Semiconductor device, and vehicle

Abstract

To further reduce a semiconductor device in size while securing an insulation property depending on a creepage distance.SOLUTION: In a terminal arrangement part (306A), an outer terminal portion (371) of a first main terminal (370) and an outer terminal portion (351) of a second main terminal (350) in a case member (300) of a semiconductor device (1) are disposed at a predetermined interval on a first face (301). The terminal arrangement part includes: a recess (310) which extends in a second direction (Y direction) different from a first direction (X direction) in a planar view of the first face between the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal, one end of the recess in the second direction being positioned at the side of a storage part (320), in which a circuit board (2) is stored, with respect to an end closer to the storage part in the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal; and a protrusion (312) which separates the recess and the storage part by protruding to the side of the storage part at a position where one end of the recess in a wall surface (302) opposed to the storage part extends in the second direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A semiconductor device used in a power conversion device such as an inverter device includes a case that houses a wiring board on which a semiconductor element is mounted. The case includes an insulating case member and a plurality of terminals that are electrically connected to electrodes of the semiconductor element (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 01-144662 [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-164503 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2014-183196 A [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-232512 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of the semiconductor device described above, it is difficult to reduce the size of the semiconductor device while ensuring the insulation that depends on the creepage distance between two main terminals to which different potentials are applied.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and has as its object to enable further miniaturization of a semiconductor device while ensuring insulation that depends on the creepage distance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A semiconductor device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a circuit board having a semiconductor element arranged on a wiring board, a case member having an accommodation portion in which the circuit board is accommodated, and a plurality of main terminals each having an outer terminal portion exposed in a terminal arrangement portion of the case member and an inner terminal portion electrically connected to a conductor of the circuit board within the accommodation portion of the case member, the case member having a shape in which the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodation portion are adjacent to each other in a plan view of a first surface on which the outer terminal portions of the terminal arrangement portion are arranged, the plurality of main terminals include a first main terminal and a second main terminal in which the outer terminal portions are arranged at a predetermined gap in a first direction along a boundary between the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodation portion in a plan view of the first surface of the case member, and the terminal arrangement portion of the case member is configured to have a shape in which the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodation portion are adjacent to each other in a plan view of a first surface on which the outer terminal portions of the terminal arrangement portion are arranged, the plurality of main terminals including a first main terminal and a second main terminal, the outer terminal portions being arranged at a predetermined gap in a first direction along a boundary between the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodation portion in a plan view of the first surface of the case member, and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal, a recess displaced from the first surface toward a second surface opposite to the first surface and extending in a second direction different from the first direction in a planar view of the first surface, wherein one end of the recess in the second direction is located closer to the accommodating portion than ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the accommodating portion, and the other end of the recess in the second direction is located farther from the accommodating portion than ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are farther from the accommodating portion; and a protrusion that protrudes toward the accommodating portion at a position where the one end of the recess is extended in the second direction on a wall surface facing the accommodating portion, separating the recess from the accommodating portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to further reduce the size of a semiconductor device while ensuring insulation that depends on the creepage distance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view illustrating a configuration example of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged top view of a configuration of one circuit formation portion in the semiconductor device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing a configuration example of the semiconductor device taken along line AA' in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of an inverter device to which the semiconductor device of FIG. 1 is applied. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a method for ensuring insulation between outer terminal portions in a case according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a top view showing a first example of the shape of a recess between outer terminal portions. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a first example of the shape of a recess between outer terminal portions. [Figure 8] 7 is a cross-sectional side view showing a first example of the shape of a recess in the case taken along line BB' in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a conventional example of a case with an increased creepage distance. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of the portion of the case illustrated in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a first modified example of a recess. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a second modified example of the recess. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a third modified example of the recess. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a fourth modified example of the recess. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating another modified example of the recess. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a front view illustrating still another modified example of the recessed portion. [Figure 17] 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a vehicle to which a semiconductor device according to the present invention is applied; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in each of the drawings are shown for the purpose of defining planes and directions in the illustrated semiconductor device. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are mutually orthogonal and form a right-handed system. In the following description, the direction parallel to the X-axis is called the X-direction, the direction parallel to the Y-axis is called the Y-direction, and the direction parallel to the Z-axis is called the Z-direction. Furthermore, when each of the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction is associated with the direction of the arrows (positive and negative) of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown in the drawings, the "positive side" or "negative side" is added.

[0010] In this specification, the Z direction may be referred to as the up-down direction. In this specification, "up" and "upper" are intended to be on the positive side of the Z direction relative to a reference surface, member, position, etc., and "lower" and "lower" are intended to be on the negative side of the Z direction relative to a reference surface, member, position, etc. For example, when it is described that "a member B is placed on a member A," the member B is placed on the positive side of the Z direction as viewed from the member A. Also, when it is described as "the upper surface of the member A," the surface is located at the end of the member A on the positive side of the Z direction and faces the positive side of the Z direction. In this specification, "top view" is intended to be a planar view of the target item (e.g., a semiconductor device, etc.) when viewed from the positive side of the Z direction. In this specification, "front view" is intended to be a planar view of the target item when viewed from the negative side of the Y direction. In this specification, "side view" refers to a plan view of the target article when viewed from the negative side in the X direction or the positive side in the X direction. A plan view when viewed from the negative side in the X direction is sometimes called a "left side view", and a plan view when viewed from the positive side in the X direction is sometimes called a "right side view". These directions and faces are terms used for convenience of explanation, and the corresponding relationship with each of the directions of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis may change depending on the mounting posture of the semiconductor device, etc. For example, the face on which the outer terminal part of the main terminal in the case member is arranged is called the upper face of the case member in this specification, but is not limited to this and may be called the lower face, side face, etc. of the case member. In addition, the aspect ratio and the size relationship between each member in each figure are merely shown diagrammatically and do not necessarily match the relationship in the semiconductor device, etc. actually manufactured. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the size relationship between each member is exaggerated.

[0011] Furthermore, the semiconductor device exemplified in the following description may be applied to a power conversion device such as an inverter device for industrial or electrical equipment (e.g., an in-vehicle motor). For this reason, in the following description, detailed descriptions of configurations, functions, operations, manufacturing methods, etc. that are the same as or similar to those of known semiconductor devices will be omitted.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a configuration example of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view showing an enlarged configuration of one circuit formation part in the semiconductor device of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing a configuration example of a semiconductor device cut along line A-A' in FIG. 2. The top view of FIG. 2 shows a central circuit formation part among three circuit formation parts arranged in the X direction in the semiconductor device of FIG. 1. The cross-sectional side view of FIG. 3 shows a right side view of a part of the semiconductor device cut along line A-A' in FIG. 2, the part being to the left of line A-A'. Note that in FIGS. 1 to 3, the illustration of an encapsulant for encapsulating a semiconductor element and the like is omitted.

[0013] The semiconductor device 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a circuit board 2, a case 3, and a heat dissipation base 5. The circuit board 2 is a circuit board.

[0014] In the illustrated semiconductor device 1, three circuit boards 2 are arranged on the upper surface of a heat dissipation base 5. The three circuit boards 2 have substantially the same configuration, and include a wiring board 200 and two semiconductor elements 280A and 280B arranged on the upper surface of the wiring board 200. The number of circuit boards 2 arranged on the upper surface of the heat dissipation base 5 is not limited to three. Moreover, the number of semiconductor elements arranged on the upper surface of one wiring board 200 is not limited to two.

[0015] Wiring board 200 includes insulating substrate 210, conductor patterns 221-223 provided on an upper surface of insulating substrate 210, and conductor pattern 224 provided on a lower surface of insulating substrate 210. Wiring board 200 may be, for example, a DCB (Direct Copper Bonding) substrate or an AMB (Active Metal Brazing) substrate. Wiring board 200 may also be called a laminated substrate, an insulating circuit board, or the like.

[0016] The insulating substrate 210 is not limited to a specific substrate. The insulating substrate 210 may be a ceramic substrate formed of a ceramic material such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon nitride (Si3N4), or a composite material of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2). The insulating substrate 210 may be, for example, a substrate formed of an insulating resin such as epoxy resin, a substrate formed by impregnating a base material such as glass fiber with an insulating resin, or a substrate formed by coating the surface of a flat metal core with an insulating resin.

[0017] Conductive patterns 221-223 provided on the upper surface of insulating substrate 210 function as wiring components and are formed of, for example, a metal plate or metal foil such as copper or aluminum. Conductive patterns 221-223 provided on the upper surface of insulating substrate 210 may be called conductor layers, conductor plates, conductive layers, wiring patterns, etc. In the following description, when distinguishing between conductor patterns 221-223, they will be referred to as first conductor pattern 221, second conductor pattern 222, and third conductor pattern 223, respectively.

[0018] Two semiconductor elements 280A and 280B arranged on the upper surface of wiring board 200 are each composed of an RC (Reverse Conducting)-IGBT element that integrates the functions of an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) element, which is a switching element, and a diode element such as an FWD (Free Wheeling Diode) element connected in reverse parallel to the IGBT element. Each of these types of semiconductor elements 280A and 280B has a first main electrode (not shown) on the lower surface and a second main electrode 281 and a control electrode (gate electrode) 282 on the upper surface. When the switching elements of semiconductor elements 280A and 280B are IGBT elements, the first main electrode on the lower surface side may be called a collector electrode, and the second main electrode 281 on the upper surface side may be called an emitter electrode. In addition, the substrate on which the switching elements and diode elements of semiconductor elements 280A and 280B are formed is not limited to a silicon substrate, and may be, for example, a SiC (silicon carbide) substrate, a GaN (gallium nitride) substrate, or the like.

[0019] 2, semiconductor element 280A is disposed on the upper surface of first conductor pattern 221, and semiconductor element 280B is disposed on the upper surface of second conductor pattern 222. First conductor pattern 221 is bonded to a first main electrode (not shown) provided on the lower surface of semiconductor element 280A with a bonding material (not shown). The bonding material may be a well-known bonding material such as solder. Second conductor pattern 222 is bonded to a first main electrode (not shown) provided on the lower surface of semiconductor element 280B with a bonding material (not shown).

[0020] The first main electrode provided on the lower surface of the semiconductor element 280A is electrically connected to the first main terminal 370 provided on the case 3 via the first conductor pattern 221. The first conductor pattern 221 and the first main terminal 370 are joined by a well-known bonding material (not shown) such as solder. The second main electrode 281 provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor element 280A is electrically connected to the second conductor pattern 222 via the wiring component 6A. The wiring component 6A is formed by bending a conductor plate such as a copper plate, and is called a lead, a lead frame, or the like. A part of the wiring component 6A is joined to the second main electrode 281 of the semiconductor element 280A by a well-known bonding material (not shown) such as solder, and another part is joined to the second conductor pattern 222 by a well-known bonding material (not shown) such as solder. Furthermore, a control electrode 282 provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor element 280A is electrically connected to a control terminal 390 provided on the case 3 by a bonding wire (wiring component 6C).

[0021] The first main electrode provided on the lower surface of the semiconductor element 280B is electrically connected to the third main terminal 330 provided on the case 3 via the second conductor pattern 222. The second conductor pattern 222 and the third main terminal 330 are joined by a well-known joining material (not shown) such as solder. The second main electrode 281 provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor element 280B is electrically connected to the second main terminal 350 provided on the case 3 via the wiring component 6B and the third conductor pattern 223. The wiring component 6B is formed by bending a conductor plate such as a copper plate, and is called a lead, a lead frame, or the like. A part of the wiring component 6B is joined to the second main electrode 281 of the semiconductor element 280B by a well-known joining material (not shown) such as solder, and another part is joined to the third conductor pattern 223 by a well-known joining material (not shown) such as solder. Furthermore, the control electrode 282 provided on the upper surface of the semiconductor element 280B is electrically connected to a control terminal 395 provided on the case 3 by a bonding wire (wiring component 6D).

[0022] The method of electrically connecting two conductive members in semiconductor device 1 may be a method different from the above-mentioned method. For example, the electrical connection between first conductor pattern 221 of wiring board 200 and first main terminal 370 of case 3, the electrical connection between second conductor pattern 222 and third main terminal 330, and the electrical connection between third conductor pattern 223 and second main terminal 350 may be performed by laser welding, ultrasonic bonding, or the like. Also, for example, one or both of wiring component 6A electrically connected to second main electrode 281 of semiconductor element 280A and wiring component 6B electrically connected to second main electrode 281 of semiconductor element 280B may be a bonding wire.

[0023] The conductor pattern 224 provided on the lower surface of the insulating substrate 210 functions as a heat-conducting member that conducts heat generated by the semiconductor elements 280A and 280B to the heat dissipation base 5, and is formed of, for example, a metal plate or metal foil such as copper or aluminum. The heat dissipation base 5 may be a part of the cooler 9 (see FIG. 3) disposed below, or may be a heat-conducting member attached to the cooler 9 and separate from the cooler 9. The conductor pattern 224 is joined to the upper surface of the heat dissipation base 5 by a joining material (not shown) such as solder. The conductor pattern 224 may be called a heat dissipation layer or a heat dissipation pattern. In the semiconductor device 1 of this embodiment, the cooler 9 may have any configuration.

[0024] The case 3 includes a case member 300 having an accommodating portion 320 capable of accommodating the circuit board 2 and wiring components 6A to 6D arranged on the upper surface of the heat dissipation base 5, and the above-mentioned first main terminal 370, second main terminal 350, third main terminal 330, control terminal 390, and control terminal 395. This type of case 3 is manufactured by a well-known manufacturing method such as a method using insert molding.

[0025] 1 to 3 is generally annular and has three accommodating sections (hollow sections) 320 with open upper and lower ends, and one circuit board 2 is accommodated in one accommodating section 320. The above-mentioned sets of first main terminal 370, second main terminal 350, third main terminal 330, control terminal 390, and control terminal 395 are provided in case member 300 for each circuit board 2 accommodated in accommodating section 320 of case member 300.

[0026] The first main terminal 370, the second main terminal 350, and the third main terminal 330 each have an outer terminal portion exposed in the terminal arrangement portion of the case member 300, and an inner terminal portion electrically connected to a conductor of the circuit board 2 in the accommodation portion 320 of the case member 300. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the second main terminal 350 has an outer terminal portion 351 arranged along the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A, and an inner terminal portion 352 extending into the accommodation portion 320 from a wall surface 302 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A facing the accommodation portion 320. An intermediate portion (not shown) between the outer terminal portion 351 and the inner terminal portion 352 is embedded in the case member 300 (terminal arrangement portion 306A). The outer terminal portion 351 is arranged on the upper surface 301 by bending a flat portion protruding upward from the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A so as to follow the upper surface 301. In the semiconductor device 1 of this embodiment, the outer terminal portion 351 is bent to cover the nut hole 304 and follow the upper surface 301 after fitting the nut 7B into the nut hole 304 formed in the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A. The outer terminal portion 351 is formed with an opening 353 that overlaps with the screw hole of the nut 7B. The inner terminal portion 352 of the second main terminal 350 is electrically connected to the third conductor pattern 223 of the wiring board 200.

[0027] The first main terminal 370 has an outer terminal portion 371 and an inner terminal portion 372, and an intermediate portion (not shown) between the outer terminal portion 371 and the inner terminal portion 372 is embedded in the terminal arrangement portion 306A. The outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 is arranged along the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A so as to be adjacent to the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 with a predetermined gap therebetween. The outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 covers the nut 7A (see FIG. 2) fitted into a nut hole (not shown) formed in the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A, and an opening 373 overlapping with the screw hole of the nut 7A is formed. Inner terminal portion 372 of first main terminal 370 extends into housing portion 320 from wall surface 302 facing housing portion 320 of terminal arrangement portion 306A, and is electrically connected to first conductor pattern 221 of wiring board 200.

[0028] The third main terminal 330 has an outer terminal portion 331 and an inner terminal portion 332, and an intermediate portion (not shown) between the outer terminal portion 331 and the inner terminal portion 332 is embedded in the terminal arrangement portion 306B located on the opposite side of the terminal arrangement portion 306A across the housing portion 320. The outer terminal portion 331 of the third main terminal 330 is arranged along the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306B. The outer terminal portion 331 of the third main terminal 330 covers the nut 7C fitted in the nut hole 305 formed in the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306B, and an opening 333 overlapping with the screw hole of the nut 7C is formed. The inner terminal portion 332 of the third main terminal 330 extends from the wall surface 303 facing the housing portion 320 of the terminal arrangement portion 306B into the housing portion 320, and is electrically connected to the second conductor pattern 222 of the wiring board 200.

[0029] The nuts 7A to 7C fitted into the nut holes of the case 3 are used, for example, to screw in bolts 8 (see FIG. 3) for connecting the first main terminal 370, the second main terminal 350, and the third main terminal 330 to terminals, bus bars, etc. of a power supply cable.

[0030] The control terminals 390 and 395 each have an outer terminal portion (not shown) extending upward from the upper surface 301 of the case member 300 (terminal arrangement portion 306B) and an inner terminal portion (not shown) extending into the housing portion 320 from the wall surface 303 facing the housing portion 320. The control terminals 390 and 395 each have an intermediate portion between the outer terminal portion and the inner terminal portion embedded in the case member 300. The number of the control terminals 390 and the number of the control terminals 395 are not limited to five as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The number of the control terminals 390 and the number of the control terminals 395 are determined, for example, according to the number of the control electrodes 282 of the semiconductor elements 280A and 280B. The control terminals 390 and the control terminals 395 are connected to a control circuit (not shown) that controls the operation of the circuit board 2.

[0031] The accommodating section 320 of the case 3 is filled with a sealant (not shown) that seals the circuit board 2, the wiring components 6A-6D, and the inner terminal portions of the main terminals and control terminals of the case 3. The sealant is, for example, an epoxy resin or a silicone gel. The accommodating section 320 of the case 3 may be formed as a single accommodating section without being divided into sections for each circuit board 2 (i.e., without being divided into three separate accommodating sections) as illustrated in FIG.

[0032] 1, the case member 300 of the case 3 has a plurality of hole forming parts in which the through holes 307 are formed, which are different from the terminal arrangement parts 306A and 306B described above, at the outer edge part in the top view. The case 3 is attached to the cooler 9, for example, by screwing a bolt (not shown) inserted into the through hole 307 into a screw hole formed on the top surface of the cooler 9. The heat dissipation base 5 is, for example, bonded to the bottom surface of the case member 300 of the case 3, and comes into contact with the cooler 9 by attaching the case 3 to the cooler 9. The heat dissipation base 5 and the cooler 9 may be in close contact with each other via a thermally conductive member such as thermal grease or thermal compound. The heat dissipation base 5 may also be shaped to have a through hole at a position overlapping the through hole 307 of the case 3 in the top view.

[0033] The semiconductor device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes three single-phase inverter circuits, and can configure, for example, a three-phase inverter device.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of an inverter device to which the semiconductor device of FIG. 1 is applied.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit configuration of a voltage-type three-phase inverter device as an example of the inverter device 11. The inverter device 11 includes three single-phase inverter circuits 1101(U), 1101(V), and 1101(W), a smoothing capacitor 1102, and a control circuit 1103. The single-phase inverter circuit 1101(U) converts DC to AC and outputs it as U-phase AC. The single-phase inverter circuit 1101(V) converts DC to AC and outputs it as V-phase AC. The single-phase inverter circuit 1101(W) converts DC to AC and outputs it as W-phase AC. In this specification, the three phases in the three-phase AC are called the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase, but may be called by other names.

[0036] Inverter device 11, three single-phase inverter circuits 1101(U), 1101(V), and 1101(W) are connected in parallel with a smoothing capacitor 1102. The circuit configuration of each of the three single-phase inverter circuits 1101(U), 1101(V), and 1101(W) illustrated in the equivalent circuit of Fig. 4 corresponds to the circuit formed using one circuit board 2 (a set of one wiring board 200 and two semiconductor elements 280A and 280B) in semiconductor device 1 described above with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0037] The inverter device 11 has a first input terminal IN(P) for connecting the positive electrode of the DC power supply 12, a second input terminal IN(N) for connecting the negative electrode of the DC power supply 12, and output terminals OUT(U), OUT(V), and OUT(W) for outputting three-phase AC. The first input terminal IN(P) is connected to a first main terminal 370 of the semiconductor device 1, and the second input terminal IN(N) is connected to a second main terminal 350 of the semiconductor device 1. The output terminals OUT(U), OUT(V), and OUT(W) are connected to a third main terminal 330 of the semiconductor device 1.

[0038] Each of the single-phase inverter circuits 1101(U), 1101(V), and 1101(W) illustrated in Fig. 4 is a half-bridge inverter circuit. In the single-phase inverter circuit 1101(U), a collector electrode of a switching element 410 (e.g., an IGBT element) in a semiconductor element 280A connected between a first input terminal IN(P) sometimes referred to as an upper arm and an output terminal OUT(U) is connected to the first input terminal IN(P) via a first main terminal 370. In the single-phase inverter circuit 1101(U), an emitter electrode of a switching element 412 in a semiconductor element 280B connected between a second input terminal IN(N) sometimes referred to as a lower arm and an output terminal OUT(U) is connected to a second input terminal IN(N) via a second main terminal 350. An emitter electrode of the upper arm switching element 410 and a collector electrode of the lower arm switching element 412 in the single-phase inverter circuit 1101(U) are connected to an output terminal OUT(U) that outputs a U-phase AC current in the three-phase AC current via a third main terminal 330. A diode element 411 is connected in anti-parallel to the upper arm switching element 410, and a diode element 413 is connected in anti-parallel to the lower arm switching element 412. The other two single-phase inverter circuits 1101(V) and 1101(V) have a configuration in which the output terminal OUT(U) in the above-mentioned single-phase inverter circuit 1101(U) is replaced with output terminals OUT(V) and OUT(V), respectively.

[0039] The AC output from each of the single-phase inverter circuits 1101(U), 1101(V), and 1101(W) is controlled so that the phases are shifted by 120 degrees from each other by a control signal applied from a control circuit 1103 to the gate of the switching element 410 of the upper arm (the control electrode 282 of the semiconductor element 280A) via a control terminal 390 and a control signal applied to the gate of the switching element 412 of the lower arm (the control electrode 282 of the semiconductor element 280B) via a control terminal 595. A load (e.g., an AC motor) 13 that operates on AC is connected to output terminals OUT(U), OUT(V), and OUT(W) of the inverter device 11.

[0040] The circuit configuration of the inverter device 11 including the semiconductor device 1 of this embodiment is not limited to the circuit configuration exemplified in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the operation of the inverter device 11 including the semiconductor device 1 of this embodiment is not limited to a specific operation. For example, the inverter device 11 including the semiconductor device 1 may be one in which three single-phase full-bridge inverter circuits are connected in parallel.

[0041] Furthermore, the inverter device 11 described above with reference to FIG. 4 is merely an example of a device to which the semiconductor device 1 according to the present embodiment is applied.

[0042] The switching elements 410 and 412 of the semiconductor elements 280A and 280B are not limited to the IGBT elements described above, and may be, for example, power MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors), BJTs (Bipolar Junction Transistors), or the like. When the switching elements are MOSFET elements, the main electrodes on the lower surfaces of the semiconductor elements 280A and 280B may be called drain electrodes, and the main electrodes 281 on the upper surfaces may be called source electrodes. The diode elements 411 and 413 may be, for example, SBDs (Schottky Barrier Diodes), JBS (Junction Barrier Schottky) diodes, MPS (Merged PN Schottky) diodes, PN diodes, or the like. The control electrodes 282 provided on the upper surfaces of the semiconductor elements 280A and 280B may include a gate electrode and an auxiliary electrode. For example, the auxiliary electrode may be an auxiliary emitter electrode or an auxiliary source electrode that is electrically connected to the main electrodes on the upper surfaces and serves as a reference potential for the gate potential. The auxiliary electrode may be a temperature sensing electrode that is electrically connected to a temperature sensing section that may be included in the inverter device 11 or the like and that measures the temperatures of the semiconductor elements 280A and 280B. These electrodes (the second main electrode 281 and the control electrode 282 including the gate electrode and the auxiliary electrode) formed on the upper surfaces of the semiconductor elements 280A and 280B may be collectively referred to as upper electrodes. The substrate on which the switching elements 410 and 412 and the diode elements 411 and 413 are formed is not limited to a silicon substrate, and may be, for example, a SiC (silicon carbide) substrate, a GaN (gallium nitride) substrate, or the like.

[0043] In addition, the switching element and the diode element described as being included in one semiconductor element in the single-phase inverter circuit described above with reference to Fig. 4 may be provided by separate semiconductor elements. For example, switching element 410 and diode element 411 of the upper arm may be provided by a semiconductor element in which switching element 410 is formed and a semiconductor element in which diode element 411 is formed. The shape, number of arrangements, arrangement locations, etc. of the semiconductor elements can be changed as appropriate. The layout of the conductor patterns as wiring components provided on the upper surface side of wiring board 200 is changed depending on the type, shape, number of arrangements, arrangement locations, etc. of the semiconductor elements.

[0044] As described above, in the case 3 of the semiconductor device 1 according to this embodiment, the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 are arranged with a predetermined gap in the first direction (X direction) along the boundary between the terminal arrangement portion 306A and the accommodation portion 320 on the upper surface 301 of the single terminal arrangement portion 306A in the case member 300. In this way, when the two outer terminal portions 351 and 371 having different potentials of the applied voltage are arranged close to each other, from the viewpoint of miniaturization of the semiconductor device 1, it is preferable to make the distance (gap) between these two outer terminal portions 351 and 371 shorter within a range in which insulation is ensured.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a perspective view for explaining an example of a method for ensuring insulation between external terminals in a case according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is a top view showing a first example of the shape of a recess between external terminals. Fig. 7 is a front view showing a first example of the shape of a recess between external terminals. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional side view showing a first example of the shape of a recess in a case cut along line B-B' in Fig. 6. The cross-sectional side view in Fig. 8 shows a right side view of a portion of case 3 cut along line B-B' in Fig. 6 to the left of line B-B'.

[0046] 5 to 8, the case 3 used in the semiconductor device 1 of this embodiment has a recess 310 formed in a gap between the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 on the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A of the case member 300. The recess 310 is displaced from the upper surface 301 on which the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 are arranged toward the lower surface 308, and extends in a second direction (Y direction) different from the first direction (X direction) in which the two outer terminal portions 351 and 371 are arranged as viewed from above. One end of the recess 310 in the second direction is located closer to the accommodating portion 320 than the position YN of the ends 351b and 371b of the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 that are closer to the accommodating portion 320. The other end of the recess 310 in the second direction is located farther from the accommodating portion 320 than position YF of ends 351c and 371c of the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 farther from the accommodating portion 320, and reaches a surface (not shown) of the terminal arrangement portion 306A opposite to the wall surface 302 facing the accommodating portion 320. The lower surface 308 illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 is an example of a second surface of the terminal arrangement portion 306A opposite to the first surface (upper surface 301) on which the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 are arranged.

[0047] As described above, the accommodating portion 320 is filled with a sealant that seals the circuit board 2 and the like. For this reason, the recess 310 is formed such that the end closer to the accommodating portion 320 in the second direction is separated from the accommodating portion 320 by the terminal arrangement portion 306A so that the sealant filled in the accommodating portion 320 does not flow into the recess 310. Furthermore, the terminal arrangement portion 306A of the case member 300 has a step portion 311 formed between the accommodating portion 320 and the upper surface 301 on which the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 are arranged, the step portion 311 protruding upward from the upper surface 301 (i.e., in the Z direction positive side, which is the opposite direction from the lower surface) between the upper surface 301 on which the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 are arranged and the accommodating portion 320. In such a case, the creepage distance between the ends 351b and 371b of the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 near the accommodating portion 320 may be, for example, a first creepage distance along the first wall surface 310a, bottom surface 310c, and second wall surface 310b of the recess 310 (see Figure 7), and a second creepage distance that bypasses the upper end opening of the recess 310 (see Figure 6).

[0048] The first creepage distance along the recess 310 illustrated in FIG. 7 is the same as the creepage distance at each point in the side surfaces 351a and 371a of the outer terminals 351 and 371 facing each other. Therefore, the depth D of the recess 310 is set to a value that ensures the insulation between the outer terminals 351 and 371 with the first creepage distance G+2×D (G is the gap between the outer terminals 351 and 371). In addition, when the recess 310 is formed, it is desirable that the second creepage distance (see FIG. 6) that bypasses the upper end opening of the recess 310 described above is also set to a value that ensures the insulation between the outer terminals 351 and 371. For this reason, in the case member 300 of this embodiment, a protrusion 312 is formed by protruding the terminal arrangement portion 306A toward the accommodation portion 320 at a position where the recess 310 of the wall surface 302 facing the accommodation portion 320 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A is extended in the second direction. Furthermore, when the protrusion 312 is partially formed on the wall surface 302 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A, for example, the step portion 311 along the end of the accommodating portion 320 side on the upper surface 301 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A is formed to have side surfaces 311b, 311c, and 311d displaced toward the accommodating portion 320 side between a side surface 311a facing the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and a side surface 311e facing the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350. This makes it possible to lengthen the distance in the second direction between the ends 351b and 371b of the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 close to the accommodating portion 320 and one end of the recess 310, with the recess 310 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A and the accommodating portion 320 separated from each other. Furthermore, by partially forming a protrusion 312 on the wall surface 302 facing the accommodating portion 320 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A, for example, it is possible to prevent an increase in the distance from the ends 351b and 371b of the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 close to the accommodating portion 320 to the wall surface 302, and to prevent the semiconductor device 1 from becoming larger when viewed from above.

[0049] When forming the above-mentioned recess 310 in the terminal arrangement portion 306A of the case member 300, the distance (width) W between the first wall surface 310a and the second wall surface 310b only needs to be smaller than the distance (gap) G between the side surface 351a of the outer terminal portion 351 and the side surface 371a of the outer terminal portion 371, and can be, for example, W=approximately 1.5 mm.

[0050] In the semiconductor device 1 in which the above-mentioned recess 310 is formed in the terminal arrangement portion 306A of the case member 300, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the creepage distance caused by shortening the distance (gap) G between the main terminals to which voltages of different potentials are applied, and it is possible to further miniaturize the semiconductor device 1 while ensuring insulation that depends on the creepage distance. Specifically, compared to a semiconductor device having a gap large enough to sufficiently ensure insulation that depends on the creepage distance between adjacent terminals as in Patent Document 4 (JP Patent Publication 09-232512A), it is possible to further miniaturize the semiconductor device 1 while ensuring insulation that depends on the creepage distance.

[0051] In addition, the case 3 of the semiconductor device 1 described above is arranged such that the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370, which can be an input terminal, and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350, which can be an output terminal, are positioned so as to sandwich the housing portion 320 in which the circuit board 2 is housed, as viewed from above. Therefore, the semiconductor device 1 according to this embodiment can reduce deviation in the planar shape (particularly the aspect ratio) as viewed from above, compared to the case in which, for example, the three electrode plates in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 01-144662) and the three external wiring connection terminals in Patent Document 3 (JP Patent Publication No. 2014-183196) are arranged in one direction on the upper surface of the lid. In addition, compared to a case in which the surface of the cover on which the two external wiring connection terminals are arranged are connected at a position where the side surfaces of the two external wiring connection terminals face each other as in Patent Document 3, the gap between the external wiring connection terminals that can ensure insulation that depends on the creepage distance can be shortened. Therefore, the semiconductor device 1 of this embodiment can have a higher degree of freedom in terms of, for example, the installation location and installation direction compared to the semiconductor devices of Patent Documents 1 and 3. In addition, compared to a case in which three electrode plates are arranged in one direction on the upper surface of the cover, the work of connecting the terminals of the power supply cable, bus bars, etc. to the outer terminal parts of each main terminal is made easier.

[0052] Furthermore, the terminal arrangement portion 306A of the case 3 described above with reference to Figs. 5 to 8 has a protruding portion 312 protruding toward the accommodating portion 320 at a position where one end in the extending direction (Y direction) of the recess 310 is extended. The protruding portion 312 is formed so that the lower end 312b is located above the lower surface 308 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A, for example, as shown in Fig. 8. In this way, for example, the second creeping distance that bypasses the recess 310 can be lengthened without increasing the dimensions of the accommodating portion 320 that is required when accommodating the circuit board 2 in the accommodating portion 320 from the lower surface side of the case member 300 including the lower surface 308 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A. Therefore, for example, compared with a configuration in which the thermosetting epoxy resin protrudes toward the recess side where the insulating wall is provided as in Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication 2002-164503 A), the creeping distance in a top view can be lengthened, and insulation that depends on the creeping distance can be easily ensured.

[0053] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a conventional example of a case with an increased creepage distance, and Fig. 10 is a front view of a portion of the case shown in Fig. 9.

[0054] 9 and 10, a wall portion 319 is formed between the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 on the upper surface 301 instead of the recess 310 described above. When such a wall portion 319 is formed, if the height of the wall portion 319 from the upper surface 301 is H, the creepage distance between the side surface 351a of the outer terminal portion 351 and the side surface 371a of the outer terminal portion 371, which face each other with the wall portion 319 in between, is the distance G+2×H. Therefore, the creepage distance can be increased by increasing the height H of the wall portion 319.

[0055] However, the case 3' having the wall portion 319 illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 has a long distance (dimension in the Z direction) from the lower surface 308 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A' to the upper end surface of the wall portion 319. Therefore, the semiconductor device using the case 3' has a lower degree of freedom in terms of the installation location and installation direction compared to the semiconductor device 1 according to the present embodiment. In addition, since the wall portion 319 is located close to the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350, for example, it may be difficult to connect the terminal or bus bar of the power supply cable to these outer terminal portions. Furthermore, when the case 3' is manufactured (formed), if heated insulating resin is poured into a mold having a space corresponding to the thin wall portion 319 extending upward from the upper surface 301, distortion or voids may occur in the wall portion 319.

[0056] In contrast, the case 3 of this embodiment ensures a creepage distance by the recess 310, so that the dimension in the Z direction can be made smaller than when the wall portion 319 is formed, and the degree of freedom regarding the installation location and installation direction can be increased. In addition, since the wall portion 319 close to the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 is eliminated, the work of connecting the terminals and bus bars of the power supply cable to the outer terminal portions can be facilitated. Furthermore, the occurrence of distortion and voids when the case 3 is manufactured can be suppressed. In addition, by forming the recess 310 instead of the wall portion 319, the amount of insulating material required for manufacturing the case member 300 can be reduced.

[0057] The shape of recess 310 of case 3 according to this embodiment is not limited to the shapes described above with reference to Figures 5 to 8. The shape of recess 310 may be, for example, any of the shapes described below with reference to Figures 11 to 16, or a combination of several shapes.

[0058] FIG. 11 is a top view for explaining a first modified example of the recess. FIG. 12 is a top view for explaining a second modified example of the recess. FIG. 13 is a top view for explaining a third modified example of the recess. FIG. 14 is a top view for explaining a fourth modified example of the recess. FIG. 15 is a side cross-sectional view for explaining another modified example of the recess. FIG. 16 is a front view for explaining yet another modified example of the recess. Each of FIGS. 11 to 14 shows only the end of the terminal arrangement portion 306A of the case member 300 on the accommodating portion 320 side of the recess 310 and its periphery. FIG. 15 corresponds to a right side view of a portion of the case 3 cut along the line B-B' in FIG. 6, the portion being on the left side of the line B-B'.

[0059] The recess 310 of the case 3 illustrated in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 has a section at the end on the housing section 320 side in top view that is wider than the width W1 of the portion farther from the housing section 320 than the position YN of the ends 371b and 351b of the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 that are close to the housing section 320. The end of the recess 310 illustrated in Fig. 11 is continuously wider from the end of the section of width W1 as viewed in the extension direction (Y direction) of the recess 310 in top view toward the housing section 320 side, and becomes the maximum width W2. The end of the recess 310 illustrated in Fig. 12 changes from the width W1 to the maximum width W2 at the end of the section of width W1 as viewed in the extension direction (Y direction) of the recess 310 in top view. In this way, by providing a section at the end of the recess 310 facing the accommodating section 320 that is wider than the width W1 of the section passing between the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 facing each other, the second creepage distance that bypasses the recess 310 between the outer terminal portion 351 and the outer terminal portion 371 can be further lengthened.

[0060] The recess 310 of the case 3 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, 11 and 12 has an end portion on the housing section 320 side reaching the side surfaces 311b to 311d of the step portion 311. In other words, the upper surface 301 on which the outer terminal portion 371 is arranged and the upper surface 301 on which the outer terminal portion 351 is arranged in the terminal arrangement portion 306A of the case 3 described above are separated by the recess 310. However, the end portion on the housing section 320 side of the recess 310 may not reach the side surfaces 311b to 311d of the step portion 311, as illustrated in FIG. 13, for example. The recess 310 illustrated in FIG. 13 has a width W2 of the end portion on the housing section 320 side in a top view that is wider than the width W1 of the section that passes between the outer terminal portion 371 of the first main terminal 370 and the outer terminal portion 351 of the second main terminal 350 that face each other. Therefore, even if the end of the recess 310 on the housing portion 320 side does not reach the side surfaces 311b to 311d of the step portion 311, the second creepage distance that bypasses the recess 310 can be made long.

[0061] In addition, when the second creeping distance between the outer terminal portion 351 and the outer terminal portion 371, which bypasses the recess 310, is to be long, the shape of the portion of the step portion 311 protruding toward the accommodating portion 320 may be rectangular wave-shaped in top view, as shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 shows an example in which the upper surface 301 on which the outer terminal portion 371 is arranged in the terminal arrangement portion 306A and the upper surface 301 on which the outer terminal portion 351 is arranged are continuous along the rectangular wave-shaped portion of the step portion 311, but the two upper surfaces 301 may be separated by the recess 310. In addition, the rectangular wave-shaped portion of the step portion 311 may be, for example, a surface in which the side surface 311b is an extension of the first wall surface 310a of the recess 310, and a surface in which the side surface 311d is an extension of the second wall surface 310b of the recess 310. Furthermore, although not shown, the shape of the portion of step portion 311 that protrudes toward storage portion 320 in top view may be other shapes, such as a triangular wave shape or a circular arc shape.

[0062] 15 illustrates a recess 310 in which the relationship between the depth D1 of a section passing between the side surface 351a of the outer terminal portion 351 and the side surface 371a of the outer terminal portion 371 facing each other and the depth D2 of a section on the accommodating portion 320 side from the section is D1>D2. The depth D1 corresponds to the depth D associated with the first creepage distance along the first wall surface 310a, the bottom surface 310c, and the second wall surface 310b of the recess 310 described above with reference to FIG. 7. On the other hand, in the accommodating portion 320, the second creepage distance that bypasses the recess 310 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A is associated with the insulation between the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 from the position YN of the ends of the outer terminal portions 351 and 371 on the accommodating portion 320 side in the extension direction of the recess 310, as described above with reference to FIG. 6 and the like. Therefore, the depth D2 of the recess 310 in the section closer to the accommodating section 320 than the position YN in the extension direction of the recess 310 may not be the same as the depth D1 of the section farther from the accommodating section 320 than the position YN. When the recess 310 is formed such that D1>D2 (>0) as illustrated in FIG. 15, for example, it is possible to suppress deformation of the case member 300 (terminal arrangement section 306A) in the portion where the recess 310 is formed. Note that the depth of the recess 310 in the section farther from the accommodating section 320 than the position YF of the end portion farther from the accommodating section 320 in the outer terminal portion 351 and the outer terminal portion 371 may be smaller than the depth D1 associated with the first creepage distance as in the case of the accommodating section 320 side than the position YN.

[0063] Also, in Case 3 illustrated in FIG. 15, the protruding portion 312 that protrudes toward the accommodating portion 320 side on the wall surface 302 of the terminal arrangement portion 306A includes an inclined surface 312c that is inclined by an angle θ with respect to the vertical direction (Z direction) such that the lower end of the protruding portion 312 is in contact with the wall surface 302 at an obtuse angle. The protruding portion 312 in Case 3 illustrated in FIG. 8 has a lower end 312b that is in contact with the wall surface 303 at a right angle. Therefore, when filling the sealing material into the accommodating portion 320, there is a possibility that filling failure (void) may occur at the connection portion between the lower end 312b of the protruding portion 312 and the wall surface 302. On the other hand, in Case 3 illustrated in FIG. 15, since the lower end portion of the protruding portion 312 is connected to the wall surface 302 at an obtuse angle, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of filling failure (void) at the connection portion between the inclined surface 312c of the protruding portion 312 and the wall surface 302 when injecting the sealing material into the accommodating portion 320. Note that the angle θ of the inclined surface 312c is not limited to a specific angle. Also, the inclined surface 312c of the protruding portion 312 may extend over the entire length from the upper end to the lower end. Further, the protruding portion 312 may be formed of, for example, a convex curved surface on the accommodating portion 320 side.

[0064] Furthermore, the concave portion 310 is not limited to a shape having a single width from the upper end (open end) to the bottom surface 310c. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the concave portion 310 may have a shape in which the width is W1 from the upper end to the depth D3 and the width is W3 (<W1) from the depth D3 to the depth D4. The width of this type of concave portion 310 is not limited to two types and may be three or more types.

[0065] The semiconductor device 1 of the above-described embodiment is not limited to a specific application, but the semiconductor device 1 provided with the cooler 9 is particularly suitable for use in a high-temperature environment. For example, the semiconductor device 1 of the above-described embodiment can be applied to a power conversion device such as an inverter device for an in-vehicle motor. With reference to FIG. 17, a vehicle to which the semiconductor device 1 according to the present invention is applied will be described.

[0066] Fig. 17 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a vehicle to which the semiconductor device according to the present invention is applied. Vehicle 1501 shown in Fig. 17 is, for example, a four-wheeled vehicle having four wheels 1502. Vehicle 1501 may be, for example, an electric vehicle in which the wheels are driven by a motor or the like, or a hybrid vehicle that uses the power of an internal combustion engine in addition to a motor. Furthermore, the vehicle to which semiconductor device 1 is applied is not limited to a four-wheeled vehicle, and may be a two-wheeled vehicle, a railroad car, or the like.

[0067] Vehicle 1501 includes a drive unit 1503 that applies power to wheels 1502, and a control device 1504 that controls drive unit 1503. Drive unit 1503 may be composed of at least one of an engine, a motor, and a hybrid of an engine and a motor, for example.

[0068] The control device 1504 performs control (e.g., power control) of the driving unit 1503. The control device 1504 includes the semiconductor device 1 including the cooler 9 of the above-described embodiment. The semiconductor device 1 can be configured to perform power control for the driving unit 1503.

[0069] The embodiments of the semiconductor device 1 according to the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to technological progress or a derived technology, the invention may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may be included within the scope of the technical idea.

[0070] The features of the above-described embodiment will be summarized below.

[0071] The semiconductor device according to the above-described embodiment includes a circuit board having a semiconductor element disposed on a wiring board, a case member having a housing portion in which the circuit board is housed, and a plurality of main terminals each having an outer terminal portion exposed in a terminal arrangement portion of the case member and an inner terminal portion electrically connected to a conductor of the circuit board within the housing portion of the case member, the case member has a shape in which the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodation portion are adjacent to each other in a plan view of a first surface on which the outer terminal portions of the terminal arrangement portion are arranged, the plurality of main terminals include a first main terminal and a second main terminal, the outer terminal portions of which are arranged at a predetermined gap in a first direction along a boundary between the terminal arrangement portion and the housing portion in a plan view of the first surface of the case member; The terminal arrangement portion of the case member is a recess between the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal on the first surface, the recess being displaced from the first surface toward a second surface opposite to the first surface and extending in a second direction different from the first direction in a plan view of the first surface, one end of the recess in the second direction being located closer to the accommodating portion than ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the accommodating portion, and the other end of the recess in the second direction being located farther from the accommodating portion than ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are farther from the accommodating portion; The wall surface facing the storage portion has a protrusion that protrudes toward the storage portion at a position where the one end of the recess is extended in the second direction, separating the recess and the storage portion.

[0072] In the semiconductor device of the above embodiment, the terminal arrangement portion of the case member has a step portion between the first surface and the accommodating portion, which protrudes from the first surface in a direction opposite to the second surface along the boundary between the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodating portion, and the step portion is displaced toward the accommodating portion at a position where one end of the recess on the surface facing the outer terminal portion is extended in the second direction.

[0073] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the one end of the recess in plan view of the first surface reaches a position on a surface of the step portion facing the outer terminal portion.

[0074] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the recess has a section closer to the accommodating portion than the ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the accommodating portion, and the section has a longer distance in the first direction than a first section that is farther from the accommodating portion than the ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the accommodating portion.

[0075] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the first surface of the terminal arrangement portion is separated by the recess into an area in which the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal is arranged and an area in which the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal is arranged.

[0076] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the first surface of the terminal arrangement portion is continuous with a region in which the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal is arranged and a region in which the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal is arranged, via a region located closer to the accommodating portion than the one end of the recess.

[0077] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the recess has a section that is shallower from the first surface than a first section that is further from the accommodating portion than the ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the accommodating portion.

[0078] In the semiconductor device of the above embodiment, the circuit board is accommodated in the accommodating section with the semiconductor element oriented closer to the first surface of the terminal arrangement portion than the wiring board, and the end of the case member near the second surface of the portion of the wall surface facing the accommodating section that protrudes toward the accommodating section by the protrusion is positioned closer to the first surface than the surface of the wiring board on which the semiconductor element is arranged.

[0079] In the semiconductor device of the above embodiment, the amount of protrusion of the portion of the wall surface facing the storage portion that protrudes toward the storage portion by the protrusion becomes smaller from the first surface toward the second surface.

[0080] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the circuit board has an inverter circuit formed thereon having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal, the first main terminal being electrically connected to the first input terminal of the inverter circuit, and the second main terminal being electrically connected to the second input terminal of the inverter circuit.

[0081] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the case member has a terminal arrangement portion in which a third main terminal electrically connected to the output end is arranged, on the opposite side of the accommodation portion from the terminal arrangement portion in which the first main terminal and the second main terminal are arranged.

[0082] In the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment, the case member has a generally ring shape with a hollow portion that is open on the first surface side and the second surface side and serves as the accommodation portion.

[0083] The semiconductor device according to the above embodiment further includes a cooler that is thermally connected to a surface of the wiring board opposite to the surface on which the semiconductor element is arranged.

[0084] The vehicle according to the above-described embodiment includes the semiconductor device according to the above-described embodiment. [Industrial Applicability]

[0085] As described above, the present invention has the effect of making it possible to further miniaturize a semiconductor device while ensuring insulation that depends on the creepage distance, and is particularly useful for industrial or electrical semiconductor devices used as power conversion devices, and for vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1 Semiconductor device 2 circuit board 200 Wiring board 210 Insulating substrate 221~224 Conductor pattern 280A, 280B Semiconductor elements 3 Cases 300 Case material 301 Top surface 302, 303 Wall 304, 305 Nut hole 306A, 306B terminal arrangement area 308 Bottom surface 310 Recess 311 Step 312 Protrusion 320 Storage unit 330, 350, 370 main terminal 331, 351, 371 Outer terminal section 332, 352, 372 Inner terminal section 390, 395 Control terminal 410, 412 Switching element 411, 413 Diode elements 5 Heat dissipation base 6A~6D Wiring parts 7A~7C Nut 8 Volts 9 Cooler 11 Inverter device 1101(U), 1101(V), 1101(W) Single-phase inverter circuit 1102 Smoothing capacitor 1103 Control circuit 1501 vehicles 1502 wheels 1503 Drive unit 1504 Control device

Claims

1. a circuit board having a semiconductor element disposed on the wiring board; a case member having a housing portion in which the circuit board is housed; a plurality of main terminals, each of which has an outer terminal portion exposed in a terminal arrangement portion of the case member and an inner terminal portion electrically connected to a conductor of the circuit board within the housing portion of the case member; the case member has a shape in which the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodation portion are adjacent to each other in a plan view of a first surface on which the outer terminal portions of the terminal arrangement portion are arranged, the plurality of main terminals include a first main terminal and a second main terminal, the outer terminal portions of which are arranged at a predetermined gap in a first direction along a boundary between the terminal arrangement portion and the accommodation portion in a plan view of the first surface of the case member; The terminal arrangement portion of the case member is a recess between the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal on the first surface, the recess being displaced from the first surface toward a second surface opposite to the first surface and extending in a second direction different from the first direction in a plan view of the first surface, one end of the recess in the second direction is located closer to the housing portion than ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the housing portion, the recess, the other end of which in the second direction is located farther from the accommodating portion than ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are farther from the accommodating portion; a protrusion that protrudes toward the storage portion at a position where the one end of the recess of the wall surface facing the storage portion is extended in the second direction, and separates the recess and the storage portion, Semiconductor device.

2. the terminal arrangement portion of the case member has a step portion between the first surface and the housing portion, the step portion protruding from the first surface in a direction opposite to the second surface along a boundary between the terminal arrangement portion and the housing portion, The step portion is such that a position where the one end of the recess on a surface facing the outer terminal portion is extended in the second direction is displaced toward the accommodation portion. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 .

3. 3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the one end of the recess in a plan view of the first surface reaches a position on a surface of the step portion facing the outer terminal portion.

4. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a section closer to the accommodating portion than an end of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that is closer to the accommodating portion and has a longer distance in the first direction than a first section that is farther from the accommodating portion than an end of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that is closer to the accommodating portion.

5. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first surface of the terminal arrangement portion is separated by the recess into an area in which the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal is arranged and an area in which the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal is arranged.

6. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first surface of the terminal arrangement portion is continuous with a region in which the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal is arranged and a region in which the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal is arranged, via a region located on the accommodating portion side relative to the one end of the recess.

7. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a section closer to the accommodating portion than the ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the accommodating portion, and a section that is shallower from the first surface than a first section that is farther from the accommodating portion than the ends of the outer terminal portion of the first main terminal and the outer terminal portion of the second main terminal that are closer to the accommodating portion.

8. the circuit board is accommodated in the accommodation portion such that the semiconductor element is oriented closer to the first surface of the terminal arrangement portion than the wiring board is, the case member has a wall surface facing the housing portion, the wall surface protruding toward the housing portion by the protruding portion, the end of the wall surface protruding toward the housing portion by the protruding portion being closer to the second surface than the surface of the wiring board on which the semiconductor element is disposed. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 .

9. 9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the amount of protrusion of the portion of the wall surface of the case member facing the storage portion that protrudes toward the storage portion by the protruding portion decreases from the first surface toward the second surface.

10. the circuit board is formed with an inverter circuit having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal; the first main terminal is electrically connected to the first input terminal of the inverter circuit, and the second main terminal is electrically connected to the second input terminal of the inverter circuit; The semiconductor device according to claim 1 .

11. 11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the case member has a terminal arrangement portion in which a third main terminal electrically connected to the output end is arranged, on the opposite side of the terminal arrangement portion in which the first main terminal and the second main terminal are arranged, across the accommodation portion.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the case member is generally annular in shape, with a hollow portion that is open on the first surface side and the second surface side as the housing portion.

13. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a cooler thermally connected to a surface of said wiring board opposite to a surface on which said semiconductor element is arranged.

14. A vehicle comprising the semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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