Intelligent IPM power module device
By optimizing the high-voltage and low-voltage pin layout through lead frame design and multi-zone base island structure, and combining it with silver sintering heat dissipation, the problems of large size and slow protection response of existing intelligent IPM modules are solved, realizing a high power density and fast protection intelligent IPM power module device.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202521534081.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-25
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-07-22
AI Technical Summary
Existing intelligent IPM power modules in high-voltage power conversion devices suffer from asymmetrical high-voltage and low-voltage pin layouts, leading to increased electrical clearance requirements, larger module size, and difficulties in PCB board wiring. Furthermore, the response speed and accuracy of over-temperature and over-current protection are insufficient, affecting system reliability and safety.
The lead frame design separates the high-voltage and low-voltage pins, resulting in a more rational pin layout and optimized PCB routing. It also reduces thermal resistance through a multi-zone base island structure and silver sintering heat dissipation, integrates over-temperature and over-current protection functions, shortens the current path, reduces parasitic inductance and stray backflow, and achieves fast drive and good heat dissipation.
With the same package size, the current capability is increased by 30%, the power density is increased to 35kW/L, the full-load efficiency is increased by 1.4%, the EMI radiation bandwidth is narrowed by 8dBμV, and the control loop hysteresis is reduced to 180ns, achieving fast drive, good heat dissipation and electromagnetic compatibility in high power density applications.
Smart Images
Figure CN224684688U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model belongs to, but is not limited to, the field of IPM technology, and particularly relates to an intelligent IPM power module device. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, consumer electronics motor drive products are trending towards miniaturization, integration, and high power density. Existing IPM (Intelligent Power Module) technology encapsulates an inverter, including IGBTs, MOSFET power devices, and driver ICs for these devices, all within a single package. In high-voltage power conversion devices, electrical clearances are typically required between high-voltage and low-voltage pins, and between high-voltage and low-voltage pins. According to safety regulations, a reasonable electrical clearance (the distance between the edges of the copper foil around the pads of two high-voltage pins or between two high-voltage and low-voltage pins) is 2.54 mm or more. Therefore, existing technologies, in order to meet these clearance requirements, increase the size of through-hole IPM modules, complicate PCB layout, and increase the cost of both the module and the PCB.
[0003] In existing technologies for intelligent IPM power modules, such as ON Semiconductor's FNB35060T module, which integrates power switching devices, drive circuitry, and protection functions, it is suitable for three-phase inverter applications. However, this module still has certain limitations in pin layout and functional integration, such as the lack of a more optimized symmetrical layout for high-voltage and low-voltage pins, and limited integration of protection pin functions.
[0004] Furthermore, existing IPM modules lack sufficient response speed and accuracy in over-temperature and over-current protection. This leads to untimely response of protection mechanisms in high-frequency, high-power-density applications, thus affecting system reliability and safety. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in lead frame design, pin layout optimization, and the integration and response performance of protection functions to meet the application requirements of higher performance and reliability. Utility Model Content
[0005] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this utility model provides an intelligent IPM power module device.
[0006] This invention is implemented as follows: an intelligent IPM power module device includes a lead frame, which includes multiple base islands and multiple pins. The multiple base islands are configured to carry power chips and driver chips. The multiple pins include high-voltage pins, low-voltage pins, power supply pins, and protection pins. The high-voltage pins VBw, VBv, and VBu are located on one side of the lead frame, the low-voltage pins are located on the other side of the lead frame, and the protection pins are located on the low-voltage pin side of the lead frame.
[0007] Furthermore, the high-voltage pins VBw, VBv, and VBu are respectively connected to the corresponding high-side drive floating ground terminals, and the low-voltage pins include U, V, and W phase output terminal pins and corresponding DC power supply negative terminal pins Nu, Nv, and Nw.
[0008] Furthermore, the power supply pins include VCCu, VCCv, and VCCw, which are respectively connected to the power input terminals of the U, V, and W phase driver chips. The lead frame is also provided with a common ground pin COM.
[0009] Furthermore, the low-voltage pin further includes signal input pins HINu, LINu, HINv, LINv, HINw, and LINw, which are respectively used to connect to the high-side and low-side signal control terminals of an external controller.
[0010] Furthermore, the protection pins include a temperature acquisition pin Vts, a fault output pin FO, and an overcurrent detection pin CIN. The temperature acquisition pin is connected to a thermistor, and the overcurrent detection pin is connected to a bus current sampling node.
[0011] Furthermore, the base island is connected to the source and drain of the power chip respectively through a metal connection structure, and the lead frame is electrically connected to each pin through metal leads.
[0012] This invention separates the high-voltage pins and low-voltage pins on two sides, avoiding the high-voltage and low-voltage pins being on the same side, improving the module volume occupied by the electrical clearance of insulation, making the pin layout more reasonable, facilitating PCB routing and module installation; and adding over-temperature and over-current protection functions within the same volume.
[0013] This invention arranges the three-phase half-bridge and PFC power transistors side-by-side in a multi-region base island configuration on the same substrate at the packaging level, and directly bonds each phase driver chip above the corresponding power region, compressing the driver-gate interconnect distance to the millimeter level. The power copper pillars and heat sink are connected by silver sintering instead of traditional soldering, significantly reducing thermal resistance. On the signal side, a dual-row FPC is used to connect back-to-back with the main control board, isolating logic and power levels at different heights. This combination of vertical stacking and lateral symmetry reduces parasitic inductance and stray return current area simultaneously, allowing the device to maintain low overvoltage spikes at switching frequencies in the hundreds of kilohertz range and enabling heat to be conducted away in the shortest path.
[0014] Compared to commonly used SIP pin IPMs or discrete PFC + inverter topologies, the improved module offers approximately 30% higher current capability and a power density of 35kW / L within the same package size. With built-in VCEsat overcurrent detection and thermistor-linked protection, closed-loop control requires only an MCU and a few passive components, reducing wiring by nearly 40%. Actual system testing shows a 1.4% increase in full-load efficiency, an 8dBμV reduction in EMI radiation bandwidth, and a decrease in control loop hysteresis from 480ns to 180ns, achieving a comprehensive improvement in high-power-density applications while maintaining fast drive, good heat dissipation, and electromagnetic compatibility. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an IPM power module provided by existing technology.
[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent IPM power module device provided in an embodiment of this utility model. Detailed Implementation
[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.
[0018] like Figure 2 As shown, this utility model embodiment provides an intelligent IPM power module device. The intelligent IPM power module device includes a lead frame, which includes multiple base islands and multiple pins. High voltage pins VBw, VBv, and VBu are disposed on one side of the lead frame, and low voltage pins are symmetrically disposed on the other side of the lead frame. The other side of the lead frame is also provided with over-temperature protection pins and over-current protection pins.
[0019] Pin Name describe NC Empty foot COM Public Land VCCw W-phase power supply terminal LINw W-phase low-side signal input terminal HINw W-phase high-side signal input terminal VtsFO CIN VCCv V-phase power supply terminal LINv V-phase low-side signal input terminal HINv V-phase high-side signal input terminal VCCu U-phase power supply terminal LINu U-phase low-side signal input terminal HINu U-phase high-side signal input terminal Nu U-phase DC power supply negative terminal
[0020] The intelligent IPM (Intelligent Power Module) power module device provided in this embodiment includes an integrated lead frame structure. The lead frame consists of multiple base island areas and several arranged pins, where the base island areas serve as the carrier areas for the power chip and driver chip, providing electrical isolation and thermal management for the power devices. Each pin is functionally divided into high-voltage pins, low-voltage control pins, power supply pins, and protection pins, respectively responsible for power transmission, signal driving, and status monitoring. This device integrates power output and drive control, making it suitable for scenarios such as motor control in three-phase inverter circuits.
[0021] Structurally, the high-voltage side pins VBw, VBv, and VBu are symmetrically arranged on one side of the lead frame, serving as the high-side floating drive terminals for the U / V / W phases of the three-phase motor. They are connected to the source of the internal high-side power MOSFETs, and their corresponding drains are connected to the positive terminal P of the DC bus, leading out to the external bus power supply. The corresponding U, V, and W phase output pins are located in the lower area, directly led out from the output terminals of the low-side power transistors. Parasitic inductance is reduced through optimized wiring layer design, and the heat flow path for power transmission is ensured to be short and stable.
[0022] Each module has corresponding high-side and low-side signal drive pins, such as HINu, LINu, HINv, LINv, and HINw, LINw, to receive PWM pulse drive signals from an external controller (such as an MCU or DSP). These pins control the on / off states of the high-side and low-side power MOS in the three-phase bridge arms, thereby achieving the synthesized output of the three-phase inverter waveform. Each set of signal input pins is connected to the input terminal of the driver chip through level isolation, and internal undervoltage lockout and dead-time protection mechanisms are designed to prevent shoot-through breakdown of the upper and lower bridge arms.
[0023] VCCu, VCCv, and VCCw are the power supply pins for the U, V, and W phase drive sides, respectively, providing independent voltage inputs for each phase driver chip to ensure stable power supply for both high and low side drives. The COM pin is the common ground terminal, used for low-voltage signal reference ground connection, ensuring the stability of the control logic and the anti-interference capability of the drive system. NC is an empty pin, used for lead frame symmetry and universal package mold design considerations, and has no actual electrical function.
[0024] The module also integrates signal pins for temperature protection (Vts), fault feedback (FO), and overcurrent detection (CIN), forming a protection circuit. The temperature acquisition circuit is connected to the Vts interface through a thermistor. When the chip temperature exceeds the limit, it pulls the FO pin low, and the external control system interrupts the PWM signal accordingly. The CIN pin detects the bus current to trigger the short-circuit overcurrent protection logic, forming a multi-level protection loop with the internal overcurrent protection circuit.
[0025] This intelligent IPM power module is based on a three-phase bridge topology design with a highly integrated internal structure, forming a packaged system including power transistors, driver chips, and protection circuits. Its operation involves a control signal driving the MOSFET bridge arms to conduct, achieving three-phase pulse width modulation output. Simultaneously, a high-side drive floating ground configuration, combined with potential drift compensation, ensures stable and reliable high-voltage side drive capability. This structure significantly simplifies the peripheral circuitry, improves system response speed and noise immunity, and offers excellent application compatibility.
[0026] The lead frame uses a one-piece stamped thick copper substrate, divided into three power base islands in the center, corresponding to the high-side and low-side power transistors of the U, V, and W phases. The base islands are separated by trenches of ≥1.2mm for creepage isolation. The positive terminal P of the DC bus is located on the same side as the three-phase output U / V / W pins. Copper pillars penetrate the bottom surface of the package and are directly soldered to each power base island. The current path is from P → high-side transistor → phase output, and then back to the negative DC terminal of Nu / Nv / Nw through the low-side transistor. The current closed loop only passes through a single layer of copper, minimizing the loop area and compressing the parasitic inductance to the sub-Anahen level.
[0027] The other side houses the logic and drive signal pins. Each phase has an independent VCCx for drive power, while LINx and HINx control the low-side and high-side gates, respectively. The VBx pin is common to the phase output and serves as the floating reference for the high-side drive, charging energy before high-side conduction via an external bootstrap capacitor. COM converges to logic ground, and NC is an isolated unused pin to increase the electrical clearance between the low-voltage and power regions. An external soft-turn-off capacitor is connected to the CIN pin, injecting a preset charge into the gate during faults to suppress di / dt overshoot. The VtsFO pin is internally connected to a thermistor and VCEsat detector, outputting a fault pulse when the junction temperature or on-state voltage drop exceeds limits.
[0028] During module operation, the user MCU drives LINx and HINx based on the input waveform. The low-side transistor conducts first to pre-charge the phase line, while the bootstrap capacitor completes the charging before the high-side transistor conducts, maintaining a voltage of approximately 12V between VBx and U / V / W. Afterward, the high-side transistor conducts, completing the half-bridge commutation. The power base island is directly attached to the heat sink substrate, and heat is vertically transferred to the heat sink fins through the silver sintered layer, with a thermal resistance of less than 0.5K / W. Multiple copper pillars from COM to the power base plate simultaneously handle heat flow and return current, suppressing common-mode noise and improving temperature drift consistency.
[0029] Overcurrent protection relies on VCEsat monitoring of the low-side IGBT. After FO is triggered, the internal latch shuts down the three-phase gate drive and initiates soft shutdown controlled by CIN to prevent overvoltage spikes caused by DC-link inductive energy backflow. Overtemperature protection reads the internal thermistor value of Vts in real time and makes a determination based on the external voltage divider. When the temperature drops below the hysteresis value, the latch automatically resets. The entire device achieves high power density, fast protection, and low EMI synergy through a symmetrical pin layout, short-path power loop, and distributed heat dissipation structure. Example 1
[0030] This intelligent IPM power module was applied to an 11kW on-board charger for an 800V platform electric vehicle. The DC bus P is connected to the positive terminal of the on-board high-voltage battery, with Nu / Nv / Nw connected in parallel as the negative terminal. The three-phase half-bridge outputs U, V, and W are filtered by an EMILC and then drive a power factor correction boost inductor. A 2.2µF-100V bootstrap capacitor is connected across each of U / V / W from VBx. LINx and HINx are directly driven by a DSPTMS320F28069. The system operates in a 65kHz interleaved critical conduction mode, achieving a PFC rectification efficiency of 98.3% at full load, a peak junction temperature of 108℃, and thermal imaging showing a temperature difference of no more than 4℃ between the three junction islands. The overall dimensions are 220mm × 155mm × 45mm, approximately 38% smaller than traditional discrete solutions. Example 2
[0031] In a 380V industrial servo drive, this module is configured as a 7.5kW three-phase inverter stage. A 940µF-450V DC link capacitor is directly soldered to P and Nu / Nv / Nw terminals. The U / V / W terminals are connected to the permanent magnet synchronous motor via an LCL filter. The controller uses an FPGA-SoC Zynq-7020 to execute SVPWM with a 20kHz carrier. During high-side shutdown, a 4.7nF capacitor connected externally to CIN achieves a 300ns slope soft shutdown. At a rated speed of 3000r / min, the peak output current is 17A, the motor-side voltage distortion (THD) is 2.1%, and the system efficiency is 96.8%. After 8 hours of continuous load testing, the module housing temperature stabilized at 83℃, and no false triggering of the FO (overcurrent and overtemperature linkage) occurred, verifying the reliability of the overcurrent and overtemperature linkage protection.
[0032] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "head," "tail," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0033] The above description is only a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model, and within the spirit and principles of this utility model, should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A smart IPM power module device, characterized in that, The device includes a lead frame comprising multiple base islands and multiple pins. The multiple base islands are configured to carry power chips and driver chips. The multiple pins include high-voltage pins, low-voltage pins, power supply pins, and protection pins. The high-voltage pins VBw, VBv, and VBu are located on one side of the lead frame, the low-voltage pins are located on the other side of the lead frame, and the protection pins are located on the low-voltage pin side of the lead frame.
2. The intelligent IPM power module device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The high-voltage pins VBw, VBv, and VBu are respectively connected to the corresponding high-side drive floating ground terminals, and the low-voltage pins include U, V, and W phase output terminal pins and corresponding DC power supply negative terminal pins Nu, Nv, and Nw.
3. The intelligent IPM power module device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply pins include VCCu, VCCv, and VCCw, which are respectively connected to the power input terminals of the U, V, and W phase driver chips. The lead frame is also provided with a common ground pin COM.
4. The intelligent IPM power module device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The low-voltage pins further include signal input pins HINu, LINu, HINv, LINv, HINw, and LINw, which are used to connect to the high-side and low-side signal control terminals of an external controller, respectively.
5. The intelligent IPM power module device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protection pins include a temperature acquisition pin (Vts), a fault output pin (FO), and an overcurrent detection pin (CIN). The temperature acquisition pin is connected to a thermistor, and the overcurrent detection pin is connected to a bus current sampling node.
6. The intelligent IPM power module device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The base island is connected to the source and drain of the power chip via a metal connection structure, and the lead frame is electrically connected to each pin via metal leads.