System and method for low inductance phase switching for inverter for electric vehicle

Abstract

A system includes an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery to AC power to drive a motor, where the inverter includes: a power module including: a first phase switch including one or more first phase power switches on a first side of a substrate; and a second phase switching member including one or more second phase power switching members on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,486 filed on September 28, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,501 filed on September 28, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 377,512 filed on September 28, 2022, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 378,601 filed on October 6, 2022, and U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 18 / 166,043 filed on February 8, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for low inductance phase switching for an inverter for an electric vehicle, and more particularly to systems and methods for a power module including two low inductance phase switching for an inverter for an electric vehicle. Background Art

[0004] Inverters, such as those used to drive motors in electric vehicles, are responsible for converting high voltage direct current (HVDC) to alternating current (AC) to drive the motor. In an inverter, loop inductance associated with phase switching elements may affect switching losses of the switching elements.

[0005] The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of these aforementioned challenges. Summary of the invention

[0006] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: a power module comprising: a first phase switch comprising one or more first phase power switches on a first side of a substrate; and a second phase switch comprising one or more second phase power switches on a second side of the substrate opposite to the first side.

[0007] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch comprises a first point-of-use controller on a first side of a substrate, the first point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more first phase power switches; and wherein a second phase switch comprises a second point-of-use controller on a second side of the substrate, the second point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more second phase power switches.

[0008] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch comprises one or more first thermal spacers on a first side of a substrate; and wherein a second phase switch comprises one or more second thermal spacers on a second side of the substrate.

[0009] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the one or more first thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the second phase power switch and the one or more second thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the first phase power switch.

[0010] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch is configured to be connected between a negative terminal of a battery and a phase terminal of a motor, and wherein a second phase switch is configured to be connected between a positive terminal of a battery and a phase terminal of a motor.

[0011] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein one or more of the first phase power switch or the second phase power switch includes one or more silicon carbide grains.

[0012] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first phase switch and a second phase switch are arranged in a 180 degree orientation relative to each other.

[0013] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system that further includes a battery configured to supply DC power to an inverter and a motor configured to receive AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

[0014] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: a power module, the power module being for an inverter, the power module comprising: a first phase switching element, the first phase switching element comprising one or more first phase power switching elements on a first side of a substrate; and a second phase power switching element, the second phase power switching element comprising one or more second phase power switching elements on a second side of the substrate opposite to the first side.

[0015] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch comprises a first point-of-use controller on a first side of a substrate, the first point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more first phase power switches; and wherein a second phase switch comprises a second point-of-use controller on a second side of the substrate, the second point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more second phase power switches.

[0016] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch comprises one or more first thermal spacers on a first side of a substrate; and wherein a second phase switch comprises one or more second thermal spacers on a second side of the substrate.

[0017] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the one or more first thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the second phase power switch and the one or more second thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the first phase power switch.

[0018] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch is configured to be connected between a negative terminal of a battery and a phase terminal of a motor, and wherein a second phase switch is configured to be connected between a positive terminal of a battery and a phase terminal of a motor.

[0019] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system in which a first phase switch and a second phase switch are arranged in a 180 degree orientation relative to each other.

[0020] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: a power module, the power module being for an inverter, the power module comprising: a negative plate on the battery side; a positive plate on the battery side; a motor side plate; a first phase switching element, the first phase switching element extending along a first plane, the first phase switching element being configured to control the current between the negative plate on the battery side and the motor side plate; and a second phase power switching element, the second phase power switching element extending along a second plane, the second phase power switching element being configured to control the current between the positive plate on the battery side and the motor side plate, wherein the first phase switching element is stacked on the second phase power switching element so that the normal vector from the first plane intersects with the second plane.

[0021] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein one or more of the battery-side negative tabs or the battery-side positive tabs extend in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane.

[0022] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch comprises one or more communication pins, and wherein the one or more communication pins extend in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0023] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a battery-side negative electrode plate is arranged on a first end of a first phase switch element, wherein a battery-side positive electrode plate is arranged on a first end of a second phase switch element, and wherein a motor-side electrode plate is arranged on a second end of the first phase switch element and a second end of the second phase switch element.

[0024] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein a first phase switch comprises one or more communication pins, and wherein the one or more communication pins extend from the first phase switch and through an opening in a battery-side positive tab.

[0025] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system further comprising: a first heat sink disposed on a first side of the power module; and a second heat sink disposed on a second side of the power module.

[0026] Other objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be described in part in the following description, and in part will be obvious from the description, or can be understood by practicing the disclosed embodiments. The objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be realized and achieved by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0027] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosed embodiments, as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a combined inverter and converter is depicted according to one or more embodiments.

[0030] Figure 2 Depicted is a method for providing a point-of-use switching controller according to one or more embodiments. Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure of a combined inverter and converter.

[0031] Figure 3 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for a controller of FIG.

[0032] Figure 4 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure for a point-of-use switching controller.

[0033] Figure 5 Describes a method for Figure 4 An exemplary system infrastructure of an upper power module.

[0034] Figure 6An exemplary system for a power module including two low inductance phase switches according to one or more embodiments is depicted.

[0035] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B Depicted are top and bottom views of an exemplary layout for a power module including two low-inductance phase switches according to one or more embodiments.

[0036] Figure 8 Depicted is a side view of an exemplary layout for a power module including two low inductance phase switches in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0037] Fig. 9 An exemplary system for a power module including two low inductance phase switches according to one or more embodiments is depicted.

[0038] Fig.10 Depicted are exemplary inductance graphs of two connection layouts for a system having a power module including two low-inductance phase switches in accordance with one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not constrain the claimed features. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," "including," or other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusions such that a process, method, article, or device that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but may also include other elements that are not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or device. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, relative terms (such as, for example, "about," "substantially," and "approximately") are used to indicate possible ±10% variations in the stated values. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, any numerical value may include possible ±10% variations in the stated values.

[0040] The terms used below may be interpreted in their broadest reasonable manner, although they are being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the present disclosure. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any term intended to be interpreted in any constrained manner will be explicitly and specifically defined as such in this detailed description. For example, in the context of the present disclosure, a switching device may be described as a switching element or device, but may refer to any device for controlling power flow in a circuit. For example, a switching element may be, for example, a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a relay, or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0041] Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for low inductance phase switching for an inverter for an electric vehicle, and more particularly to systems and methods for a power module including two low inductance phase switching for an inverter for an electric vehicle.

[0042] Inverters (such as those used to drive motors in electric vehicles) are responsible for converting high voltage direct current (HVDC) into alternating current (AC) to drive the motor. A three-phase inverter may include a bridge having six power device switches (e.g., power transistors such as IGBTs or MOSFETs) that are controlled by pulse width modulation (PWM) signals generated by a controller. The inverter may include three-phase switches to control phase voltages, upper and lower gate drivers to control the switches, a PWM controller, and glue logic between the PWM controller and the gate driver. The PWM controller may generate signals to define the expected state of the system. The gate driver may send signals from the PWM controller to the phase switches. The phase switches may drive the phase voltages. The inverter may include an isolation barrier between a low voltage plane and a high voltage plane. The signal may be passed from the PWM controller to the phase switch by passing through an isolation barrier, which may employ optical, converter-based, or capacitor-based isolation. The PWM signal may be distorted when passing through the glue logic, which may include resistive, capacitive, or other types of filtering. Due to the electrical isolation barrier and other delays within the gate driver, the PWM signal may be distorted when passing through the gate driver. The PWM signal may be distorted when the signal is processed by the phase switching device via the gate driver output.

[0043] Gate drivers withstand common-mode transients that occur during field effect transistor (FET) switching and when one side of a floating high voltage terminal is shorted to ground or subjected to electrostatic discharge. These voltage transients can cause fast edges that can form common-mode current bursts through electrical isolation. Gate drivers may need to demonstrate common-mode transient immunity (CMTI) in order to be effective and safe.

[0044] The gate driver may have a high voltage domain in common with the voltage plane of the associated FET. Further, the high voltage plane may be supplied by a flyback converter, which may be isolated from the low voltage plane by a transformer. The high voltage domain power supply may be used to provide power to such a circuit that sources and sinks gate current to drive the FET and can detect FET faults, thereby acting on the faults and / or transmitting the faults to the low voltage domain. The gate driver may include an electrical channel dedicated to FET commands, and one or more bidirectional or unidirectional electrical channels dedicated to FET communications.

[0045] High current switching transients can form strong electromagnetic (EM) fields that can couple into nearby metal traces. The magnitude and frequency of the coupled current can depend on the layout of the FET packaging solution and the direction and length of the metal traces between the FET and the control integrated circuit (IC). For example, a typical value for the coupled current can be up to 1A at an AC frequency of up to 100MHz. Typically, within the circuit, the gate driver IC can be placed far enough away from the FET so that the high EM field is not directly coupled into the internal metal traces within the gate driver IC. The gate driver is placed at a distance from the EM field so that the induced current within the circuit is below the level that will cause the gate driver to malfunction, or a metal shield is placed between the gate driver and the source of the EM field to protect the gate driver circuit. The output terminals of the gate driver connected to the FET are exposed to the EM field at a point where the output terminals are no longer covered by the shield. The gate driver switches large currents (e.g., such as 5A to 15A) through these exposed terminals. The large currents switched are usually larger in magnitude than the EM induced current. The gate driver can overdrive the induced current to maintain control of the FET. The gate driver and the high side of the FET may share a common ground and gate control signal trace, both of which may be susceptible to coupled currents.

[0046] The gate driver can turn on low resistance switches to source and sink gate current. Sometimes a series resistor can be added to limit the gate current. The switched gate current can be greater than the coupling current in order to maintain control of their respective FETs.

[0047] The gate driver may be able to sense the FET operating voltage or current in order to provide feedback and react to faults. An overcurrent fault may typically be detected by sensing the FET drain to source voltage and comparing the sensed voltage to a reference value. The sensed voltage may be heavily filtered to reject coupled currents. Filtering may slow the response to a fault condition, causing a delay in response. For example, the rate of current increase due to a low resistance short may reach damaging levels before being detected by a heavily filtered drain to source voltage detection strategy. The resulting short may damage the FET or the vehicle before being detected and cut off.

[0048] According to one or more embodiments, a FET driver circuit may provide fast overcurrent detection by shunt current sensing, or by diverting a portion of the load current through a parallel FET that may have a current sensing circuit. Utilizing either strategy may require a "point of use IC" in which the sensing circuit is very close to the FET. Even if the point of use IC and the remote controller are resistant to EM fields, the communication between the point of use IC and the remote controller is still susceptible to induced currents. Point of use ICs have been implemented in low EM field applications, such as smart FETs for automotive applications. However, point of use ICs have not yet been used in high EM field applications. High EM fields can be fields that (i) induce a current within the IC that exceeds the operating current of the IC and causes a malfunction, or (ii) induce a differential voltage within the IC that exceeds the operating differential voltage and causes a malfunction. High EM fields can be, for example, fields greater than about 10A or about 100V.

[0049] With the advent of electric vehicles, driving three-phase motors more efficiently has become increasingly important. Three-phase motors can be driven by three half-H or phase switching elements that switch the motor phase connections between a positive high voltage DC current voltage source (HVDC+) and a negative high voltage DC current voltage source (HVDC-). The loop inductance associated with the phase switching elements is important and may become even more important as silicon carbide (SiC) devices become more common. Lower loop inductance may be especially important for fast SiC devices because lower loop inductance can allow faster switching times while maintaining appropriate voltages and appropriate current overshoot and ringing.

[0050] The phase switching element can be made of two separate power switching elements in independent packages (e.g., two power modules) or two separate power switching elements in a single integrated package (e.g., a single power module). In a single-sided cooling system, the power switching elements can be mounted side by side so that each power switching element has a good thermal path to the heat sink of the cooling system. This side-by-side arrangement can limit the reduction of the loop area that forms the loop inductance. In a two-sided cooling system, the power switching elements can be mounted side by side so as to maximize the effectiveness of the dual heat sinks of the cooling system. This side-by-side arrangement can also limit the reduction of the loop area that forms the loop inductance. As higher cost SiC devices are used and switching frequencies increase, switching losses may become a significant part of the total losses of the power module.

[0051] One or more embodiments may provide three ceramic substrates with symmetrical low-side and high-side power switches in the same package. The low-side and high-side power switches may be stacked on top of each other in a 180-degree orientation. One or more embodiments may provide a better thermal path for each power switch than a single-sided cooling system.

[0052] One or more embodiments may provide a thermal path for each power switch that may not be as effective as a two-sided cooling system but has a reduced loop inductance. One or more embodiments may provide a wide arrangement of SiC devices that causes the minimum source and drain self-inductance of each power switch. Stacked low-side and high-side devices with currents flowing in opposite directions may form a mutual inductance between the two switches, which effectively reduces the loop area and loop inductance. One or more embodiments may provide reduced source and drain inductance and symmetry between separate SiC grains (including gate connectors), which may provide an exceptionally clean switching waveform. One or more embodiments may include an integrated gate driver that provides an optimal gate drive curve for a power switch. The integrated gate driver may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The integrated gate driver may include multiple outputs for a group of SiC grains on each of the power switches. One or more embodiments may provide a reduced loop inductance that may allow lower SiC grain switching losses, which may increase the mileage of electric vehicles for a given battery size. One or more embodiments may provide thermal performance between single-sided and two-sided cooling systems, but with higher switching speeds and frequencies. One or more embodiments may provide layout and device symmetry that may result in superior waveform characteristics.

[0053] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a combined inverter and converter according to one or more embodiments is depicted. In the context of the present disclosure, the combined inverter and converter may be referred to as an inverter. Figure 1 As shown, the electric vehicle 100 may include an inverter 110, a motor 190, and a battery 195. The inverter 110 may include a component for receiving electric power from an external source and outputting electric power to charge the battery 195 of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the inverter 110 may convert DC power from the battery 195 in the electric vehicle 100 into AC power to drive the motor 190 of the electric vehicle 100, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the inverter 110 may be bidirectional and may convert DC power into AC power, or convert AC power into DC power, such as during regenerative braking. The inverter 110 may be a three-phase inverter, a single-phase inverter, or a multi-phase inverter.

[0054] Figure 2 Depicted is a method for providing a point-of-use switching controller according to one or more embodiments. Figure 1 The electric vehicle 100 may include an inverter 110, a motor 190, and a battery 195. The inverter 110 may include an inverter controller 300 ( Figure 314). The inverter 110 may include a low voltage upper phase controller 120 separated from a high voltage upper phase controller 130 by an electrical isolator 150, and an upper phase power module 140. The upper phase power module 140 may include a point-of-use upper phase controller 142 and an upper phase switch 144. The inverter 110 may include a low voltage lower phase controller 125 separated from a high voltage lower phase controller 135 by an electrical isolator 150, and a lower phase power module 145. The lower phase power module 145 may include a point-of-use lower phase controller 146 and a lower phase switch 148. The upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 may be connected to a motor 190 and a battery 195. The electrical isolator 150 may be one or more of optical, converter-based, or capacitor-based isolation. For example, the electrical isolator 150 may be one or more capacitors having a value from about 20 fF to about 100 fF, having a breakdown voltage from about 6 kV to about 12 kV. The electrical isolator 150 may include a pair of capacitors, wherein one capacitor in the pair carries an inverted data signal from the other capacitor in the pair to form a differential signal that is rejected for common mode noise. The electrical isolator 150 may include more than one capacitor in series. The electrical isolator 150 may include one capacitor located on a first IC, or may include a first capacitor located on a first IC and a second capacitor located on a second IC that communicates with the first IC.

[0055] The inverter 110 may include a low voltage region (e.g., where the voltage is typically less than 5V) and a high voltage region (e.g., where the voltage may exceed 500V). The low voltage region may be separated from the high voltage region by an electrical isolator 150. The inverter controller 300 may be in the low voltage region of the inverter 110, and may send a signal to and receive a signal from the low voltage upper phase controller 120. The low voltage upper phase controller 120 may be in the low voltage region of the inverter 110, and may send a signal to and receive a signal from the high voltage upper phase controller 130. The low voltage upper phase controller 120 may send a signal to and receive a signal from the low voltage lower phase controller 125. The high voltage upper phase controller 130 may be in the high voltage region of the inverter 110. Therefore, the signal between the low voltage upper phase controller 120 and the high voltage upper phase controller 130 passes through the electrical isolator 150. The high voltage upper phase controller 130 may send signals to and receive signals from a point-of-use upper phase controller 142 in the upper phase power module 140. The point-of-use upper phase controller 142 may send signals to and receive signals from an upper phase switch 144. The upper phase switch 144 may be connected to a motor 190 and a battery 195. For example, the upper phase switch 144 and the lower phase switch 148 may be used to transfer energy from the motor 190 to the battery 195, from the battery 195 to the motor 190, from an external source to the battery 195, or from the battery 195 to an external source. The lower phase system of the inverter 110 may be similar to the upper phase system described above.

[0056] Figure 3 Describes a method for Figure 2 FIG. 3 is an exemplary system infrastructure of an inverter controller 300 . The inverter controller 300 may include one or more controllers.

[0057] The inverter controller 300 may include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the inverter controller 300 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer-based functions disclosed herein. The inverter controller 300 may operate as a standalone device, or may be connected to other computer systems or peripheral devices, for example using a network.

[0058] In a networked deployment, the inverter controller 300 can operate in the capacity of a server, or as a client in a server-client user network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer (or distributed) network environment. The inverter controller 300 can also be implemented as or incorporated into various devices, such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a communication device, a wireless phone, a landline phone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a fax machine, a printer, a pager, a personal trusted device, a network device, a network router, a switch or bridge, or any other machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequentially or otherwise) (the set of instructions specifies the actions to be taken by the machine). In a specific implementation, the inverter controller 300 can be implemented using an electronic device that provides voice, video or data communication. Further, although the inverter controller 300 is illustrated as a single system, the term “system” should also be understood to include any collection of systems or subsystems that individually or jointly execute one or more sets of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.

[0059] like Figure 3 As shown, the inverter controller 300 may include a processor 302, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. The processor 302 may be a component in a variety of systems. For example, the processor 302 may be part of a standard inverter. The processor 302 may be one or more general-purpose processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, servers, networks, digital circuits, analog circuits, combinations thereof, or other devices now known or later developed for analyzing and processing data. The processor 302 may implement a software program, such as a manually generated (i.e., programmed) code.

[0060] The inverter controller 300 may include a memory 304 that can communicate via a bus 308. The memory 304 may be a main memory, a static memory, or a dynamic memory. The memory 304 may include, but is not limited to, computer-readable storage media, such as various types of volatile and non-volatile storage media, including but not limited to random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable read-only memory, flash memory, tape or disk, optical media, etc. In one specific implementation, the memory 304 includes a cache or random access memory for the processor 302. In an alternative specific implementation, the memory 304 is separated from the processor 302, such as a cache memory, system memory, or other memory of the processor. The memory 304 may be an external storage device or database for storing data. Examples include a hard drive, a compact disk ("CD"), a digital video disk ("DVD"), a memory card, a memory stick, a floppy disk, a universal serial bus ("USB") storage device, or any other device operable to store data. The memory 304 is operable to store instructions that can be executed by the processor 302. The functions, actions, or tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein may be performed by the processor 302 executing instructions stored in the memory 304. The functions, actions, or tasks are not related to a particular type of instruction set, storage medium, processor, or processing strategy, and may be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, microcode, etc. operating alone or in combination. Likewise, processing strategies may include multi-processing, multi-tasking, parallel processing, etc.

[0061] As shown, the inverter controller 300 may further include a display 310, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid state display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a projector, a printer, or other display devices known now or later developed for outputting the determined information. The display 310 may serve as an interface for a user to view the operation of the processor 302, or specifically serve as an interface with the software stored in the memory 304 or in the drive unit 306.

[0062] Additionally or alternatively, the inverter controller 300 may include an input device 312 configured to allow a user to interact with any of the components of the inverter controller 300. The input device 312 may be a numeric keypad, a keyboard or a cursor control device (such as a mouse or a joystick), a touch screen display, a remote control, or any other device operable to interact with the inverter controller 300.

[0063] The inverter controller 300 may also or alternatively include a drive unit 306 implemented as a disk or optical drive. The drive unit 306 may include a computer-readable medium 322 in which one or more sets of instructions 324 (e.g., software) may be embedded. Further, the instructions 324 may embody one or more of the methods or logics described herein. The instructions 324 may reside completely or partially within the memory 304 and / or within the processor 302 during execution by the inverter controller 300. The memory 304 and the processor 302 may also include computer-readable media as described above.

[0064] In some systems, the computer-readable medium 322 includes instructions 324 or receives and executes instructions 324 in response to a propagated signal, so that a device connected to the network 370 can transmit voice, video, audio, images, or any other data through the network 370. Further, the instructions 324 can be transmitted or received through the network 370 and / or using the bus 308 via the communication port or interface 320. The communication port or interface 320 can be part of the processor 302 or can be an independent component. The communication port or interface 320 can be formed in software or can be a physical connector in hardware. The communication port or interface 320 can be configured to connect to the network 370, external media, display 310, or any other component in the inverter controller 300, or a combination thereof. The connection to the network 370 can be a physical connection (such as a wired Ethernet connection) or can be established wirelessly, as described below. Similarly, additional connections to other components of the inverter controller 300 can be physical connections or can be established wirelessly. The network 370 can alternatively be directly connected to the bus 308.

[0065] Although the computer-readable medium 322 is shown as a single medium, the term "computer-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (such as a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable medium" may also include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a processor or causing a computer system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. The computer-readable medium 322 may be non-transitory and may be tangible.

[0066] Computer readable medium 322 may include solid-state memory, such as a memory card or other package that accommodates one or more non-volatile read-only memories. Computer readable medium 322 may be random access memory or other volatile rewritable memory. Additionally or alternatively, computer readable medium 322 may include magneto-optical or optical media, such as a disk or tape or other storage device for capturing carrier signals (such as signals transmitted through a transmission medium). Digital file attachments to emails or other self-contained information archives or archive sets may be considered distribution media as tangible storage media. Therefore, the present disclosure is considered to include any one or more of computer-readable media or distribution media and other equivalents and successor media in which data or instructions may be stored.

[0067] In alternative implementations, dedicated hardware implementations (such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays, and other hardware devices) may be constructed to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various implementations may broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. One or more implementations described herein may use two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with associated control and data signals that may be transmitted between modules or through modules or as part of an application specific integrated circuit to implement functionality. Thus, the present system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.

[0068] The inverter controller 300 may be connected to a network 370. The network 370 may define one or more networks, including wired or wireless networks. The wireless network may be a cellular telephone network, an 802.11, 802.16, 802.20, or WiMAX network. Further, such networks may include public networks (such as the Internet), private networks (such as intranets), or combinations thereof and may utilize a variety of networking protocols that are now available or later developed, including but not limited to TCP / IP-based networking protocols. The network 370 may include a wide area network (WAN) (such as the Internet), a local area network (LAN), a campus area network, a metropolitan area network, a direct connection (such as through a universal serial bus (USB) port), or any other network that allows data communication. The network 370 may be configured to couple one computing device to another computing device to enable data communication between devices. The network 370 may generally be enabled to use any form of machine-readable media to transmit information from one device to another. The network 370 may include a communication method by which information can travel between computing devices. The network 370 may be divided into subnetworks. A subnetwork may allow access to all other components connected to it, or a subnetwork may restrict access between components. Network 370 may be considered a public or private network connection and may include, for example, a virtual private network or encryption or other security mechanisms employed over the public Internet.

[0069] According to various implementations of the present disclosure, the methods described herein may be implemented by a software program that can be executed by a computer system. Further, in an exemplary non-limiting implementation, the implementation may include distributed processing, component or object distributed processing, and parallel processing. Alternatively, a virtual computer system process may be constructed to implement one or more of the methods or functionalities described herein.

[0070] Although this specification describes components and functions that can be implemented in a specific implementation with reference to specific standards and protocols, the present disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols. For example, standards for Internet and other packet-switched network transmissions (e.g., TCP / IP, UDP / IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of the prior art. Such standards are periodically replaced by faster or more efficient equivalents having substantially the same functionality. Therefore, alternative standards and protocols having the same or similar functionality as those disclosed herein are considered equivalents thereof.

[0071] It will be appreciated that, in one embodiment, the operations of the methods discussed are performed by an appropriate processor (or processors) of a processing (i.e., computer) system executing instructions (computer readable code) stored in a storage device. It will also be appreciated that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular implementation or programming technique, and that the present disclosure may be implemented using any suitable technique for implementing the functionality described herein. The present disclosure is not limited to any particular programming language or operating system.

[0072] Figure 4 Describes a method for Figure 2 An exemplary system infrastructure of a point-of-use switching controller. For a three-phase inverter, each of the upper phase and the lower phase may include three phases related to phases A, B, and C. For example, the upper phase power module 140 may include an upper phase power module 140A for upper phase A, an upper phase power module 140B for upper phase B, and an upper phase power module 140C for upper phase C. The upper phase power module 140A may include a point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and an upper phase A switching element 144A. The upper phase power module 140B may include a point-of-use upper phase B controller 142B and an upper phase B switching element 144B. The upper phase power module 140C may include a point-of-use upper phase C controller 142C and an upper phase C switching element 144C. Each of the upper phase A switching member 144A, the upper phase B switching member 144B, and the upper phase C switching member 144C may be connected to the motor 190 and the battery 195 . Figure 4 Details of the upper phase power module 140 are depicted. Although not shown, the lower phase power module 145 may include a similar structure as the upper phase power module 140 for the lower phases A, B, and C.

[0073] Figure 5 Describes a method for Figure 4 Example system infrastructure for the upper power module. For example, Figure 5 Additional details of upper phase power module 140A are provided. Although not shown, upper phase power module 140B, upper phase power module 140C, and respective lower phase power modules of lower phase power module 145 may include components related to Figure 5 The upper phase power module 140A shown in FIG. 1 is similar in structure to the upper phase power module 140A shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "northern", and "southern" as used in this disclosure are used for reference only, do not limit the elements to a particular orientation, and are generally interchangeable throughout the text. For example, the upper phase power module 140 may be referred to as a lower phase power module, a northern phase power module, a southern phase power module, a first phase power module, or a second phase power module.

[0074] The upper phase power module 140A may include a point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and an upper phase A switch 144A. The upper phase A switch 144A may include one or more sets of switches. Figure 5 As shown, the upper phase A switch 144A may include an upper phase A north switch 144A-N and an upper phase A south switch 144A-S. The point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include one or more memories, controllers, or sensors. For example, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include a communication manager 405, a functional safety controller 410, a test interface and controller 415, a north thermal sensor 420A, a south thermal sensor 420B, a self-test controller 425, a command manager 430, a waveform adjuster 435, a memory 440, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N, and a south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include a controller 405, a functional safety controller 410, a test interface and controller 415, a north thermal sensor 420A, a south thermal sensor 420B, a self-test controller 425, a command manager 430, a waveform adjuster 435, a memory 440, a north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N, and a south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. Figure 5 More or fewer components than those shown. For example, the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A may include more or less than two switch controls and diagnostic controllers, and may include more than two thermal sensors.

[0075] The communication manager 405 may control inter-controller communications to and from the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A and / or may control intra-controller communications between components of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. The functional safety controller 410 may control safety functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. For example, the test interface and controller 415 may control test functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, such as end-of-line testing in manufacturing. The north thermal sensor 420A may sense the temperature at a first location in the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, and the south thermal sensor 420B may sense the temperature at a second location in the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. For example, the self-test controller 425 may control self-test functions of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A, such as during initialization of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A after an inverter 110 power-on event. The command manager 430 may control commands received from the communication manager 405 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The waveform adjuster 435 may control the waveform timing and shape of the commands received from the communication manager 405 and issued to the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S. The memory 440 may include one or more volatile and non-volatile storage media for the operation of the point-of-use upper phase A controller 142A. The north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N may send one or more signals to the north switch 144A-N to control the operation of the north switch 144A-N, and may receive one or more signals from the north switch 144A-N that provide information about the north switch 144A-N. The south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-S to control the operation of the south switches 144A-S, and may receive one or more signals from the south switches 144A-S providing information about the south switches 144A-S. As described above, the terms "north" and "south" are used for reference only, and the north switch control and diagnostic controller 450N may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-S, and the south switch control and diagnostic controller 450S may send one or more signals to the south switches 144A-N.

[0076] Figure 6 An exemplary system for a power module including two low inductance phase switches according to one or more embodiments is depicted.

[0077] like Figure 6As shown, the power module 600 may include one or more phase switching elements, and may include a first switching element 602 and a second switching element 604. The first switching element 602 may be stacked on top of the second switching element 604. The power module 600 may include an upper ceramic substrate 641, a center ceramic substrate 642, and a lower ceramic substrate 643. Here, the term "stacked" may refer to an arrangement in which the first switching element 602 extends along a first xy plane and the second switching element 604 extends along a second xy plane, wherein a normal vector along the z-axis from the first plane intersects the second plane. Figure 6 As shown, the first switching member 602 is stacked on the second switching member 604 along the z-axis, so that when viewed along the z-axis, at least a portion of the first switching member 602 overlaps at least a portion of the second switching member 604. For example, the upper ceramic substrate 641 and the lower ceramic substrate 643 can each include three layers, such as a ceramic substrate including two direct metallization layers (such as copper). The central ceramic substrate 642 will be further described below.

[0078] The first switch 602 may be a lower switch (where the source is connected to HVDC-) and the second switch 604 may be an upper switch (where the drain is connected to HVDC+). For example, the power module 600 may be a specific implementation of the upper phase power module 140 and the lower phase power module 145, where the second switch 604 is a specific implementation of the upper phase power module 140 and the first switch 602 is a specific implementation of the lower phase power module 145. Figure 6 As shown, the first switching element 602 may include a battery side plate HVDC- and a motor side plate PHASE, and the second switching element 604 may include a battery side plate HVDC+ and share the motor side plate PHASE with the first switching element 602. Here, the battery side plate HVDC- may be configured to be connected to the negative voltage terminal of the battery 195, the battery side plate HVDC+ may be configured to be connected to the positive voltage terminal of the battery 195, and the motor side plate PHASE may be configured to be connected to the phase terminal of the motor 190.

[0079] One or more of the battery side piece HVDC- or the battery side piece HVDC+ may extend from the first (xy) plane and the second (xy) plane in a substantially perpendicular (z-axis) direction. The y-axis separation distance between the battery side piece HVDC- and the battery side piece HVDC+ may be greater than the z-axis separation distance between the first xy plane and the second xy plane. For example, the y-axis separation distance may be about 5 mm.

[0080] The power module 600 may include a first switching element controller pin 606 for communicating with a first switching element controller 616 (see Fig. 7A), and a second switching element controller pin 608 for communicating with a second switching element controller 626 (see Figure 7B ). The power module 600 may include a packaging material 600A to encapsulate the electrical control components of the first switch 602 and the second switch 604, while providing connection points for the battery side plate HVDC-, the battery side plate HVDC+, the motor side plate PHASE, the first switch controller pin 606 and the second switch controller pin 608. The packaging material 600A may be, for example, an epoxy resin molding compound.

[0081] like Figure 6 7, the electrical components of the first switching member 602 and the second switching member 604 may be arranged in opposite orientations along the y-axis so that current flows in opposite directions (see Figure 8 , where the current flows generally from left to right through the first switching member 602 and generally from right to left through the second switching member 604, as indicated by the dashed lines in the first switching member 602 and the second switching member 604). Compared with the side-by-side arrangement, the stacked and opposite configuration of the first switching member 602 and the second switching member 604 can form a mutual inductance between the two switching members 602 and 604, which effectively reduces the loop area and the loop inductance. In addition, the stacked configuration can provide a thermal path for the first switching member 602 and the second switching member 604 to the corresponding first heat sink 802 and the second heat sink 804 (see Figure 8 and Fig. 9 ).

[0082] The SiC source connections for both the first switch 602 and the second switch 604 may be connected to corresponding metallization layers on the central ceramic substrate 642. Figure 8 , the first switch 602 is on top and the SiC source connector is attached to the top metallization layer of the central ceramic substrate 642, and the second switch 604 SiC source connector is attached to the bottom metallization layer of the central ceramic substrate 642. The SiC drain connectors for the first switch 602 and the second switch 604 can be connected to the bottom metallization layer of the upper ceramic substrate 641 and the top metallization layer of the lower ceramic substrate 643, respectively. This arrangement can be important for two reasons. First, the drain of the SiC grain has a larger surface area than the source of the SiC grain, and the thermal path from the drain to the heat sink can be reduced. For example, the source can have three pads and a gate connector, which reduces the thermal cross section of the source. Second, due to the larger drain geometry compared to the smaller source and gate pads, it can be easier to sinter the drain of the SiC grain to the metallization layer. This arrangement may provide a better thermal path through the drain, but at the expense of a non-optimal secondary thermal path through the source, since source heat must flow through the center ceramic substrate 642 and spacers to the upper ceramic substrate 641 and the lower ceramic substrate 643 .

[0083] The power module 600 can provide an acceptable level of thermal performance while meeting the need for higher switching speeds and frequencies. The thermal performance can be better than a single-sided cooled module with side-by-side switching elements, and can be reduced relative to a double-sided cooled module with side-by-side switching elements. The reduced loop inductance of the stacked arrangement can allow for higher switching speeds, which can reduce switching losses and allow operation at higher switching frequencies for a given allowable switching loss. The stacked arrangement can also result in a smaller footprint than a side-by-side arrangement.

[0084] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B Depicted are respective top and bottom views of an exemplary layout for a power module 600 including two low-inductance switches according to one or more embodiments. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B A central ceramic substrate 642 and associated components are depicted, wherein an upper ceramic substrate 641 and a lower ceramic substrate 643 (see Figure 6 ) was removed.

[0085] like Fig. 7A As shown, the controller pin 606 can pass through the openings in the battery side piece HVDC- and the battery side piece HVDC+ to reach the first switching element controller 616 disposed on the upper side 610 of the central ceramic substrate 642. For example, the first switching element controller 616 can use the controller pin 606 to communicate with the high voltage lower phase controller 135. For example, the first switching element controller 616 can be a specific implementation of the point-of-use lower phase controller 146, and can monitor and control the first power switching element 612. For example, the first power switching element 612 can be a specific implementation of the lower phase switching element 148. The first switching element 602 may include a first switching element thermal spacer 614. For example, the first switching element thermal spacer 614 can be copper or copper-molybdenum. The first switching element thermal spacer 614 can be configured to conduct heat from the first switching element 602 and the second switching element 604 to the upper ceramic substrate 641.

[0086] like Figure 7BAs shown, the controller pin 608 can pass through the opening in the motor side piece PHASE to reach the second switching element controller 626 disposed on the lower side 620 of the central ceramic substrate 642. For example, the second switching element controller 626 can use the controller pin 608 to communicate with the high voltage upper phase controller 130. For example, the second switching element controller 626 can be a specific implementation of the point-of-use upper phase controller 142, and can monitor and control the second power switching element 622. For example, the second power switching element 622 can be a specific implementation of the upper phase switching element 144. The second switching element 604 may include a second switching element thermal spacer 624. For example, the second switching element thermal spacer 624 can be copper. The second switching element thermal spacer 624 can be configured to conduct heat from the first switching element 602 and the second switching element 604 to the lower ceramic substrate 643.

[0087] For example, the first switch controller 616 and the second switch controller 626 may each be an integrated point-of-use controller and / or may each be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). For example, one or more of the first power switch 612 or the second power switch 622 may include silicon carbide (SiC) grains.

[0088] For example, the first switch controller 616 may receive a gate-on command via the controller pin 606. Based on the gate-on command, the first switch controller 616 may turn on the gate of the first power switch 612. This in turn may turn on the first switch 602, causing current to flow between the battery side plate HVDC- and the motor side plate PHASE.

[0089] like Fig. 7A and Figure 7B As shown, the first power switching element 612 and the second power switching element 622 may each include four SiC grains. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first power switching element 612 and the second power switching element 622 may include more SiC grains or fewer SiC grains. The wide arrangement of the SiC grains of each of the first power switching element 612 and the second power switching element 622 may provide each power switching element with reduced source and drain self-inductance. Here, the wide arrangement may refer to SiC grains arranged in a more parallel manner. The wide arrangement allows the source and drain metals to have a shorter length, which can reduce inductance. Relative to the direction of current flow, a short length and a wide width can provide a lower inductance.

[0090] like Fig. 7A and Figure 7BAs shown, the first power switch 612 is approximately aligned with the second switch thermal spacer 624 on the opposite side of the substrate, and the second power switch 622 is approximately aligned with the first switch thermal spacer 614 on the opposite side of the substrate. Here, approximately aligned can refer to similar xy plane positions of corresponding components offset along the z-axis. This configuration can reduce the loop inductance between the first switch 602 and the second switch 604, and can provide an improved thermal path to the first heat sink 802 and the second heat sink 804.

[0091] The first switching element controller 616 and the second switching element controller 626 are arranged on opposite sides of the power module 600 from each other, and each of the first switching element controller 616 and the second switching element controller 626 is arranged to be closer to the corresponding first power switching element 612 and the second power switching element 622 than the corresponding first switching element thermal spacer 614 and the second switching element thermal spacer 624. In other words, the first switching element 602 and the second switching element 604 are arranged in a 180-degree orientation relative to each other. This arrangement can allow a reduction in the loop inductance between the first switching element 602 and the second switching element 604, which can provide lower switching losses and optimal waveform characteristics.

[0092] Figure 8 Depicted is a side view of an exemplary layout for a power module including two low inductance phase switches in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0093] like Figure 8 As shown, the power module 600 may include a first heat sink 802 and a second heat sink 804. The first heat sink 802 and the second heat sink 804 may be arranged on opposite sides of the power module 600. The first heat sink 802 may be arranged on the first switching member 602 and the second heat sink 804 may be arranged on the second switching member 604. The first heat sink 802 may be in direct contact with the outer surface of the first switching member 602, and the second heat sink 804 may be in direct contact with the outer surface of the second switching member 604, or the heat sinks may be applied with a thermal interface material.

[0094] The power module 600 may include a capacitor 806. The capacitor 806 may be disposed between the first switching element 602 and the second switching element 604, such as between the battery side sheet HVDC- and the battery side sheet HVDC+. The capacitor 806 may be a high voltage integrated decoupling capacitor. The capacitor 806 may be electrically connected to the battery side sheet HVDC- and the battery side sheet HVDC+. The capacitor 806 may reduce the power loop and bus stray inductance. The capacitor 806 may provide a faster switching time for the first switching element 602 and the second switching element 604, which may reduce switching power losses. The capacitor 806 may reduce the negative impact of the bus stray inductance on the response time of the safety switching element, which may reduce switching time and switching power losses. The capacitor 806 may reduce the high frequency ringing of the voltage and current of the power module 600, which may provide faster switching and lower switching losses. The capacitor 806 may reduce the overall EMI pollution of the power module 600.

[0095] Fig. 9 An exemplary system for a power module including two low inductance phase switches according to one or more embodiments is depicted. Fig. 9 An isometric view of a power module 600 is provided, wherein a first heat sink 802 and a second heat sink 804 are disposed on the power module 600. The first heat sink 802 and the second heat sink 804 may be configured to dissipate heat from the power module 600. For example, the first heat sink 802 and the second heat sink 804 may be liquid-cooled and may be made of copper or aluminum.

[0096] Fig.10 Depicted is an exemplary inductance graph 1000 of two connection layouts for a system having a power module including two low-inductance phase switches according to one or more embodiments. Fig.10 A graphical view of two possible layouts for the first switching element 602 or the second switching element 604 is provided, for example, with a graph of inductance (y-axis) versus frequency (x-axis) for each layout. Fig.10 In FIG. 1 , the power switch 1012 , the switch controller 1016 , and the thermal spacer 1014 may be specific implementations of the power switch 612 , the switch controller 616 , and the thermal spacer 624 , respectively.

[0097] The first layout 1010 may include a conductive pattern 1015 that connects the power switch 1012 to the switch controller 1016 and separates the power switch 1012 from the thermal spacer 1014. In the first layout 1010, the inductance may be low across all frequencies, as shown in the graph 1011, where the inductance of the layout 1010 may have an upper limit of approximately 3.2nH at low frequencies, which may provide a two to five times reduction in inductance for some designs. However, the layout 1010 may have a lower current sensing capability than the layout 1020. The SiC source metal current path in the conductive pattern 1015 may have a lower resistance and a lower inductance in 1015 than the conductive pattern 1015'. The lower resistance in the conductive pattern 1015 may provide a smaller sensing voltage for a given current, which may provide a lower current sensing capability.

[0098] The second layout 1020 may include a conductive pattern 1015' that connects the power switch 1012 to the switch controller 1016 and separates the power switch 1012 from the thermal spacer 1014. In the second layout 1020, the inductance may also be low across all frequencies, as shown in the graph 1021, where the inductance of the layout 1020 may have an upper limit of about 4.2nH at low frequencies. However, the layout 1020 may have a higher current sensing capability than the layout 1010, with a modest increase in inductance at any given frequency.

[0099] One or more embodiments may provide three ceramic substrates with symmetrical low-side and high-side power switches in the same package. The low-side and high-side power switches may be stacked on top of each other in a 180-degree orientation. One or more embodiments may provide a better thermal path for each power switch than a single-sided cooling system.

[0100] One or more embodiments may provide a thermal path for each power switch that may not be as effective as a two-sided cooling system but has a reduced loop inductance. One or more embodiments may provide a wide arrangement of SiC devices that causes the minimum source and drain self-inductance of each power switch. Stacked low-side and high-side devices with currents flowing in opposite directions may form a mutual inductance between the two switches, which effectively reduces the loop area and loop inductance. One or more embodiments may provide reduced source and drain inductance and symmetry between separate SiC grains (including gate connectors), which may provide an exceptionally clean switching waveform. One or more embodiments may include an integrated gate driver that provides an optimal gate drive curve for the power switch. The integrated gate driver may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The integrated gate driver may include multiple outputs for a group of SiC grains on each of the power switches. One or more embodiments may provide a reduced loop inductance that allows lower switching losses with SiC grains, which may increase the mileage of electric vehicles for a given battery size. One or more embodiments may provide thermal performance between single-sided and two-sided cooling systems, but with higher switching speeds and frequencies. One or more embodiments may provide layout and device symmetry that may result in superior waveform characteristics.

[0101] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: An inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: A power module, the power module comprising: a first phase switch comprising one or more first phase power switches on a first side of a substrate; and A second phase switch includes one or more second phase power switches on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first phase switch comprises a first point-of-use controller on the first side of the substrate, the first point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more first phase power switches; and The second phase switch comprises a second point-of-use controller on the second side of the substrate, the second point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more second phase power switches.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first phase switch comprises one or more first thermal spacers on the first side of the substrate; and Wherein the second phase switch comprises one or more second thermal spacers on the second side of the substrate. 4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more first thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the second phase power switch, and the one or more second thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the first phase power switch.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first phase switching element is configured to be connected between the negative terminal of the battery and the phase terminal of the motor, and The second phase switching element is configured to be connected between the positive terminal of the battery and the phase terminal of the motor. 6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first phase power switch or the second phase power switch comprises one or more silicon carbide grains.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first phase switch and the second phase switch are arranged at a 180 degree orientation relative to each other.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: the battery, the battery being configured to supply the DC power to the inverter; as well as The motor is configured to receive the AC power from the inverter to drive the motor.

9. A system comprising: A power module, wherein the power module is for an inverter and comprises: a first phase switch comprising one or more first phase power switches on a first side of a substrate; and A second phase power switch includes one or more second phase power switches on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first phase switch comprises a first point-of-use controller on the first side of the substrate, the first point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more first phase power switches; and The second phase switch comprises a second point-of-use controller on the second side of the substrate, the second point-of-use controller being configured to control the one or more second phase power switches.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first phase switch comprises one or more first thermal spacers on the first side of the substrate; and Wherein the second phase switch comprises one or more second thermal spacers on the second side of the substrate.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more first thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the second phase power switch, and the one or more second thermal spacers are substantially aligned with the first phase power switch.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first phase switching element is configured to be connected between the negative terminal of the battery and the phase terminal of the motor, and The second phase switching element is configured to be connected between the positive terminal of the battery and the phase terminal of the motor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first phase switch and the second phase switch are arranged at a 180 degree orientation relative to each other.

15. A system comprising: A power module, wherein the power module is for an inverter and comprises: Negative electrode sheet on the battery side; Positive electrode on the battery side; Motor side piece; A first phase switching element, the first phase switching element extending along a first plane, the first phase switching element being configured to control the current between the battery-side negative electrode sheet and the motor-side sheet; and a second-phase power switching element, the second-phase power switching element extending along the second plane, the second-phase power switching element being configured to control the current between the battery-side positive plate and the motor-side plate, The first phase switching element is stacked on the second phase power switching element such that a normal vector from the first plane intersects with the second plane.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein one or more of the battery-side negative tabs or the battery-side positive tabs extend in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the first phase switching element comprises one or more communication pins, and The one or more communication pins extend in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein the battery-side negative electrode sheet is arranged on the first end of the first phase switching element, wherein the battery-side positive electrode sheet is arranged on the first end of the second phase switching element, and The motor side plate is arranged on the second end of the first phase switching element and the second end of the second phase switching element.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the first phase switching element comprises one or more communication pins, and The one or more communication pins extend from the first phase switching element and pass through an opening in the battery-side positive electrode sheet.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising: a first heat sink disposed on a first side of the power module; as well as A second heat sink is disposed on a second side of the power module.

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