Power module

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a power module comprising: at least one semiconductor chip; at least one substrate supporting the at least one semiconductor chip; and a first lead. The first lead includes: (i) an extension portion, a first end of which is connected to the at least one substrate and a second end of which protrudes outwardly from the at least one substrate; and (ii) a resistive portion disposed between the first end and the second end of the extension portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power module with an output-end integrated current sensor structure. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing concern for the environment, there is an increasing trend of environmentally friendly vehicles equipped with electric motors as a power source. Environmentally friendly vehicles are also called electrified vehicles, including electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV).

[0003] In an electrified vehicle, an inverter is generally equipped to convert DC power into AC power for motor operation, and the inverter is generally composed of one or more power modules containing semiconductor chips that perform switching functions.

[0004] In order to control a vehicle power conversion system including a power module, it is necessary to sense the current of the power module, which can be achieved by providing an external current sensor or including a resistive element such as a shunt resistor inside the power module. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a power module capable of ensuring a space for current sensing, reducing costs, and improving accuracy of current sensing by implementing a current sensor through an output terminal to sense a current of the power module.

[0006] The objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned objects, and other objects not described herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a power module includes: at least one semiconductor chip; at least one substrate, on which the at least one semiconductor chip is mounted; and a first lead, including an extension portion having one end connected to the at least one substrate and the other end protruding outward from the at least one substrate and a resistance portion arranged between the one end and the other end.

[0008] For example, the first lead may electrically connect the substrate to the external terminal by connecting the other end of the extension portion to the external terminal.

[0009] For example, the first lead may form a current flow path from the substrate to the external terminal.

[0010] For example, the first lead may form a current flow path in a direction from one end of the extending portion via the resistance portion to the other end of the extending portion.

[0011] For example, the resistance portion may extend in a direction intersecting a direction in which the extending portion extends.

[0012] For example, one end and the other end of the extension portion may be connected via the resistance portion.

[0013] For example, one end and the other end of the extending portion may be connected to opposite ends of the resistance portion in the direction in which the extending portion extends.

[0014] For example, the power module may further include a connector connected to the resistance part and outputting a voltage across both ends of the resistance part.

[0015] For example, the connector may be connected to the resistance portion extending in a direction from one end to the other end of the extending portion, the resistance portion being located between the one end and the other end of the connector.

[0016] For example, the connector may include a terminal and a cover covering the terminal in a predetermined direction, the terminal including a plurality of first terminals respectively outputting voltages of both ends of the resistance part.

[0017] For example, the terminals can be connected to an external control board.

[0018] For example, the terminals may include a second terminal grounded to an external control board.

[0019] For example, the power module may further include a plurality of second leads connected to the at least one substrate and separated from the first leads.

[0020] For example, the first lead may receive a current inflow from at least one of the plurality of second leads through the substrate and one end of the extension portion.

[0021] For example, the power module may further include a molding member encapsulating the at least one semiconductor chip and one end of the extension portion.

[0022] For example, the at least one substrate may include a first substrate and a second substrate separated by a semiconductor chip disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and one end of the first lead may be placed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

[0023] As described above, the power module in various embodiments of the present disclosure is advantageous in reducing the internal space required for current sensing by implementing a current sensor structure on the output terminal of the power module.

[0024] Since the space required for sensing is reduced, the component layout space inside the power module can be ensured, thereby making it possible to increase the size of each component and improve the performance of the power module.

[0025] Additionally, by securing a space for current sensing, current can be sensed without relying on an external current sensor, thereby eliminating costs associated with placing an external current sensor.

[0026] Furthermore, by sensing the current immediately before the current is output from the power module, current sensing performance may be improved.

[0027] Advantages of the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned advantages, and other advantages not described herein may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a power module.

[0029] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first lead line.

[0030] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals are assigned to refer to the same or similar components and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0032] In some embodiments, the proposed power module has an output-end integrated current sensor structure, thereby ensuring a space for the current sensor and improving sensing performance.

[0033] For example, compared with the case where the current sensor is installed in the power module, the proposed power module has a structure capable of performing current sensing while reducing the independent space required for the current sensor to be placed in the power module. In some examples, the current sensor can be placed on a circuit board of the power module.

[0034] In some embodiments, the proposed power module has a structure capable of reducing size and cost compared to a case where a separate external current sensor is installed outside the power module.

[0035] In the following, reference is made to Figures 1 to 3 A power module according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is described in detail.

[0036] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a power module, Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first lead line, Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a connector.

[0037] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 , the power module 10 may include at least one semiconductor chip 100, at least one substrate 200, a first lead 310, a plurality of second leads 320, and a molding member 400. However, it should be noted that Figure 1 Only components that are essential to the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown, and an actual power module may be implemented with more or fewer components. The various components of the power module according to the embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below.

[0038] In some embodiments, at least one semiconductor chip 100 may be mounted on at least one substrate 200 and may be electrically connected to at least one substrate 200. In more detail, the semiconductor chip 100 may be bonded to the substrate 200 by soldering or sintering, and the connection with the substrate 200 may use a separate component, such as a spacer.

[0039] In some examples, the semiconductor chip 100 may be turned on / off based on a switching signal, and conduction between the upper side and the lower side of the semiconductor chip 100 may be determined based on the on / off state of the semiconductor chip 100 .

[0040] For example, the semiconductor chip 100 may be implemented as a switching device such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), and the semiconductor chip 100 may be made of silicon or silicon carbide.

[0041] In some examples, the at least one substrate 200 may be made by stacking a plurality of layers including an insulating layer and a metal layer.

[0042] For example, the substrate 200 may be formed by stacking an insulating layer and a metal layer arranged on a surface facing the inside of the power module 10. In this case, the insulating layer may electrically isolate the inside and outside of the power module, and the metal layer facing the inside of the power module may form electrical connections within the power module.

[0043] In order to improve cooling efficiency, metal layers may be arranged on the surface of the insulating layer facing the outside of the power module. These metal layers may promote heat dissipation inside the power module, especially heat dissipation of the semiconductor chip 100, through heat exchange with the outside, thereby cooling the power module.

[0044] The insulating layer may be made of a material such as ceramic, and the metal layer may be made of a material such as copper. In this case, at least one substrate 200 may be implemented using a method such as active metal brazing (AMB) or direct bonding copper (DBC).

[0045] In some examples, the power module may have a structure in which the semiconductor chip 100 is mounted on a single substrate 200. In some examples, the power module may have a structure in which the semiconductor chip 100 is mounted between a plurality of substrates 200. In the former case, the heat generated in the semiconductor chip 100 may be dissipated in one direction through the single substrate 200 using a single-sided cooling method, and in the latter case, the heat generated in the semiconductor chip 100 may be dissipated in two directions through two substrates 200 using a double-sided cooling method.

[0046] In the case where the power module 10 is implemented using a double-sided cooling method in which the semiconductor chip 100 is installed between multiple substrates 200 as described above, the multiple substrates 200 arranged at intervals around the semiconductor chip 100 can be respectively referred to as a first substrate and a second substrate. In this case, the first lead 310 can have an extension portion 311, and one end of the extension portion 311 is placed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

[0047] In some examples, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first lead 310 may include: an extension portion 311 having one end connected to at least one substrate 200 and the other end protruding outward from the at least one substrate 200 ; and a resistance portion disposed between one end and the other end of the extension portion 311 .

[0048] The other end of the extension portion 311 of the first lead 310 may be connected to an external terminal, thereby electrically connecting the substrate 200 to the external terminal, and in particular, forming a current path from the substrate 200 to the external terminal.

[0049] In more detail, the first lead 310 may form a current path in a direction from one end of the extension portion 311 to the other end of the extension portion 311 through the resistance portion 312 .

[0050] Through this current path, the current flowing from the inside of the power module 10 to the external terminal passes through the resistance part 312 , and the potential difference, such as voltage, across the resistance part 312 can be used to sense the output current of the power module 10 .

[0051] To this end, the extending direction of the resistance portion 312 may intersect with the extending direction of the extension portion 311. That is, the resistance portion 312 may be implemented in a direction intersecting with the extension portion 311.

[0052] In this case, one end and the other end of the extension portion 311 may be connected by the resistance portion 312. For example, the first lead 310 may include three portions, namely, one end of the extension portion 311, the resistance portion 312, and the other end of the extension portion 311, which may be sequentially connected.

[0053] The extension portion 311 and the resistance portion 312 may have the same width and thickness, which allows all current passing through the cross section of one end of the extension portion 311 to pass through the cross section of the resistance portion 312 and then be output along the cross section of the other end of the extension portion 311 .

[0054] In some examples, reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the connector 313 can be connected to the resistance part 312 to output the voltage of both ends of the resistance part 312, and the both ends of the resistance part 312 can be distinguished as one end side of the extension part 311 and the other end side of the extension part 311.

[0055] In this case, the connector 313 may be connected to the resistance portion 312, extending in a direction from one end to the other end of the extension portion 311, so that the resistance portion 312 is located between one end and the other end of the connector 313. That is, one end of the connector 313 may be located on one end side of the extension portion 311, and the other end of the connector 313 may be located on the other end side of the extension portion 311, and the resistance portion 312 is connected between one end and the other end of the connector 313.

[0056] In some examples, the connector 313 may include a terminal T and a cover C covering the terminal T in a predetermined direction. In more detail, the terminal T may include a plurality of first terminals T 1 , a plurality of first terminals T 1 The voltages at both ends of the resistor portion 312 are outputted respectively, and the cover C covers the terminal T to prevent errors due to noise and other interference in current sensing. The cover C may be formed to surround the side of the terminal T and leave one or both ends open, thereby exposing the first lead 310 and the terminal T to the outside.

[0057] Terminal T may be connected to an external control board, which may include a processor, such as a microcontroller or a microcomputer, capable of determining a current based on a voltage difference across the resistance portion 312 .

[0058] In addition to the first terminal T 1 In addition, the terminal T may also include a second terminal T grounded to the external control board 2 .

[0059] In some examples, in addition to the first leads 310 , a plurality of second leads 320 connected to at least one substrate 200 and spaced apart from the first leads 310 may be further included.

[0060] In this case, the first lead 310 may receive a current inflow from at least one of the plurality of second leads 320 through the substrate 200 and one end of the extension portion 311 .

[0061] For example, the first lead 310 may correspond to an output terminal, and the plurality of second leads 320 may correspond to an N terminal and a P terminal.

[0062] The first lead 310 and the second lead 320 may be arranged side by side on one side of the power module 10, or Figure 1 As shown, the first lead 310 and the second lead 320 may be arranged on different sides of the power module 10 .

[0063] The molding member 400 may encapsulate at least one semiconductor chip 100 and one end of the extension portion 311 of the first lead 310 among the components constituting the power module 10. In addition, the molding member 400 may encapsulate a portion of the substrate 200 and provide protection for the components constituting the power module 10, thereby ensuring electrical isolation between the inside and outside of the power module 10.

[0064] For example, the molding member 400 may be implemented with a material such as epoxy molding compound (EMC) to protect components constituting the power module 10 from moisture, heat, shock, and the like.

[0065] As described above, the power module in various embodiments of the present disclosure is advantageous in reducing the internal space required for current sensing by implementing a current sensor structure on the output terminal of the power module.

[0066] Since the space required for sensing is reduced, the component layout space inside the power module can be ensured, thereby making it possible to increase the size of each component and improve the performance of the power module.

[0067] In addition, by ensuring a space for current sensing, current can be sensed without relying on an external current sensor, thereby eliminating costs associated with placing an external current sensor.

[0068] Furthermore, by sensing the current immediately before the current is output from the power module, current sensing performance may be improved.

[0069] While the present disclosure has been shown and described in connection with the specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A power module, comprising: at least one semiconductor chip; at least one substrate supporting the at least one semiconductor chip; as well as The first lead comprises: an extension portion, (i) a first end of the extension portion being connected to the at least one substrate, and (ii) a second end of the extension portion protruding outwardly from the at least one substrate; as well as The resistor portion is disposed between the first end and the second end of the extending portion.

2. The power module according to claim 1, wherein: The first lead electrically connects the at least one substrate to the external terminal based on the second end of the extension portion being connected to the external terminal.

3. The power module according to claim 2, wherein: The first lead defines a current flow path from the at least one substrate to the external terminal.

4. The power module according to claim 3, wherein: The first lead defines a current flow path in a direction from the first end of the extending portion via the resistive portion to the second end of the extending portion.

5. The power module according to claim 1, wherein: The extending portion extends in a first direction, and the resistance portion extends in a second direction crossing the first direction.

6. The power module according to claim 5, wherein: The first end and the second end of the extending portion are connected via the resistance portion.

7. The power module according to claim 6, wherein: The first end and the second end of the extending portion are respectively connected to opposite ends of the resistance portion in the first direction. 8 . The power module according to claim 1 , further comprising a connector connected to the resistance part and outputting a voltage between both ends of the resistance part.

9. The power module according to claim 8, wherein: The connector is connected to the resistance portion, and a first end and a second end of the connector are spaced apart from each other in a first direction, The connector extends from a first end of the connector along the first direction toward a second end of the extending portion, and The resistor portion is located between the first end of the connector and the second end of the connector.

10. The power module according to claim 8, wherein: The connector comprises: a plurality of terminals including a plurality of first terminals that respectively output voltages between ends of the resistance portion; and A cover covers the plurality of terminals in a predetermined direction.

11. The power module according to claim 10, wherein: The plurality of terminals are connected to an external control board.

12. The power module according to claim 11, wherein: The plurality of terminals further include a second terminal connected to a ground terminal of the external control board.

13. The power module according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second leads connected to the at least one substrate and separated from the first leads, in, The first lead receives a current inflow from at least one of the plurality of second leads through the at least one substrate and the first end of the extension portion. 14 . The power module of claim 1 , further comprising a molding member covering the at least one semiconductor chip and the first end of the extending portion.

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