resistance value and pressure loss of each of the six semiconductor chips 78 were maintained compared with the semiconductor module 100 of the above-mentioned embodiment. In addition, maintaining the thermal resistance value of each of the six semiconductor chips 78 can mean that the distribution of thermal resistance is not affected between the six semiconductor chips 78.

[0141] In addition, the cooling device 11 of the semiconductor module 101 of the present embodiment has pin-fin heat sinks 94 instead of plate fins. In the case of plate fins instead of pin-fin heat sinks, if blockage occurs between the plate fins, the flow of the refrigerant there will stop. In contrast, the pin-fin heat sink 94 has a greater number of paths where the refrigerant can bypass than the plate fins. Therefore, according to the semiconductor module 101, even if blockage occurs between the pin-fin heat sinks 94, the flow of the refrigerant will hardly stop. In addition, according to the semiconductor module 101, due to the reason that heat is diffused to a plurality of pin-fin heat sinks 94, etc., the heat dissipation performance can be improved by about 10% compared to a semiconductor module with plate fins.

[0142] Fig.13 Yes Description Fig.12FIG. 1 is a diagram of a first variation of the side wall 37 in the region [R1] shown. The semiconductor module 101 of the present embodiment may include a heat dissipation fin 12 having a side wall 36 instead of the cooling device 11 having the side wall 37. In this case, the contour of the side wall 36 is substantially symmetrical in the direction of the short side 91 relative to the central axis extending in the direction of the long side 99 when viewed from above.

[0143] The side wall 36 includes a slope portion 50 that is located on the side of the inlet 41 in the direction of the long side 99 and faces the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 and is connected to the inner surface of the side wall 36. The inner side of the slope portion 50 is at least a part of the inner side of the side wall 36 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2, that is, as the slope surface 36-1, and is more inclined inward than the inner side of the side wall 36 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1. The semiconductor module 101 according to this modified example also has the same effect as the semiconductor module 101 of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0144] In addition, as described above, the side wall 36 is formed integrally with the top plate 20. On the other hand, the slope portion 50 is fixed to the top plate 20 in a freely detachable manner. The slope portion 50 can be welded to the top plate 20, for example. In addition, the height of the slope portion 50 in the y-axis direction is preferably the same as the height of the side wall 36 in the y-axis direction. In addition, the side wall 36 is an example of an outer wall portion that forms the outline of the side wall 36 and surrounds the refrigerant flow portion 92.

[0145] In addition, if Fig.13 As shown, the slope portion 50 may include a groove 51 having the same structure and function as the groove 39. That is, the groove 51 can contain the fixing agent 98 in the surface facing the bottom plate 67.

[0146] Fig.14 Yes Description Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a second variation of the side wall 37 in the region [R1] shown in FIG. 1 . The semiconductor module 101 of the present embodiment may include a cooling device 13 including a top plate 25 and a side wall 35 instead of the cooling device 11 including a top plate 20 and a side wall 37 .

[0147] The side wall 35 is formed integrally with the top plate 25, and the thickness of the side wall 35 is substantially constant. Fig.14 As shown, at least a portion of the contour C2 of the side wall 35 on the side facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 is located further inside than the contour C1 of the bottom plate 67. Thus, when viewed from above, at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall 35 facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2, that is, the slope surface 35-1, is more inclined inwardly than the inner side of the side wall 37 facing the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99. The semiconductor module 101 according to this modified example also has the same effect as the semiconductor module 101 of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0148] Furthermore, the top plate 25 may include a support pin 26 for supporting the bottom plate 67 outside at least a portion of the side wall 35 on the side facing the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 on the side where the inlet 41 is located in the direction of the long side 99. Fig.14 In the example shown, four support pins 26 are included on the top plate 25. In addition, the side wall 35, the support pins 26 and the bottom plate 67 can be fixed to each other with a fixing agent 98.

[0149] like Fig.10 As shown, the inlet pipe 222 and the outlet pipe 223 are fixed to the inlet 41 and the outlet 42. For this fixation, it is necessary to place a rubber O-ring larger than the circumference around the inlet 41 and the outlet 42. Therefore, in order to ensure the contact surface of the O-ring on the bottom plate 67, it is required to maintain the outer shape of the bottom plate 67.

[0150] According to the cooling device 13 of the semiconductor module 101 of the present embodiment, by forming the above-mentioned structure, even if the above-mentioned O-ring is pressed against the bottom plate 67, the bottom plate 67 can be supported by the plurality of support pins 26 to prevent deformation of the bottom plate 67. In addition, for this purpose, the height of the support pins 26 in the y-axis direction is preferably the same as the height of the side wall 35 in the y-axis direction.

[0151] Fig.15 Yes Description Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a modified example of the pin-fin heat sink 94 in the region [R2] shown. Fig.12 In the illustrated embodiment, the pin-fin heat sink 94 included in the fin region 95 has a substantially rhombus shape in which the short side 91 is longer than the long side 99 in the cross section of the xz plane. Fig.15 As shown, the pin-fin heat sink 94 may have a circular cross-sectional shape instead of the cross-sectional shape. In addition, the pin-fin heat sink 94 may also have an elliptical cross-sectional shape instead of the cross-sectional shape.

[0152] exist Figure 4 and Fig.12In the two embodiments shown, the inner surfaces of the side wall 36 of the cooling device 10 and the side wall 37 of the cooling device 11 can be octagonal in plan view. In the two embodiments, in the refrigerant flow portion 92 defined by the side walls 36 and 37, the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 can be arranged in parallel on one side of the short side direction of the fin area 95, the second refrigerant flow path 30-2 can be arranged in parallel on the other side, and the pin-fin heat sink 94 can be arranged between the first refrigerant flow path 30-1 and the second refrigerant flow path 30-2. In addition, in the two embodiments, the pin-fin heat sink 94 can be arranged in a lattice shape, preferably an oblique lattice shape or a diamond lattice shape. In the two embodiments, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 can be adjacent to the fin area 95 in the refrigerant flow portion 92 and arranged on the diagonal line. In plan view, the length of the openings of the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 in the direction of the long side 99 can be greater than the length in the direction of the short side 91.

[0153] Fig.16 The semiconductor modules 100 and 101 according to the embodiments of the present invention are main circuit diagrams. The semiconductor modules 100 and 101 may function as a three-phase AC inverter circuit having output terminals U, V, and W, and may be part of a vehicle-mounted unit that drives a motor of a vehicle.

[0154] In the semiconductor modules 100 and 101, the semiconductor chips 78-1, 78-2 and 78-3 can constitute an upper arm, and the semiconductor chips 78-4, 78-5 and 78-6 can constitute a lower arm. A group of semiconductor chips 78-1 and 78-4 constitute a branch (U phase). A group of semiconductor chips 78-2 and 78-5 and a group of semiconductor chips 78-3 and 78-6 also constitute branches (V phase and W phase). In the semiconductor chip 78-4, the emitter electrode is electrically connected to the input terminal N1, and the collector electrode is electrically connected to the output terminal U. In the semiconductor chip 78-1, the emitter electrode is electrically connected to the output terminal U, and the collector electrode is electrically connected to the input terminal P1. Similarly, in the semiconductor chips 78-5 and 78-6, the emitter electrode is electrically connected to the input terminals N2 and N3, respectively, and the collector electrode is electrically connected to the output terminals V and W, respectively. Furthermore, in the semiconductor chips 78 - 2 and 78 - 3 , emitter electrodes are electrically connected to the output terminals V and W, respectively, and collector electrodes are electrically connected to the input terminals P2 and P3, respectively.

[0155] Each semiconductor chip 78-1 to 78-6 can be switched alternately according to the signal input to the corresponding control terminal. In this example, each semiconductor chip 78 can generate heat when switching. The input terminals P1, P2, and P3 are respectively connected to the positive electrode of the external power supply, the input terminals N1, N2, and N3 are respectively connected to the negative electrode of the external power supply, and the output terminals U, V, and W are respectively connected to the load. The input terminals P1, P2, and P3 can be electrically connected to each other, and in addition, the other input terminals N1, N2, and N3 can be electrically connected to each other.

[0156] In the semiconductor modules 100 and 101, the plurality of semiconductor chips 78-1 to 78-6 may be RC-IGBT (reverse conducting IGBT) semiconductor chips. In addition, the semiconductor chips 78-1 to 78-6 may include a combination of a transistor such as a MOSFET or an IGBT and a diode.

[0157] In the description of the above multiple embodiments, the word "approximately" is sometimes used to indicate a specific state, such as "approximately the same", "approximately consistent", "approximately constant", "approximately symmetrical", "approximately diamond-shaped", etc. These do not specifically refer to the specific state, but include situations where the state is approximately in the specific state.

[0158] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made on the basis of the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the scope of the claims that the method to which such changes or improvements are applied is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0159] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure in which the top plate 20, 25, the side walls 36, 37, 35 and the pin-fin heat sink 94 are integrally formed on the chassis 40, 45 is described, but instead, the top plate 20, etc., the side walls 36, etc. and the pin-fin heat sink 94 may be formed separately and fixed to each other by using a fixing agent 98, etc.; the top plate 20, etc. and the side walls 36, etc. may be formed integrally, and the separately formed pin-fin heat sink 94 may be fixed to the top plate 20, etc.; the top plate 20, etc. and the pin-fin heat sink 94 may be formed integrally, and the separately formed side walls 36, etc. may be fixed to the top plate 20, etc.

[0160] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the pin-fin heat sink 94 is integrally formed with the top plate 20 and the like and extends toward the bottom plates 64 and 67. However, the pin-fin heat sink 94 may be integrally formed with the bottom plate 64 and the like and extend from the bottom plate 64 and the like toward the top plate 20 and the like instead. In this case, the front end of the pin-fin heat sink 94 and the top plate 20 and the like may be fixed by a fixing agent 98 and the like.

[0161] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the pin-fin heat sink 94 is described as extending between the top plate 20 and the bottom plates 64 and 67 in the normal direction of the main surface of the top plate 20, that is, extending perpendicularly to the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64, but the pin-fin heat sink 94 may be extended obliquely between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64, etc. so that the pin-fin heat sink 94 has an angle with respect to the normal direction of the main surface of the top plate 20, etc. The size of the cross section of the pin-fin heat sink 94 on the xy plane may be constant in the z-axis direction or may vary. As a more specific example, the pin-fin heat sink 94 may extend from one of the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64, etc. to the other in a manner that gradually tapers toward the front end.

[0162] In addition, for example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the inlet 41 for introducing the refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation portion 92 and the outlet 42 for leading the refrigerant from the refrigerant circulation portion 92 are formed on the bottom plates 64 and 67, but the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 may be formed on the side walls 36, 37, and 35 instead. In this case, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 may be formed on two side surfaces of the side wall 36 or the like facing the x-axis direction.

[0163] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure in which the semiconductor device 70 is directly fixed to the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20 of the cooling device 10, 11, 12 is described, but instead, the semiconductor device 70 may also have a bottom plate exposed on the lower surface of the storage portion 72, the circuit substrate 76 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate, and the bottom plate is fixed to the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20, etc.

[0164] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the step portion 65 is described as a structure in which the step portion 65 protrudes from the main surface of the bottom plate 64 and has a slightly smaller profile than the inner periphery of the side wall 36 in a plan view, but instead, the step portion 65 may be a cylindrical step formed at the outermost periphery of the bottom plate 64 in a plan view and protruding from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 64. As another example of the step portion 65, a step may be formed at the outermost periphery of the bottom plate 64 in a plan view and recessed from the main surface of the bottom plate 64. In addition, in the case where the profile C1 of the bottom plate 64 in a plan view is larger than the profile C2 of the side wall 36, the step portion 65 may be substantially consistent with the side wall 36 in a plan view, and the lower end of the side wall 36 may be a groove that fits therein, in which case the chamfered portion 66 may not be formed on the bottom plate 64.

[0165] In addition, for example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the slope surfaces 35-1, 36-1, 37-1 of the side walls 35, 36, 37 or the inner side of the slope portion 50 are described as straight lines when viewed from above, but they are not limited to straight lines and may be broken lines or curves. For example, when viewed from above, the slope surface 35-1 may be a curve that expands in an arch shape toward the refrigerant flow portion 92 side, or may be a curve that is concave in an arch shape toward the opposite side.

[0166] It should be noted that the execution order of each process such as actions, sequences, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings can be implemented in any order unless it is specifically and clearly indicated as "before", "previously", etc., and the output of the previous process is not used in the subsequent process. In the action flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings, "first", "then", etc. are used for convenience of explanation, but it does not mean that it must be implemented in such an order.

[0167] Description of symbols

[0168] 10, 11, 12, 13 Cooling device

[0169] 20, 25 Top plate

[0170] 21 Fastening part

[0171] 22 Upper surface

[0172] 24 Lower surface

[0173] 26 Support pin

[0174] 30 Refrigerant flow path

[0175] 30-1 First refrigerant flow path

[0176] 30-2 Second refrigerant flow path

[0177] 36, 37, 35 side walls

[0178] 35-1, 36-1, 37-1 Slope surface

[0179] 37-2 Non-slope surface

[0180] 38 Pins

[0181] 39 slots

[0182] 40, 45 chassis

[0183] 41 Entrance

[0184] 42 Exit

[0185] 50 Slope

[0186] 51 slots

[0187] 64, 67 bottom plate

[0188] 65 Steps

[0189] 66 Chamfer

[0190] 68 holes

[0191] 70 Semiconductor devices

[0192] 70U U-phase unit

[0193] 70V V-phase unit

[0194] 70W W phase unit

[0195] 72 Storage Department

[0196] 74 Sealing part

[0197] 76 Circuit board

[0198] 78 semiconductor chips

[0199] 80 Through hole

[0200] 91 Short side

[0201] 92 Refrigerant circulation part

[0202] 93 Short side

[0203] 96 Long side

[0204] 94, 97 Pin-fin heat sink

[0205] 95 fin area

[0206] 98 Fixative

[0207] 99 Long side

[0208] 100, 101 Semiconductor Module

[0209] 200 vehicles

[0210] 210 Control device

[0211] 221 Pump

[0212] 222 Inlet piping

[0213] 223 Outlet piping.

Claims

1. A semiconductor module comprising a semiconductor device and a cooling device, It is characterized in that The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor chip and a circuit substrate on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The cooling device comprises: A top plate on which the semiconductor device is mounted; a side wall connected to the top plate; a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate; a refrigerant circulation portion, which is defined by the top plate, the side wall and the bottom plate, and has a substantially rectangular cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate with long sides and short sides, and is used for refrigerant circulation; an inlet connected to one side in the short side direction and used for introducing refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation portion; an outlet connected to the other side in the short side direction and used to guide the refrigerant out of the refrigerant circulation portion; and a pin-fin heat sink disposed in the refrigerant flow portion, extending between the top plate and the bottom plate, and having a substantially rhombus shape in which the short side direction is longer than the long side direction, The refrigerant flow portion has a fin region in which the pin-fin heat sinks are arranged more in the long-side direction than in the short-side direction, and the fin region is a substantially rectangular shape that is longer in the long-side direction than in the short-side direction. The top plate includes a fastening portion located outside the side wall and used for fastening to an external device. The thickness of the fastening portion is thicker than the thickness of the fin region of the top plate.

2. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The refrigerant circulation part has: a communication area, the communication area being located closer to the one side than the fin area, being connected to the inlet, and extending along the long side direction; as well as Another communication region is located on the other side of the fin region, communicates with the outlet, and extends along the longitudinal direction.

3. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The thickness of the side wall is thicker than the thickness of the fin area of ​​the top plate.

4. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The top plate, the side walls and the pin-fin heat sink are integrally formed.

5. The semiconductor module according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The bottom plate includes a step portion for determining a fixed position of the side wall, and the step portion is in contact with the side wall at least two different surfaces.

6. The semiconductor module according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The bottom plate is thicker than any of the top plate and the side wall. The inlet and the outlet are respectively formed on the bottom plate.

7. The semiconductor module according to claim 5 or 6, It is characterized in that Fixing the side wall and the bottom plate with a fixing agent, The contour of the bottom plate is located further inward than the contour of the side wall, A corner of the bottom plate on the side fixed to the side wall is chamfered, and the corner has a region where the fixing agent forms a rounded corner.

8. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 or 2, It is characterized in that The length of each side of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section of the pin-fin heat sink is 1.8 mm to 2.0 mm, and each corner of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section has a rounded corner with a curvature radius of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

9. The semiconductor module according to claim 8, It is characterized in that In the pin-fin heat sink, corners at both ends of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section in the short-side direction have rounded corners having a larger curvature radius than corners at both ends of the substantially rhombus-shaped cross section in the long-side direction.

10. A semiconductor module comprising a semiconductor device and a cooling device, It is characterized in that The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor chip and a circuit substrate on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The cooling device comprises: A top plate having the semiconductor device mounted in a substantially rectangular area having long sides and short sides; a side wall connected to the top plate; a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate; a refrigerant circulation portion, which is defined by the top plate, the side wall and the bottom plate and is used for the refrigerant to circulate; an inlet connected to one side in the short side direction and used for introducing refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation portion; an outlet, the outlet being located on the opposite side of the inlet in the diagonal direction of the region in a plan view, connected to the other side in the short side direction, and used for leading the refrigerant out of the refrigerant flow portion; and a pin-fin heat sink, the pin-fin heat sink being arranged in the refrigerant flow portion and extending between the top plate and the bottom plate, When viewed from above, at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall on the other side in the short side direction is more inclined inwardly than the inner side of the side wall on the one side in the short side direction, on the side where the entrance is located in the long side direction. When viewed from above, on the side where the outlet is located in the long side direction, at least a portion of the inner side of the side wall on the one side in the short side direction is more inclined inward than the inner side of the side wall on the other side in the short side direction. The portion which is arranged on the side where the inlet is located in the long side direction and which is more inclined inwardly and the portion which is arranged on the side where the outlet is located in the long side direction and which is more inclined inwardly are arranged on a diagonal line of the region.

11. The semiconductor module according to claim 10, It is characterized in that The side wall does not overlap with the semiconductor device in a plan view.

12. The semiconductor module according to claim 10 or 11, It is characterized in that When viewed from above, the profile of the side wall is substantially symmetrical in the short side direction relative to the central axis extending along the long side direction. On the side where the entrance is located in the long side direction, the thickness of at least a portion of the side wall on the other side is thicker than the thickness of the side wall on the one side, and thus, at least the portion of the inner side of the side wall on the other side is inclined inward more than the inner side of the side wall on the one side.

13. The semiconductor module according to claim 12, It is characterized in that At least the portion of the side wall on the other side of the entrance in the long side direction has, in the surface facing the bottom plate, either a positioning pin engaged with a positioning hole formed on the bottom plate or a positioning hole engaged with a positioning pin formed on the bottom plate.

14. The semiconductor module according to claim 12, It is characterized in that Fixing the side wall and the bottom plate with a fixing agent, At least the portion of the side wall on the other side of the longitudinal direction where the inlet is located has a groove for storing the potting agent in a surface facing the bottom plate.

15. The semiconductor module according to claim 13, It is characterized in that Fixing the side wall and the bottom plate with a fixing agent, At least the portion of the side wall on the other side of the longitudinal direction where the inlet is located has a groove for storing the potting agent in a surface facing the bottom plate.

16. The semiconductor module according to claim 10 or 11, It is characterized in that When viewed from above, the profile of the side wall is substantially symmetrical in the short side direction relative to the central axis extending along the long side direction. The side wall includes an outer wall portion that forms the outline and surrounds the refrigerant flow portion, and a slope portion that is located on the other side of the inlet in the long side direction and is connected to the inner surface of the outer wall portion. The inner side of the slope portion, which is at least the portion of the inner side of the side wall on the other side, is inclined more inwardly than the inner side of the outer wall portion on the one side.

17. The semiconductor module according to claim 16, It is characterized in that The outer wall portion is formed integrally with the top plate, The slope portion is detachably fixed to the top plate.

18. The semiconductor module according to claim 10 or 11, It is characterized in that The side wall is formed integrally with the top plate, The thickness of the side wall is approximately constant, At least a portion of the contour of the side wall on the other side is located inside the contour of the bottom plate, The top plate includes a support pin for supporting the bottom plate outside at least the portion of the side wall on the other side of the side where the inlet is located in the long side direction, The side wall, the support pin, and the bottom plate are fixed with a fixing agent.

19. The semiconductor module according to claim 10 or 11, It is characterized in that The refrigerant circulation part has: A fin region, in which the pin-fin heat sinks are arranged more in the long-side direction than in the short-side direction and are in a substantially rectangular shape that is longer in the long-side direction than in the short-side direction; a communication area, the communication area being located closer to the one side than the fin area, being connected to the inlet, and extending along the long side direction; as well as Another communication region is located on the other side of the fin region, communicates with the outlet, and extends along the longitudinal direction.

20. The semiconductor module according to claim 19, It is characterized in that In a plan view, the plurality of pin-fin heat sinks have a substantially rhombus shape that is longer in the short side direction than in the long side direction, and a straight line connecting one side of each of the plurality of pin-fin heat sinks extends along the diagonal direction. When viewed from above, the straight line extending between the one side in the short side direction where the outlet in the long side direction is located and the other side in the short side direction where the inlet in the long side direction is located intersects with the extension direction of at least the portion of the inner side of the side wall on the other side where the inlet in the long side direction is located at an angle less than 90°.

21. The semiconductor module according to claim 10 or 11, It is characterized in that The bottom plate is thicker than any one of the top plate and the side wall, The inlet and the outlet are respectively formed on the bottom plate.

22. A vehicle, It is characterized in that A semiconductor module according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is provided.

23. A vehicle, It is characterized in that A semiconductor module according to any one of claims 10 to 21, and a pump that introduces the refrigerant into the refrigerant flow portion through the inlet of the semiconductor module and discharges the refrigerant from the refrigerant flow portion through the outlet, The semiconductor module is fixed in the vehicle such that the inlet is on an upper side in the direction of gravity and the outlet is on a lower side in the direction of gravity.

24. A manufacturing method, which is a manufacturing method of the semiconductor module according to any one of claims 1 to 20, It is characterized in that The top plate, the side walls and the pin-fin heat sink are integrally formed from a continuous plate member.

25. The manufacturing method according to claim 24, It is characterized in that The plate member is punched using a die corresponding to the shapes of the top plate, the side wall, and the pin-fin fins, so that the top plate, the side wall, and the pin-fin fins are integrally formed.

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