Assembly having cooling structure arrangement, method

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly 1 having a component arrangement 2, the component arrangement 2 having at least one component 3; having a cooling structure arrangement 8, the cooling structure arrangement 8 being applied to the cooling side 15 of the component arrangement 2 in a one-step molding manner; having a cover arrangement 10 wherein the cover arrangement 10 seals the cooling structure arrangement 8 so as to form a fluid space 11 through which the cooling fluid can flow; wherein the component arrangement 2 has a dry side 16, and wherein at least one component 3 is arranged on the dry side 16.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a component with a cooling structure configuration having the features of the preamble of independent claim 1. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a component. Background Art

[0002] Coolers based on the current state of the art of power electronics typically employ dedicated components, the manufacture of which is independent of the unit to be cooled. These coolers have connection surfaces to which the unit to be cooled is joined. Common joining processes are, for example, bonding, welding, or sintering. These joining processes have their advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost and performance.

[0003] Publication DE 102021209482A1 discloses an electronic module having at least one power semiconductor electrically connected to a contact arrangement and having at least one cooling element for at least indirectly cooling at least one power semiconductor, wherein at least one cooling element is configured as a cooling element produced in an additive manufacturing process and at least one cooling element is arranged between at least one power semiconductor and the contact arrangement and electrically connects at least one power semiconductor to the contact arrangement. The power semiconductor is arranged in a cooling medium. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The subject matter of the present invention is a component having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 14. Advantageous or preferred embodiments of the present invention result from the dependent claims, the following description, and the drawings.

[0005] The present invention relates to a component (Baugruppe), which in the most general embodiment of the present invention is configured as an arbitrary component, in particular an electrical and / or electronic component.

[0006] The component has a component configuration (Bauteilanordnung), wherein the component configuration has at least one component. The component is in particular configured as an electronic and / or electrical component. In particular, at least one component is configured as a component that generates heat during operation. In particular, the heat is, for example, waste heat generated by the conversion of electrical power in the component.

[0007] The component has a cooling structure configuration, wherein the cooling structure configuration is applied in one piece to the cooling side of the component configuration. Thus, the cooling structure configuration is not placed as a finished component on the cooling side, but is generated from an intangible raw block. In particular, the one-piece application results in a material-locking connection being formed between the component configuration and the cooling structure configuration. In particular, one-piece forming (Urformen) refers to all such manufacturing processes in which a solid body is made from intangible material to produce the intended shape of the solid body and to form a material bond. In particular, one-piece forming includes additive manufacturing.

[0008] Particularly preferably, the cooling structure configuration is constructed to be metallic, so that the base material of the cooling structure configuration has very good thermal conductivity as a metallic base material. In particular, the thermal conductivity λ of the metallic base material is > 10 W / (m×K).

[0009] The component has a cover configuration, wherein the cover configuration seals the cooling structure configuration. The sealing is constructed in such a way that a fluid space is formed through which a cooling fluid can flow.

[0010] In the present invention, it is proposed that the cooling structure configuration has a dry side, on which at least one component is arranged. In particular, the dry side of the component is arranged outside the fluid space, so that the component is arranged isolated from the cooling fluid.

[0011] One advantage of the present invention is that, on the one hand, the cooling structure configuration applied in one piece ensures an optimal heat dissipation effect of the component configuration, and on the other hand, by arranging the component on the dry side, there are no insulation problems with respect to electrical insulation from the cooling fluid. In particular, the component to be cooled forms the carrier of the one-piece manufacturing process for the production of the cooling structure and is thus an integral part of the fluid space.

[0012] To date, common production processes can take into account the usually expected behavior of the finally joined components (cooler and unit to be cooled), but have two core weaknesses: To date, all common swirlers only allow a turbulent geometry in all three spatial dimensions within a very limited range. The main orientation of the turbulence is limited to two dimensions. These two dimensions always have the same geometry and are associated with the semi-finished products (Halbwerkzeuge) required for production. Since the production of the cooler unit is independent of the component to be cooled, the cooler unit is not individually optimally adapted to the component to be cooled and its inherent manufacturing-related fluctuations, even in mass production. In addition, small batch production usually cannot be achieved cost-effectively because it is not possible to use radiators specifically adapted for small batch production. In contrast, the one-piece manufacturing of the cooling structure configuration can also overcome these disadvantages.

[0013] In particular, several or all of the following advantages can be achieved: The cooling structure configuration can be individually adapted to each component configuration to be cooled. This implementation enables the cooling structure configuration to be freely formed, thereby generating turbulence in a controllable manner in all three spatial dimensions. This implementation can respond to fluctuations during the preprocessing process (during the production process of the cooling configuration) and adapt the required cooling power according to these fluctuations. This allows for a wider range of preprocessing specifications. Whether it is small-batch production or large-batch production, this implementation can be used economically and efficiently. The cooling performance far exceeds the current state of the art. Preliminary direct comparisons show that the performance has increased by >20%. Compared with individually manufactured components, the cost is significantly reduced. This includes both the effective cost of the cooling structure configuration itself and the preprocessing cost and resulting error cost of the entire final assembly.

[0014] In a preferred design of the present invention, the cooling structure configuration is applied by an additive 3D printing process and / or by selective laser sintering and / or SLM technology. In particular, powders, especially metal powders, can be used as the raw material.

[0015] In a preferred implementation of the present invention, the component configuration is constructed such that, during operation, especially during normal operation and / or regular operation, a spatially resolved thermal power distribution is formed. In particular, a two-dimensional distribution of the heat sources forming the component configuration is formed. In contrast, during operation, the cooling fluid forms a cooling power distribution in the fluid space, where the cooling power distribution matches the thermal power distribution.

[0016] During the matching process, the cooling power distribution can be increased, especially a local maximum can be specified, in the area of the component configuration where at least one component is arranged. In contrast, a reduced cooling power distribution, especially a local minimum, is assigned in the area of the component configuration where no component is constructed.

[0017] The cooling structure configuration preferably has a plurality of single structures. In particular, the surface density of the single structures in the area of at least one component is greater than that in the component-free and / or other areas. For example, the single structures are designed as pins and / or struts. Preferably, the single structures have a thickness variation in the height direction perpendicular to the circuit board and / or the Z direction. In particular, the single structures are constructed as conical, especially with the surface density decreasing along the Z direction starting from the circuit board.

[0018] The cooling structure configuration preferably has a height distribution. During the matching process, it can be specified that a cooling structure configuration with a larger height, especially a local maximum, is set in the area of the component configuration where at least one component is arranged. In contrast, a reduced height, especially a local minimum, can be assigned in the component-free area of the component configuration.

[0019] Particularly preferably, the cooling structure arrangement has a component-resolved variation. In particular, the cooling structure arrangement has sub-surfaces spaced from one another, where each sub-surface can be individually and / or selectively assigned a component. This means that the cooling structure arrangement is only applied where heat dissipation is required.

[0020] In a preferred development of the invention, the cooling structure arrangement has a density distribution, where the density of the cooling structure arrangement varies along the height and / or in the extension parallel to the cooling side surface. Different densities can be achieved by one-piece manufacturing, for example by adjusting the porosity in the cooling structure arrangement. This means that, in particular by adjusting the density of the one-piece cooling structure with respect to the surface to be cooled, a cooling power adapted to process-related fluctuations or component distribution can be achieved. In particular, the varying density distribution can locally adjust the cooling power, for example, while maintaining the same height, without changing any connection geometries of the cooling structure arrangement.

[0021] In a preferred implementation of the invention, the cover arrangement has a flow-guiding region, where the flow-guiding region projects into the fluid space. Thus, the flow structure in the fluid space is determined by the interaction between the cooling structure arrangement and the flow-guiding region of the cover arrangement. In particular, the flow-guiding regions in the cover arrangement are irregularly distributed. Thus, the flow in the fluid space can be controlled not only by means of the cooling structure arrangement but also supplementarily by the flow-guiding regions of the cover arrangement. In particular, a functional distribution is carried out, where in particular heat dissipation is achieved by the component-resolved variation of the cooling structure, and the guiding of the cooling fluid is achieved by the flow-guiding regions of the cover arrangement. In this way, the size of the cooling structure arrangement can be limited to a minimum and manufacturing costs can be saved.

[0022] In a particularly simple design of the invention, the cover arrangement is sealingly arranged on the component arrangement. Thus, the cover arrangement forms one sealing pair and the component arrangement forms the other sealing pair. Optionally, the cover arrangement has an interface for connection to a cooling circuit. In particular, the interface includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet.

[0023] In a preferred implementation of the invention, the component arrangement has a circuit board, where at least one component is applied to the circuit board. In particular, a conductive coating or printed layer is applied on the dry side of the circuit board for contact with at least one component.

[0024] Preferably, the circuit board has a ceramic core, where particularly good thermal conductivity is obtained through the ceramic core, so that the thermal path from at least one component through the circuit board to the cooling structure arrangement and then to the fluid space has as low a thermal conductivity value as possible. For example, the circuit board is configured as an AMB circuit board.

[0025] In a preferred implementation of the present invention, the component is designed as a high-performance switching element, such as a MOSFET or an IGBT. Preferably, the assembly is configured as an inverter assembly and / or a voltage converter assembly for the electric drive and / or the hybrid drive of a vehicle.

[0026] Another subject of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an assembly, in particular an assembly as described above. Here, the component configuration is measured, in particular an electrical characteristic analysis is carried out, in order to determine the thermal power distribution during operation. This can be achieved by directly measuring the thermal power distribution, for example using a thermal imager; it can also be achieved indirectly by measuring the assembly and estimating the thermal power distribution. Based on the thermal power distribution, the cooling structure configuration is modeled, and it is also possible to model the cover configuration of the flow guiding area with an adapted cooling power distribution, which is then applied or manufactured to the component configuration by one-time molding. Optionally, the cooling structure configuration or also the cover configuration is adapted to the component configuration of a structural form, so that all component configurations of this structural form obtain the same cooling structure configuration and can also obtain the same cover configuration. Or, each component configuration is adjusted individually, so that each component configuration obtains an individually modeled cooling structure configuration and can also obtain an individually modeled cover configuration.

[0027] In particular, the cooling structure configuration is determined in such a way that a pre-determined or simulated or 3D turbulence designed using an optimization process is achieved during the operation of the assembly.

[0028] Spatially resolve the adjustment of the structure to optimize the cooling performance: Only after the electrical characteristics analysis of the component to be cooled or the configuration of the component to be cooled is carried out, can the one-time forming coating, especially 3D printing, be carried out. In this way, it is possible to accurately adjust the required cooling power (such as chip-resolved), so as to optimize the cost performance to the greatest extent. In addition, by optimizing the cooling structure, the fluctuations in the preprocessing process can be better compensated. Therefore, this approach can also achieve a larger capture range or wider specification limits in the preprocessing process. This can reduce the error cost of the entire process chain. For example, during the processing of power semiconductors to be cooled, the fluctuation range of the so-called Rdson (the lead resistance in the "on" state of the semiconductor) can reach + / - 30%. Therefore, in a power module with multiple such power semiconductors installed, the "Part-to-Part" difference is usually in the range of + / - 5%. This Rdson is a measure of energy dissipation and thus also the local cooling power required during operation. Similar fluctuations also exist in other parameters of power semiconductors. The cooling system outlined in this article can locally adjust the cooler geometry based on the previously performed module characteristics analysis, thereby compensating for production-based fluctuations in the preprocessing process. Traditional cooler systems cannot do this because traditional cooler systems are pre-manufactured independently of individual module characteristics analysis. For example, the geometry of a single cooling structure (cell, such as pins) can be adjusted, or the local density of the pins can be changed (turbulent structure, such as the distance between pins). In this way, the pressure drop can be locally adjusted. The pressure drop in the cooling system is also a key parameter for adjusting the cooling power. Using this method, the effective cross-section of the cooling medium flow can be adjusted. Description of the Drawings

[0029] Other features, effects and advantages of the present invention are derived from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the drawings. Among them:

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a component as an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic three-dimensional view of one or the components as an embodiment of the present invention is shown,

[0032] Figure 3a a, b, c show a schematic bottom view, cross-sectional view and top view of a component as another embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Parts corresponding or identical to each other are provided with corresponding or identical reference numerals. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0034] Figure 1Component 1 is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view as an embodiment of the present invention. Component 1 is configured as an electrical and / or electronic component 1. In particular, component 1 is configured as an inverter component and / or a voltage converter component of a power electronics device for a vehicle electric drive. In this design, it is known that waste heat is generated during operation, and this waste heat must be actively discharged by a cooling fluid.

[0035] Component 1 has a component configuration 2, the component configuration having at least one component 3 and a circuit board 4, wherein at least one component 3 is arranged on the circuit board 4. Component 3 is in particular a high-performance switching element, such as a MOSFET, IGBT or similar element for fast switching.

[0036] The circuit board 4 is configured as a ceramic printed circuit board having a ceramic core 5, wherein a conductive and application-structured contact layer 6, for example made of copper, is applied on the side of the circuit board 4 facing the component 3. On the opposite side, a metal coating, printed layer or similar layer can be configured as a connection layer 7, and the connection layer can also be made of copper. Component 1 has a cooling structure configuration 8, wherein the cooling structure configuration 8 has a plurality of single structures 9. The cooling structure configuration 8 is applied to the component configuration 2 by one-time molding, in particular to the connection layer 7. For example, it can be applied by an additive 3D printing process or by selective laser sintering or selective laser melting (SLM). The cooling structure configuration 8 and / or the cooling structure 9 are made of a metal raw material and thus have high thermal conductivity.

[0037] Component 1 has a cover configuration 10, wherein the cover configuration 10 seals the cooling structure configuration 8 in such a way as to form a fluid space 11, wherein the cooling structure configuration 8 and / or the cooling structure 9 are arranged in the fluid space 11. For example, the cover configuration 10 is sealingly arranged on the component configuration 2, in particular on the circuit board 4, by means of a seal 12. The cover configuration 10 can have interfaces in the form of a fluid inlet 13 and a fluid outlet 14, such that the cooling fluid can flow through the fluid space 11.

[0038] It can be seen from Figure 1 that the fluid space 11 and thus the cooling fluid are only arranged on the cooling side 15 (in particular the wet side) of the component configuration 2, in particular the circuit board 4. The other side of the component configuration 2, in particular the circuit board 4, is configured as a dry side 16, and the dry side is isolated from the cooling fluid and / or arranged in a particularly dry ambient atmosphere. In particular, at least one component 3 is arranged on the dry side 16 of the component configuration 2 and / or the circuit board 4.

[0039] Since the cooling structure configuration 8 is applied by one-shot forming, it can be structured arbitrarily. In this way, the cooling structure configuration is structured in a component-resolved manner, so that the region of the component configuration 2 with the component 3 (which acts as a heat source) is cooled more strongly than the region of the component configuration 2 where no component is arranged. In particular, the cooling power distribution of the cooling structure configuration 8 is adapted to the thermal power distribution of the component configuration 2. For example, the surface density of the structural elements 9 within the region of the component 3 is higher than that of the region without components. The shape of the cooling structure 9, in particular the height, can also be individually adapted to the distribution of the component 3.

[0040] Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic view of the component 1 is shown, in which the cover device 10 is removed. In the cover configuration 10, the fluid inlet 13 and the fluid outlet 14 are configured as through-holes. The flow-guiding region 17 is arranged between the fluid inlet 13 and the fluid outlet 14. In the present embodiment, the flow-guiding region 17 is configured as a simple, straight bridging portion. In other designs, these regions can be implemented in a more complex and irregular manner. The function of the flow-guiding region 17 is to control the fluid flow of the cooling fluid in the fluid space 11 and guide it appropriately for the application.

[0041] As can be seen from the top view of the cooling side 14 of the component configuration 2, the single structures 9 are respectively arranged in the sub-surfaces 18a, b, c, d, e, f, g such that they respectively correspond to the components 3 arranged on the dry side.

[0042] The structural elements 9 can be configured as simple pins or struts, so that they can control the 2D turbulence generated in the plane parallel to the circuit board 4 by the distribution. Alternatively, these pins or struts can also have a thickness variation in the height direction perpendicular to the circuit board 4 and / or the Z direction. Then, variations in the X-Y plane can be achieved through the distribution, and a variable density in the Z direction can be achieved. In particular, 3D turbulence can be controlled. This corresponds to "Complexity-for-free" because the shape and distribution of the structural elements 9 can be arbitrarily adjusted in a one-shot forming coating as part of the manufacturing-compliant implementation process.

[0043] The cooling power of the cooling structure configuration 8 mainly depends on the design of the so-called turbulence geometry. In contrast, the laminar flow of the coolant in the cooler results in poor cooling performance, while appropriate turbulence has a significant impact on the cooling power. Turbulence occurs in all three spatial dimensions and is caused by the geometry of the cooling structure configuration 8 in the corresponding dimensions. Compared with the conventional manufacturing process of standard cooling systems, using metal 3D printing can achieve additional degrees of freedom in geometry (known by the keyword "Complexity-For-Free") without affecting the manufacturing cost. In contrast, traditional manufacturing processes only allow high-precision undercuts in the Z-axis, while 3D printing can achieve undercuts without increasing costs or processing time. Therefore, the cooler geometry has optimized turbulence in all three dimensions. Essentially, it can be expected that the thermal gradient in the Z-axis is the steepest. Due to the "Complexity-For-Free" method adopted by 3D printing, the cooling structure configuration 8 can optimize the cooling path in all three dimensions, especially in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, it can cool along the steepest thermal gradient, while other processes can only achieve this at a significantly higher cost.

[0044] The component configuration 2 to be cooled is configured as an integrated part of the cooling circuit to optimize the cost of unit performance, volume, and weight: The traditional cooler assembly is replaced by the 3D-printed cooling structure configuration 8, which is individually optimized for the component configuration 2 to be cooled. This printing is directly applied to the so-called power supply substrate, which is the circuit board 4, making it an integrated part of the cooling structure configuration 8. This, in turn, reduces the thermal path to the heat source in the form of the component 3. Compared with the traditional cooling system, the cooling power is increased by 20%, and the volume and weight are also reduced. Therefore, overall, the cost of unit performance can be improved.

[0045] Any (electronic) component 3 that actively requires a cooling element due to high power density can be used, such as power modules used in electric vehicles, half-bridges and full-bridges in other devices (such as power tools), and even processors, ASICs, or μCs with high power density. The unit to be cooled, as the component configuration 2, only needs a metal interface suitable for one-shot coating, especially suitable for hybrid 3D printing. One-shot coating, especially hybrid metal 3D printing, can already be achieved on sub-micron-thick metallized holding conductor chips or sub-micron-thick connection layers 7. Therefore, providing such a necessary metallization is not a limiting factor.

[0046] Figure 3aa, b, and c show a bottom view of the cooling side 15, a sectional view of the drying side 16, and a top view of the component 1 as another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, it can be seen that each member 3 is assigned a sub-surface 18a-h of the cooling structure configuration 8. Through selective assignment, the cooling structure configuration 8 can be constructed very small, thus enabling cost savings in manufacturing.

[0047] Therefore, an optimized combination is formed between the (especially printed) cooling structure configuration 8 and the cooling channels of the cover configuration 10, thereby reducing costs and improving performance. The cooling structure configuration 10 is directly printed on the substrate, which is configured as a circuit board 4 of the power electronic device configured as a member configuration 2, and is inserted into the cooling channels through which the cooling medium flows. In principle, the manufacturing cost would be very high because the process time for applying the cooling structure configuration 10 is correspondingly long. However, in practical applications, most of the cooling structures are usually only used to control the cooling medium to achieve good flow in the heat-generating areas. This means that the actual heat-generating areas are much smaller. The cooling structures are only applied to the heat-generating areas. Through the hybrid structure, that is, applied to the substrate in one molding, the cooling distance is very small, resulting in very small heat diffusion. To "fill" the remaining structures (to optimize the flow), these structures are integrated into the cooling channels of the cover configuration 10. For example, the cover configuration 10 can be made of plastic, and during the injection molding process, flow guiding areas 17 are also generated in these structures ( Figure 2 ).

Claims

1. Component (1), has a component configuration (2), wherein, The component configuration (2) has at least one component (3), with a cooling structure configuration (8), wherein the cooling structure configuration (8) is applied to the cooling side (15) of the component configuration (2) by one - piece forming, with a cover configuration (10), wherein the cover configuration (10) seals the cooling structure configuration (8) to form a fluid space (11) through which a cooling fluid can flow, characterized in that the component configuration (2) has a dry side (16), wherein the at least one component (3) is arranged on the dry side (16).

2. The component (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling structure configuration (8) is applied by an additive 3D printing process and / or selective laser sintering and / or SLM.

3. The component (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The component configuration (2) is configured to form a spatially - resolved thermal power distribution during operation, wherein during operation the cooling fluid forms a cooling power distribution in the fluid space (11), and wherein the cooling power distribution matches the thermal power distribution.

4. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that An increased cooling power distribution is assigned in the region of the at least one component (3), and / or a reduced cooling power distribution is assigned in the component - free or other regions.

5. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The cooling structure configuration (8) has a plurality of single structures (9), wherein preferably the surface density of the single structures (9) is greater in the region of the at least one component (3) than in the component - free and / or other regions.

6. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The cooling structure configuration (8) has a height distribution, wherein the height of the cooling structure configuration is greater in the region of the at least one component (3) than in the component - free region.

7. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The cooling structure configuration (8) has a density distribution, wherein the density of the cooling structure configuration varies along the height and / or in the extension parallel to the surface of the cooling side (15).

8. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The cooling structure configuration (8) has spaced - apart sub - surfaces (18a - h), wherein each of the sub - surfaces (18a - h) is selectively assigned a component (3).

9. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The cover configuration (10) has a flow - guiding region (17), wherein the flow - guiding region (17) extends into the fluid space (11) and / or protrudes from the cover configuration (10).

10. The component (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The flow - guiding region (17) acts in cooperation with the cooling structure configuration (8).

11. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The cover configuration (10) is sealingly arranged on the component configuration (2).

12. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The component configuration (2) has a circuit board (4), wherein the at least one component (3) is applied to the circuit board (4).

13. The component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The at least one component (3) is configured as a high - performance switching element, and / or the component is configured as an inverter component for a vehicle electric drive.

14. A method for manufacturing a component (1), in particular a component (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, Measure the component configuration (2) to obtain the thermal power distribution, then determine the cooling structure configuration (8) based on the thermal power distribution, and then apply the cooling structure configuration (8) to the component configuration (2) by one - piece forming.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The cooling structure configuration (8) is determined such that, during operation of the component (1), a presettable, simulated, or optimized process-designed 3D turbulence is achieved, so that the component configuration (2) forms a spatially resolved thermal power distribution during operation, wherein during operation the cooling fluid forms a cooling power distribution in the fluid space (11), and wherein the cooling power distribution matches the thermal power distribution.

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