Power module

Abstract

The utility model discloses a power module, and the module comprises a carrying platform which is used for carrying an electronic component; the wire guide nail frame comprises an extension part which extends along a direction which is not parallel to the upper surface of the carrying table, and a terminal end which horizontally extends out from one end of the extension part; the mold sealing layer covers the lead nail frame and exposes the terminal; a support part located below the terminal and supporting the terminal; and the contact pin is arranged outside the mold sealing layer and is electrically connected with the terminal. According to the technical scheme, due to the fact that the supporting part is located below the terminal and supports the terminal, the contact pin at least can be safely and electrically connected to the terminal exposed out of the mold sealing layer without being disconnected from the terminal, and additionally, the supporting part at least can avoid deformation of the wire nail frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of power devices, and more specifically, to a power module. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid adoption of next-generation electric vehicles (xEVs) in recent years, the need for more efficient, smaller, and lighter electric systems has emerged. This is particularly true for the core drive components—electric motor controllers. This has driven not only miniaturization and high efficiency, but also the evolution of power components. To extend EV range, battery capacity is increasing. However, miniaturization of power components, particularly power modules, is not always satisfactory.

[0003] refer to Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a current automotive power module 10 used for single-sided heat dissipation. Figure 1 In the embodiment, terminals 15 are disposed on a carrier 20, which also houses a chip 25. Both the chip 25 and the terminals 15 are located on the same surface of the carrier 20 and are encapsulated by a package 30. It is understood that the terminals 15 serve as external connections within the power module 10. As external connectors, the terminals 15 must extend beyond the surface of the package 30. Because the manufacturing process (molding type) of the automotive power module 10 does not require housing or potting, the area and volume of the power module 10 can be reduced.

[0004] refer to Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a current automotive power module 10 during the manufacturing process is shown. For an automotive power module 10 having a terminal 15 , the terminal 15 needs to be firstly arranged on the same side of the carrier 20 as the chip 25 .

[0005] refer to Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 A schematic diagram illustrates the structure of a current automotive power module 10 during the manufacturing process when the terminals 15 are not present. If the automotive power module 10 does not have the terminals 15, after the chip 25 is placed on the carrier 20, the carrier 20 and a mold chase 35 located above the chip 25 are pressed together to form a package 30 (not shown).

[0006] refer to Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The figure shows a structural diagram of a current automotive power module 10 in the process of manufacturing when the terminal 15 is present. Figure 2As can be understood from the illustration, terminals 15 are placed on carrier 20 before mold 35 is pressed together. Due to the compact design of automotive power module 10 and the generally high height of terminals 15, the presence of terminals 15 can cause the automotive power module 10 with terminals 15 to become difficult to close during the molding process. Furthermore, terminals 15, as external connectors, must extend beyond the surface of package 30. Raising mold 35 height does not effectively resolve this issue. Utility Model Content

[0007] In response to the above problems, the present application proposes a power module that can at least enable the pins to be safely electrically connected to the terminals exposed on the molding layer without being disconnected from the terminals. Additionally, deformation of the wire nail rack can be avoided.

[0008] The technical solution of this application is achieved as follows:

[0009] According to one aspect of the present application, a power module is provided, which includes: a carrier for carrying electronic components; a wire nail rack, the wire nail rack including: an extension portion extending in a direction non-parallel to the upper surface of the carrier, and a terminal extending horizontally from one end of the extension portion; a mold encapsulation layer covering the wire nail rack and exposing the terminal; a support portion located below the terminal and supporting the terminal; and a pin arranged outside the mold encapsulation layer and electrically connected to the terminal.

[0010] In some embodiments, for the projections of the terminal and the extension portion toward the carrier, wherein, in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the terminal, the width of the projection of the terminal is greater than the width of the projection of the extension portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the support portion is connected to the terminal end by an adhesive material.

[0012] In some embodiments, the support portion is not electrically connected to the carrier.

[0013] In some embodiments, the support portion does not serve as part of the signal path.

[0014] In some embodiments, the carrier is a ceramic copper-clad substrate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the wire nail holder electrically connects the circuits in the ceramic copper clad substrate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the circuit includes a first portion and a second portion, the second portion is separated from the first portion, the extension portion is connected to the first portion, and the support portion is connected to the second portion.

[0017] In some embodiments, a surface area of ​​the terminal exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer is larger than a surface area of ​​the extension exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer.

[0018] In some embodiments, the wire staple holder is a soft metal.

[0019] In some embodiments, the pins and terminals are joined together by solder.

[0020] In some embodiments, the support portion is a support column.

[0021] In some embodiments, the surface of the terminal exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer is horizontal.

[0022] In some embodiments, a horizontal surface of the terminal is flush with the upper surface of the molding layer.

[0023] In some embodiments, a portion of the carrier bearing the support portion is spaced apart from a portion of the carrier bearing the extension portion.

[0024] In some embodiments, the power module is a battery power module.

[0025] In some embodiments, the support portion is perpendicular to the upper surface of the carrier.

[0026] In some embodiments, the pins and terminals are connected together by ultrasonic welding.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present application, a power module is provided, which includes: a wire nail rack located on a carrier; a molding layer, which is arranged on the carrier and covers the wire nail rack; wherein the wire nail rack includes: a first part extending away from the upper surface of the carrier and toward the upper surface of the molding layer; a second part extending horizontally from the side of one end of the first part away from the upper surface of the carrier, and the end surface of one end of the first part and the top surface of the second part are exposed compared to the upper surface of the molding layer; a supporting portion, which is arranged below the second part and supports the second part; and a pin, which is electrically connected to the top surface of the second part.

[0028] In some embodiments, an end surface of the first portion is flush with a top surface of the second portion and an upper surface of the molding layer.

[0029] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution include at least: due to the support part located below the terminal and supporting the terminal, the pin can be safely electrically connected to the terminal exposed on the molding layer without being disconnected from the terminal. In addition, the support part can also prevent the wire nail rack from deforming. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a current automotive power module used for single-sided heat dissipation is shown.

[0032] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a current automotive power module manufacturing process is shown.

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a current automotive power module during the manufacturing process when no terminals are present is shown.

[0034] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a current automotive power module during the manufacturing process when terminals are present is shown.

[0035] Figure 5 A structural diagram of another power module is shown.

[0036] Figures 6 to 8A A structural schematic diagram of another power module manufacturing process is shown.

[0037] Figure 8B This figure shows another possible problem that may occur in the manufacturing process of a power module.

[0038] Figure 9 A schematic structural diagram of a power module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0039] Figures 10 to 12 A structural schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a power module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0040] Figure 13 A schematic structural diagram of a power module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0041] Figure 14 A schematic structural diagram of a power module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0042] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the assembly of a power module according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0043] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of another envisioned power module assembly is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0045] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing the different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements will be described below to simplify the present invention. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. For example, in the following description, forming a first component above or on a second component may include an embodiment in which the first component and the second component are in direct contact, and may also include an embodiment in which an additional component is formed between the first component and the second component so that the first component and the second component may not be in direct contact. Moreover, the present invention may repeatedly refer to numbers and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is merely for simplicity and clarity and does not in itself represent a relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0046] In addition, the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other without conflict. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0047] Figure 5 FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another power module 50. Figure 5 Connecting terminals 510 are disposed on a lead frame 515, and a chip 525 is disposed on a carrier 520 and encapsulated by a package body 530. The lead frame 515 has a top surface exposed to the top surface of the package body 530, and the connecting terminals 510 are disposed on the top surface of the lead frame 515. A power module 50 employing this structure, in which connecting terminals 510 are connected in the z-axis direction via the lead frame 515, effectively resolves the problem of previously mentioned power modules with connecting terminals being unable to close the mold during the molding process. However, this power module 50 also presents new problems, which are described in detail below in the context of the manufacturing process of the power module 50.

[0048] Figures 6 to 8A FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of another power module 50 during the manufacturing process. Figure 6 As shown, the chip 525 and the lead frame 515 are disposed on the same side of the carrier 520. Figure 7 , the carrier 520 and the mold 535 located above the chip 525 are pressed together to form a package body 530 (not shown). Figure 8AThe package body 530 is formed and encapsulates the chip 525, and the lead frame 515 has a top surface exposed to the top surface of the package body 530. The mold 535 is removed and the connection terminal 510 (not shown) is connected to the top surface of the lead frame 515 to obtain Figure 5 A power module 50 is shown.

[0049] However, reference Figure 8B , Figure 8B FIG. 5 shows another problem that may occur in the process of manufacturing a power module 50. During the molding process, since the lead frame 515 is generally made of soft metal, Figure 7 The mold pressure generated during the lamination process may cause the compound forming the package body 530 to overflow (molding overflow), resulting in the portion of the lead frame 515 that should be exposed on the top surface of the package body 530 not being exposed. The connection terminal 510 cannot be connected to the chip 525 through the portion of the lead frame 515 exposed on the top surface of the package body 530, resulting in a short circuit. This problem can lead to a high defect rate in the production line of products similar to the power module 50.

[0050] Figure 9 FIG. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a power module 90 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 9 The carrier 920 carries an electronic component 925. The wire holder 915 includes an extension portion 915A extending in a direction non-parallel to the upper surface of the carrier 920 and a terminal 915B extending horizontally from one end of the extension portion 915A. It is understood that the extension direction of the extension portion 915A of the wire holder 915 can be variable. For example, the extension portion 915A can have multiple extension directions and a turning zone when the extension direction changes. The extension direction of the extension portion 915A can also have multiple angles non-parallel to the upper surface of the carrier 920. The mold layer 930 covers the wire holder 915 and exposes the terminal 915B. It is understood that the terminal 915B can be higher than the mold layer 930 or flush with the upper surface of the mold layer 930. The support portion 950 is located below and supports the terminal 915B. The pin 910 is disposed outside the mold layer 930 and is electrically connected to the terminal 915B. Pin 910 serves as an external connector for power module 90. One end is configured to connect to the device to which power module 90 is connected, and the other end is configured to connect to electronic component 925 through terminal 915B. It can be understood that the support portion 950 allows pin 910 to be securely electrically connected to terminal 915B exposed from the mold encapsulation layer 930 without disconnecting from terminal 915B. Furthermore, support portion 950 prevents deformation of wire nail holder 915.

[0051] Please refer to the following Figures 10 to 12 , Figures 10 to 12 FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the power module 90 during the manufacturing process according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 10 As shown, the chip 925 and the wire nail rack 915 are arranged on the same side of the carrier 920, and the terminal 915B of the wire nail rack 915 has a support portion 950 below to support the terminal 915B. Figure 11 , press the carrier 920 and the mold 935 located above the chip 925, and encapsulate the molding compound, grind the surface of the encapsulated molding compound to form a molding layer 930 (not shown). When performing this step of the molding process, it can be understood that due to the support portion 950 that supports the terminal 915B, the wire nail holder 915 is prevented from being bent by the mold flow due to the encapsulation molding layer 930, resulting in the terminal 915B of the wire nail holder 915 being unable to be exposed to the upper surface of the molding layer 930, thereby causing the pin 910 (not shown) to be disconnected from the electronic component 925, resulting in defects. The provision of such a support portion 950 reduces the incidence of glue overflow problems and effectively curbs the high defective rate of the product line. Especially in the molding process, the yield is higher than that of the power module that does not use such a support portion 950. Reference Figure 12 The mold layer 930 is formed and encapsulates the chip 925, and the lead frame 915 has a top surface exposed to the top surface of the mold layer 930. The mold 935 is removed and the pins 910 (not shown) are connected to the upper surface of the lead frame 915 to obtain Figure 9 A power module 90 is shown.

[0052] Return Reference Figure 9Regarding the projections of the terminal 915B and the extension 915A toward the carrier 920, the width of the projection of the terminal 915B is greater than the width of the projection of the extension 915A in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the terminal 915B. It is understood that in some embodiments, the extension 915A stops extending when it approaches or is exposed above the encapsulation layer 930 and has a distal end. The distal end of the extension 915A extends horizontally and has a portion that is wider than the extension 915A in the horizontal extension direction, thereby forming the terminal 915B. It is understood that because the width of the terminal 915B is greater than the width of the extension 915A in cross section, the terminal 915B can be wider, resulting in a greater coverage tolerance when installing pins 910 of different sizes, and can accommodate various wire routing methods. It is understood that the pins 910 can have different sizes to accommodate different electronic devices to be connected to the power module 90. Since the wiring within the wire nail holder 915 needs to be designed accordingly to accommodate the layout of various electronic devices, the pins 910 may need to be located in different positions. Since the terminal 915B is wider than the extension 915A, the exposed area of ​​the terminal 915B is also larger, correspondingly, there are more options for the location of the pin 910 at the terminal 915B. In some embodiments, the support portion 950 is connected to the terminal 915B via an adhesive material. The support portion 950 may not be electrically connected to the carrier 920 and does not form part of the signal path. Preferably, the carrier 920 is a ceramic copper-clad substrate, which serves as a copper-ceramic-copper sandwich, with one side of the carrier having copper connected to the heat sink. It is understood that the wire nail holder 915 can be electrically connected to the wiring within the ceramic copper-clad substrate. Preferably, the circuitry of carrier 920 includes a first portion 920A and a second portion 920B, with second portion 920B separated from first portion 920A. Extension 915A connects to first portion 920A, and support 950 connects to second portion 920B. It will be appreciated that when carrier 920 is a ceramic copper-clad substrate, serving as a copper-ceramic-copper sandwich, the surface of carrier 920 supporting electronic components 925 may be partially uncovered with copper to distinguish first portion 920A connected to the extension from second portion 920B connected to support 950.

[0053] In some embodiments, the extension 915A connects to the bottom of the first portion 920A and the support portion 950 connects to the bottom of the second portion 920B, and the two can be flush. In some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the terminal 915B exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer 930 is larger than the surface area of ​​the extension 915A exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer 930, thereby increasing the overlap tolerance during installation for pins 910 of different sizes. In some embodiments, the wire nail holder 915 is made of soft metal. In some embodiments, the pins 910 and the terminal 915B are soldered together. In some embodiments, the support portion 950 is a support post. In some embodiments, the surface of the terminal 915B exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer 930 is horizontal. In some embodiments, the horizontal surface of the terminal 915B exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer 930 is flush with the upper surface of the molding layer 930. The portion of the carrier 920 that supports the support portion 950 is spaced apart from the portion of the carrier 920 that supports the extension 915A. In some embodiments, the power module 90 is a battery power module. Furthermore, the power module 90 can be a vehicle power module. In some embodiments, the support portion 950 is perpendicular to the upper surface of the carrier 920. In some embodiments, the pin 910 and the terminal 915B are connected together by ultrasonic welding. In some embodiments, the end surface of the extension portion 915A away from the upper surface of the carrier 920 is flush with the top surface of the terminal 915B and the upper surface of the mold layer 930. It can be understood that the extension portion 915A may also have a portion that exposes the upper surface of the mold layer 930.

[0054] According to another aspect of the present application, the present application also provides a power module, for example, Figure 9 The power module 90 includes: a wire nail rack 915 located on a carrier and a mold sealing layer 930 disposed on the carrier and covering the wire nail rack 915. In some embodiments, the carrier may be, for example, Figure 9 The power module 90 further includes a wire nail rack 915, which includes a first portion extending away from the upper surface of the carrier and toward the upper surface of the molding layer 930 (in some embodiments, the first portion may be Figure 9 The first portion includes an extension 915A as shown and a second portion extending horizontally from a side surface of an end of the first portion away from the upper surface of the carrier (in some embodiments, the second portion may be Figure 9The terminal 915B shown in the figure has an end surface of one end of the first part and a top surface of the second part exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer 930. The power module further includes a support portion 950 disposed below the second part and supporting the second part, and a pin 910 electrically connected to the top surface of the second part. Furthermore, in the power module, the end surface of the first part is flush with the top surface of the second part and the upper surface of the molding layer 930. It can be understood that, similar to the description of the power module 90, the power module can be safely electrically connected to the top surface of the second part exposed to the molding layer 930 due to the support portion 950 being located below the second part and supporting the second part, without being disconnected from the second part. Additionally, the support portion can also prevent the wire nail rack 915 from being deformed.

[0055] Figure 13 FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a power module 90 according to an embodiment of the present application. It is understood that the power module 90 may have multiple pins 910 and a wire nail rack 915 connected to the pins 910. The multiple pins 910 are installed in the last step before the power module 90 is formed. The circle in the figure shows the connection between the pins 910 and the wire nail rack 915. It is understood that the exposed top surface area of ​​the terminals 915B of the multiple wire nail racks 915 can be different. At the same time, multiple pins 910 can be provided on a single terminal 915B.

[0056] Figure 14 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a power module 90 according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the extension directions of the extension portions 915A of the plurality of wire nail racks 915 may be different, and the plurality of pins 910 may be arranged in an array.

[0057] Figure 15 FIG1 shows an assembly diagram of a power module 90 according to an embodiment of the present application. For ease of understanding, only the pin 910, the wire nail rack 915 and the support portion 950 are shown. Figure 15 , it is shown that the support portion 950 is assembled under the terminal 915B of the wire nail holder 915 and the pin 910 is arranged above the terminal 915B.

[0058] Figure 16 FIG. 1 shows an assembly diagram of another power module 1000. Figure 16 In the embodiment, a copper pillar 1002 is provided on the carrier 1001 and a terminal 1003 is placed on the copper pillar 1002 . The power module 1000 differs from the power module 90 according to the embodiment of the present application in that the copper pillar 1002 is used instead of the wire nail rack 915 .

[0059] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A power module, comprising: A carrier for carrying electronic components; a wire nail rack, the wire nail rack comprising: an extension portion extending in a direction non-parallel to the upper surface of the carrier, and a terminal extending horizontally from one end of the extension portion; A mold sealing layer, covering the wire nail rack and exposing the terminal; a supporting portion located below the terminal and supporting the terminal; and The pin is arranged outside the molding layer and is electrically connected to the terminal.

2. The power module according to claim 1, wherein: The projections of the terminal and the extension portion toward the carrier, In which, in an extension direction perpendicular to the terminal, a width of a projection of the terminal is greater than a width of a projection of the extension portion.

3. The power module according to claim 1, wherein: The supporting portion is connected to the terminal through an adhesive material.

4. The power module according to claim 3, wherein: The support portion is not electrically connected to the carrier.

5. The power module according to claim 3, wherein: The support portion does not serve as part of the signal path.

6. The power module according to claim 1, wherein: The carrier is a ceramic copper-clad substrate.

7. The power module according to claim 6, wherein: The wire nail rack is electrically connected to the circuits in the ceramic copper clad substrate.

8. The power module according to claim 7, wherein: The circuit includes a first portion and a second portion, the second portion is separated from the first portion, the extension portion is connected to the first portion, and the support portion is connected to the second portion.

9. The power module according to claim 1, wherein: A surface area of ​​the terminal exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer is greater than a surface area of ​​the extension portion exposed relative to the upper surface of the molding layer.

10. The power module according to claim 1, wherein: The supporting portion is perpendicular to the upper surface of the stage.

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