Semiconductor module and insert molding method

Abstract

In insert molding of terminals, the positioning accuracy is improved by ensuring sufficient insulation distance. [Solution] The moldable resin part 7 has a terminal fitting portion 7a which is molded from a first resin by primary molding and has a groove 7a1 for fitting a part of the terminal, and a pin insertion portion 7b which is molded from a first resin by primary molding and has protrusions 7b1 and 7b2 including holes into which a pin provided in the cavity of the mold used for secondary molding of the terminal is inserted. Then, insert molding is performed by injecting a second resin into the cavity of the mold into which the terminal and the moldable resin part 7 are mounted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor module and an insert molding method.

Background Art

[0002] In insert molding, a bus bar has a terminal portion connected to a power conversion component, a conductive portion connecting between the terminal portions, and an inclined portion where the conductive portion is inclined with respect to the mounting surface of the housing (Patent Document 1). Further, a part of the resin is arranged in the cavity together with the insert part before molding to partially accelerate or delay the curing of the resin in the cavity for molding (Patent Document 2). Furthermore, after integrating a plurality of insert parts with a primary resin in a primary molding process, the insert molded product is manufactured by integrating the plurality of insert parts integrated with the primary resin with a secondary resin in a secondary molding process (Patent Document 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to ensure an insulation distance and improve positioning accuracy in insert molding of terminals.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] To solve the above problems, a semiconductor module is provided. The semiconductor module has an insulating circuit board having a conductive plate on which a semiconductor chip is mounted, and an external connection terminal in which a plurality of terminals are insert-molded by a molding resin part, the molding resin part having a first groove for fitting a portion of a first terminal and a plurality of terminals connected to the insulating circuit board, and a pin insertion part for inserting a pin provided in the cavity of a mold used for secondary molding and a hole into which a pin is inserted. Furthermore, an insert molding method is provided to solve the above problems. The insert molding method comprises a first step of molding a moldable resin part from a first resin by primary molding, which includes a terminal fitting part having a first groove for fitting a part of a first terminal and a pin insertion part having a hole in the cavity of a mold used for secondary molding into which a pin is inserted; a second step of fitting a part of the first terminal into the first groove of the terminal fitting part and inserting a pin into the hole of the pin insertion part to mount the combination of the first terminal, the second terminal and the moldable resin part into the mold; a third step of mounting a third terminal other than the first and second terminals into the mold; and a fourth step of injecting a second resin into the cavity of the mold into which the combination of the first terminal, the second terminal and the moldable resin part and the third terminal are mounted by injection molding in secondary molding to form an external connection terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] One aspect of this approach makes it possible to ensure an insulating distance during terminal insert molding and improve positioning accuracy. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a terminal section where insert molding is performed. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a resin part for molding. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a resin part for molding. [Figure 4]This figure shows an example of a state in which terminals are fixed by molded resin parts. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of a semiconductor module manufacturing method, including a method for insert molding terminals. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of an insert molded product. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a terminal that undergoes insert molding. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a finished insert product for reference. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a semiconductor module. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates an example of positioning operation using a molded resin part having an inclined section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that elements having substantially the same function in this specification and the drawings may be denoted by the same reference numerals, thus omitting redundant explanations. Furthermore, in the following description, "up" and "upward" refer to the direction pointing upward from the perspective of the page. Similarly, "down" and "downward" refer to the direction pointing downward from the perspective of the page. These directions are used in all drawings. "Up," "upward," "down," and "downward" are merely convenient expressions for specifying relative positional relationships and do not limit the technical concept of the present invention.

[0009] The resin parts for molding and insert molding of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a terminal section in which insert molding is performed. The external connection terminal 1 includes terminals (lead terminals) 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60. Terminals 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 are made of a metal with excellent conductivity. Such metals are, for example, copper, aluminum, or an alloy mainly composed of at least one of these. In addition, terminals 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 may be plated on their surfaces. In this case, the plating material used is, for example, nickel, nickel-phosphorus alloy, or nickel-boron alloy.

[0010] Terminal 10 forms an external terminal 11 for connection to an external device. Terminal 10 includes a horizontal portion 12a, which is connected to the external terminal 11 by a connecting portion 13a that extends vertically. A bent portion 12r1 perpendicular to the horizontal portion 12a is formed at the end of the horizontal portion 12a. A connecting terminal 14a extending downward is formed at the end of the bent portion 12r1.

[0011] Furthermore, terminal 10 includes a horizontal portion 12b. The horizontal portion 12b is parallel to the horizontal portion 12a and extends away from the position where the connection terminal 14a of the horizontal portion 12a is formed, and is connected to the horizontal portion 12a by a connecting portion 13b. A bent portion 12r2 perpendicular to the horizontal portion 12b is formed at the end of the horizontal portion 12b. A connection terminal 14b extending downward is formed at the end of the bent portion 12r2.

[0012] Terminal 20 constitutes an external terminal 21 for connecting to an external device. Terminal 20 includes a horizontal portion 22, which is connected to the external terminal 21 by a connecting portion 23 that extends vertically. A bent portion 23r is formed at the end of the horizontal portion 22, perpendicular to the horizontal portion 22. A connecting terminal 24 extending downward is formed at the end of the bent portion 23r.

[0013] Terminal 30 forms an external terminal 31 for connection to an external device. Terminal 30 includes a horizontal portion 32, and the horizontal portion 32 is connected by a connecting portion 33 extending vertically from the external terminal 31. At the end of the horizontal portion 32, a bent portion 33r forming a right angle with respect to the horizontal portion 32 is formed. At the end of the bent portion 33r, a connection terminal 34 extending downward is formed.

[0014] Terminal 40 forms an external terminal 41 for connection to an external device. Terminal 40 includes a horizontal portion 42a, and the horizontal portion 42a is connected by a connecting portion 43a extending vertically from the external terminal 41. At the end in the extending direction of the horizontal portion 42a, a bent portion 42r1 forming a right angle is formed.

[0015] Also, terminal 40 includes a horizontal portion 42b, and the horizontal portion 42b is connected by a connecting portion 43b extending vertically from the end of the bent portion 42r1. At one end of the horizontal portion 42b, a bent portion 42r2 forming a right angle is formed. At the end of the bent portion 42r2, a connection terminal 44a extending downward is formed. Also, at the other end of the horizontal portion 42b, a bent portion 42r3 forming a right angle is formed. At the end of the bent portion 42r3, a connection terminal 44b extending downward is formed.

[0016] Terminal 50 forms an external terminal 51 for connection to an external device. Terminal 50 includes a horizontal portion 52, and the horizontal portion 52 is connected by a connecting portion 53 extending vertically from the external terminal 51. At the end of the horizontal portion 52, a bent portion 53r forming a right angle with respect to the horizontal portion 52 is formed. At the end of the bent portion 53r, a connection terminal 54 extending downward is formed.

[0017] Terminal 60 forms an external terminal 61 for connection to an external device. Terminal 60 includes a horizontal portion 62, and the horizontal portion 62 is connected by a connecting portion 63 extending vertically from the external terminal 61. At the end of the horizontal portion 62, a bent portion 62r forming a right angle with respect to the horizontal portion 62 is formed. At the end of the bent portion 62r, a connection terminal 64 extending downward is formed.

[0018] Figures 2 and 3 show examples of molded resin parts. Figure 2 shows the front and side views of the molded resin part 7, and Figure 3 shows the back view of the molded resin part 7. The molded resin part (primary molded resin part) 7 has a terminal fitting portion 7a and a pin insertion portion 7b, and the terminal fitting portion 7a and the pin insertion portion 7b are formed as a single unit. The terminal fitting portion 7a is provided with a groove 7a1 as a terminal positioning mechanism for fitting and fixing some of the terminals 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 during insert molding of the external connection terminal 1, and is molded from the first resin by primary molding.

[0019] On the front surface of the pin insertion portion 7b, there are projections 7b1 and 7b2 into which pins (guide pins) provided in the cavity of the mold used for secondary molding during insert molding of the external connection terminal 1 can be inserted. Each projection 7b1 and 7b2 has a hole at its tip. The position and number of projections 7b1 and 7b2 are arbitrarily generated to match the position and number of pins on the mold side. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, on the back surface of the pin insertion portion 7b, there is a groove 7b3 as a terminal positioning mechanism for fitting and fixing some of the terminals 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 during insert molding of the external connection terminal 1. In the example in Figure 3, the groove 7b3 is provided perpendicular to the groove 7a1.

[0020] A moldable resin part 7 having a terminal mating portion 7a and a pin insertion portion 7b is molded from a first resin by primary molding. The first resin is, for example, a thermoplastic resin. Examples of such resins include polyphenylene sulfide resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene succinate resin, polyamide resin, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin.

[0021] Figure 4 shows an example of a state in which terminals are fixed by a molded resin part. When molding an external connection terminal 1 made by combining terminals 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60, the horizontal portion 12b of terminal 10 (first terminal) is fitted into the groove 7a1 (first groove) provided in the terminal fitting portion 7a of the molded resin part 7. In addition, the horizontal portion 42a of terminal 40 (second terminal) is fitted into the groove 7b3 (second groove) provided in the pin insertion portion 7b of the molded resin part 7. In Figure 4, the horizontal portion 12b of terminal 10 is shown fitted into groove 7a1, and the horizontal portion 42a of terminal 40 is shown fitted into groove 7b3. However, depending on the insert molding process, any part of other terminals may be fitted into grooves 7a1 and 7b3.

[0022] In this way, the horizontal portion 12b of the terminal 10 fits into the groove 7a1 of the molding resin part 7, and the horizontal portion 42a of the terminal 40 fits into the groove 7b3 of the molding resin part 7. As a result, the terminals 10 and 40 are fixed together via the molding resin part 7 at a specified insulating distance apart, ensuring insulation between the terminals 10 and 40 and allowing them to be positioned and fixed.

[0023] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a semiconductor module manufacturing method, including a terminal insert molding method. [First step P1] A moldable resin part 7 is formed from a first resin by primary molding. This part includes a terminal fitting portion 7a having a groove 7a1 for fitting a portion of a first terminal, and a pin insertion portion 7b having a groove 7b3 for fitting a portion of a second terminal and a hole in the cavity of a mold used for secondary molding into which a pin is inserted. The portion of the first terminal that fits into groove 7a1 corresponds to the horizontal portion 12b of terminal 10, and the portion of the second terminal that fits into groove 7b3 corresponds to the horizontal portion 42a of terminal 40.

[0024] [Second step P2] The horizontal portion 12b of terminal 10 is fitted into the groove 7a1 of terminal fitting portion 7a, the horizontal portion 42a of terminal 40 is fitted into the groove 7b3 of pin insertion portion 7b, and the pin provided in the cavity of the mold is inserted into the hole of pin insertion portion 7b, thereby mounting the combination of the first terminal (terminal 10), the second terminal (terminal 40), and the molding resin part 7 into the mold.

[0025] [Third step P3] In addition to the combination of the first terminal (terminal 10), the second terminal (terminal 40), and the molding resin part 7, a third terminal other than the first and second terminals is mounted in the mold. The third terminals correspond to terminals 20, 30, 50, and 60.

[0026] [Step 4 P4] In the secondary injection molding process, the combination of the first terminal (terminal 10), the second terminal (terminal 40), and the moldable resin part 7, along with the third terminals (terminals 20, 30, 50, 60), are mounted, and the second resin is injected into the cavity of the mold. The combination of the first terminal (terminal 10), the second terminal (terminal 40), and the moldable resin part 7, along with the third terminals (terminals 20, 30, 50, 60), are integrally molded to form the external connection terminal. [Step 5 P5] A semiconductor module is manufactured by connecting external connection terminals to an insulating circuit board having a conductive plate on which a semiconductor chip is mounted, which is placed on an insulating material.

[0027] Furthermore, the second resin used in secondary molding may be made of the same material as the first resin used to mold the resin part 7. Alternatively, the material of the first resin may have higher insulating properties than the material of the second resin used during injection molding in secondary molding.

[0028] Figure 6 shows an example of an insert molded product. As shown in Figure 3, a portion of the external connection terminal 1, which is a combination of terminals 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60, is fixed to the terminal fitting portion 7a of the molded resin part 7, and this state is set in the mold, and insert molding (secondary molding) is performed.

[0029] In this case, the terminals 10 and 40 are fixed in the appropriate positions by the groove 7a1 of the terminal fitting portion 7a and the groove 7b3 of the pin insertion portion 7b of the molding resin part 7, and the terminal 40 is further fixed in the appropriate position by the groove 7b3 of the pin insertion portion 7b of the molding resin part 7, and the pins provided in the mold are inserted into the holes of the protrusions 7b1 and 7b2 provided in the pin insertion portion 7b of the molding resin part 7, thereby supporting the terminals 10 and 40. In this state, the molten resin 8 is injected into the mold and cooled, and then the mold is opened and the finished product in which the external connection terminal 1 and the resin 8 are integrated is removed.

[0030] Next, the insert molding of a reference example will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a terminal in which insert molding is performed. Terminal 10-1 forms an external terminal 11 that connects to an external device. Terminal 10-1 includes a horizontal portion 12a, and the horizontal portion 12a is connected to the external terminal 11 by a connecting portion 13a that extends vertically. A bent portion 12r1 is formed at the end of the horizontal portion 12a, perpendicular to the horizontal portion 12a. A connecting terminal 14a extending downward is formed at the end of the bent portion 12r1.

[0031] Furthermore, terminal 10-1 includes a horizontal portion 12b. The horizontal portion 12b is parallel to the horizontal portion 12a and extends away from the position where the connection terminal 14a of the horizontal portion 12a is formed, and is connected to the horizontal portion 12a by a connecting portion 13b. A bent portion 12r2 perpendicular to the horizontal portion 12b is formed at the end of the horizontal portion 12b. A connection terminal 14b extending downward is formed at the end of the bent portion 12r2.

[0032] Furthermore, the terminal 10-1 has a mounting hole h1 in the connecting portion 13b, and a mounting hole h2 in the protruding portion 12b1 formed in the center of the horizontal portion 12b. In addition, a mounting hole h3 is provided at the connection point between the horizontal portion 12b and the bent portion 12r2.

[0033] Figure 8 shows an example of a finished insert product for reference. In the finished insert product, in addition to terminal 10-1 shown in Figure 7, multiple terminals with a different shape from terminal 10-1 (terminals 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 shown in Figure 1) are combined and fixed with resin 8 during insert molding.

[0034] When molding such an insert product, pins provided in the mold are inserted into the mounting holes h1, h2, and h3 drilled in terminal 10-1 to support terminal 10-1, and terminals 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 are further assembled, and the heat-melted resin 8 is injected into the mold and cooled. After that, the mold is opened and the insert product, in which terminals 10-1, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 and the resin 8 are integrated, is removed.

[0035] In this example of insert molding, the outer shape of terminal 10-1 is supported by inserting pins provided in the mold into mounting holes h1, h2, and h3 of terminal 10-1, thereby preventing deformation of terminal 10-1 due to the injection pressure of resin 8 and preventing a decrease in positional accuracy due to terminal 10-1 moving inside resin 8.

[0036] However, in the above reference example of insert molding, in order to suppress deformation and displacement of the terminal 10-1 due to the flow of resin 8, mounting holes h1, h2, and h3 are made on the terminal 10-1 side and supported by pins of the insert molding die, the resin 8 does not fill the parts supported by the die (the parts of mounting holes h1, h2, and h3) because the pins of the die are inserted into them. As a result, in the finished insert, these supported parts are not covered with resin 8.

[0037] Therefore, there is a problem in that there are areas where insulation performance cannot be ensured. Alternatively, because there are limitations on the places where support can be provided in order to ensure the insulation distance, even if mounting holes are made in the terminals at the limited locations and they are supported by pins in the mold, it may not be possible to effectively suppress deformation or displacement of the terminals due to the flow of the resin 8.

[0038] Specifically, when insert molding is performed by combining terminals 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 with terminal 10-1, it is difficult to ensure the insulation distance between each of the external terminals 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, and 61. Due to this difficulty, the constraints on the support points for ensuring the insulation distance become significant.

[0039] In addition to the insert molding shown in the above example, to suppress deformation and misalignment of the terminals due to the flow of resin 8, it is conceivable to ensure rigidity by covering the terminals with resin in the primary molding process, or by filling the gaps between terminals with resin, and then performing the secondary molding process in that state. However, when ensuring positional accuracy through such primary molding and then ensuring insulation through secondary molding, there are problems in terms of cost and manufacturing time (delivery time).

[0040] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the terminals are not directly fixed by the mold during secondary molding, but are fixed via the molding resin part 7, so that the finished insert product has a structure in which the terminals are covered with resin 8. As a result, the support portion in the finished insert product is covered with the molding resin part 7, so that insulation performance can be ensured at the support portion. Furthermore, in this embodiment, compared to the method of insert molding the terminals in two stages, primary molding and secondary molding, the effort required for terminal insertion (setting the terminals in the mold) during primary molding can be reduced.

[0041] Next, a semiconductor module having an external connection terminal that is insert-molded using the molding resin parts of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a semiconductor module. The semiconductor module 100 has an insulating circuit board, and the insulating circuit board includes an insulating member and a plurality of conductive plates 103 formed on the front surface of the insulating member.

[0042] The insulating material is formed from ceramics with high thermal conductivity. Such ceramics are composed of materials such as aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, or aluminum nitride as the main component.

[0043] The conductive plate 103 is formed of a metal with excellent conductivity. Such a metal is, for example, copper, aluminum, or an alloy containing at least one of these. To improve the corrosion resistance of the conductive plate 103, plating may be performed. In this case, the plating material used is, for example, nickel, nickel-phosphorus alloy, or nickel-boron alloy.

[0044] Furthermore, a semiconductor chip 104 is mounted on the conductive plate 103 using a bonding material. The semiconductor chip 104 may be mainly composed of silicon carbide. Such a semiconductor chip is, for example, a power MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor). In this case, the semiconductor chip 104 has a drain electrode as an input electrode on its lower surface, and a gate electrode as a control electrode and a source electrode as an output electrode on its upper surface. Alternatively, the semiconductor chip 104 may be mainly composed of silicon. Such a semiconductor chip may include an RC (Reverse-Conducting)-IGBT that combines the functions of an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and an FWD (Free Wheeling Diode). This semiconductor chip has a collector electrode as an input electrode on its lower surface, and a gate electrode as a control electrode and an emitter electrode as an output electrode on its upper surface. The upper electrode of the semiconductor chip 104 and the predetermined conductive plate 103 are connected by a bonding wire w1.

[0045] The semiconductor module 100 also includes a heat sink (base) 105 positioned on the back surface of the insulating circuit board, and a case 106 provided on the heat sink 105 and covering the sides. The heat sink 105 is a plate-shaped member that is substantially rectangular in plan view. The corners of the heat sink 105 may be rounded (R-chamfered) or chamfered (C-chamfered). The heat sink 105 is made of a metal with excellent heat dissipation properties. Such metals include, for example, copper, aluminum, silicon carbide, or alloys containing at least one of these. The surface of the heat sink 105 may be plated to improve corrosion resistance. Examples of plating materials used in this case include nickel, nickel-phosphorus alloys, and nickel-boron alloys.

[0046] Case 106 is molded from a thermoplastic resin. Examples of such resins include polyphenylene sulfide resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene succinate resin, polyamide resin, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin.

[0047] A main terminal mounting section 110a is provided at the end of the case 106, and a projection 110a1 is provided on the side of the main terminal mounting section 110a that is housed in the case 106. The nut housing section 150 has a recess 150a formed in its center, and the nut housing section 150 is placed on the projection 110a when the recess 150a fits into the projection 110a1. The PN main terminal 110 is arranged on the main terminal mounting section 110a and the nut housing section 150. The PN main terminal 110 has a pair structure consisting of a P main terminal 111a and an N main terminal 111b, and a P main terminal 112a and an N main terminal 112b. The P main terminal 111a and the N main terminal 111b are fixed with a terminal holding section 111c made of resin material to maintain insulation, and the P main terminal 112a and the N main terminal 112b are fixed with a terminal holding section 112c made of resin material to maintain insulation.

[0048] One end of the P main terminal 111a is exposed on the top surface of the case, and a connection terminal 111a1 extending toward the insulating circuit board is formed at the other end of the P main terminal 111a. Similarly, one end of the N main terminal 111b is exposed on the top surface of the case, and a connection terminal 111b1 extending toward the insulating circuit board is formed at the other end of the N main terminal 111b.

[0049] One end of the P main terminal 112a is exposed on the top surface of the case, and a connection terminal 112a1 extending toward the insulating circuit board is formed at the other end of the P main terminal 112a. Similarly, one end of the N main terminal 112b is exposed on the top surface of the case, and a connection terminal 112b1 extending toward the insulating circuit board is formed at the other end of the N main terminal 112b.

[0050] On the other hand, an output terminal mounting section 120a is provided at the end of the case 106 facing the main terminal mounting section 110a, and an output terminal 120 is arranged on the output terminal mounting section 120a. The output terminal 120 includes a first output terminal 121, a second output terminal 122, and a third output terminal 123. One end of the output terminal 120 is exposed on the upper surface of the case, and a connection terminal 120-1 extending toward the insulating circuit board is formed at the other end of the output terminal 120.

[0051] Furthermore, the external connection terminal 130 is arranged on a conductive plate on the insulating circuit board. The external connection terminal 130 is formed by insert molding according to this embodiment and has terminals 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137. Terminals 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137 are fixed by a terminal holding portion 130a made of resin material in order to maintain insulation.

[0052] One end of terminals 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137 is exposed on the top surface of the case, and the other ends of terminals 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137 have connecting terminals formed that extend toward the insulating circuit board. For example, Figure 9 shows the connecting terminal 134a formed on the other end of terminal 134, and the connecting terminal 135a formed on the other end of terminal 135. Also shown are the connecting terminal 136a formed on the other end of terminal 136, and the connecting terminal 137a formed on the other end of terminal 137.

[0053] The conductive plate 103, semiconductor chip 104, PN main terminal 110, output terminal 120, and external connection terminal 130 on the insulating circuit board are joined via solder. Alternatively, the PN main terminal 110, output terminal 120, and external connection terminal 130 may be joined to a predetermined conductive plate 103 on the insulating circuit board by laser welding or ultrasonic welding. Lead-free solder is used. Lead-free solder mainly consists of at least one of the following alloys: a tin-silver-copper alloy, a tin-zinc-bismuth alloy, a tin-copper alloy, or a tin-silver-indium-bismuth alloy. A metal sintered body may be used instead of solder. The material of the metal sintered body is silver, gold, nickel, copper, or an alloy containing at least one of these.

[0054] Meanwhile, a case 140 is mounted on the top surface of the semiconductor module 100. The case 140 is provided with terminal through-holes h11, h12, h13, h14, h15, h16, and h17. When the case 140 is mounted on the top surface of the semiconductor module 100, terminals 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137 are exposed by passing through the terminal through-holes h11, h12, h13, h14, h15, h16, and h17, respectively. The case 140 is also provided with screw holes h21, h22, h23, and h24 for attaching the case 140 to the semiconductor module 100 with screws.

[0055] Case 140 is molded from a thermoplastic resin. Examples of thermoplastic resins include polyphenylene sulfide resin, polybutylene terephthalate resin, polybutylene succinate resin, polyamide resin, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin.

[0056] Figure 9 shows the components of the semiconductor module 100 disassembled. In the semiconductor module 100, a nut storage section 150, a PN main terminal 110, an output terminal 120, and an external connection terminal 130 are assembled inside the case 106. The case 140 is then placed over the output terminal 120 and the external connection terminal 130, and the periphery of the case 140 and the periphery of the case 106 are bonded together with adhesive or the like to produce the finished product.

[0057] Next, a moldable resin part with an inclined shape will be explained using Figure 10. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of positioning operation using a moldable resin part having an inclined portion. The moldable resin part 7-1 has an inclined portion 7c that receives the pressure of the resin flowing during injection molding. The inclined portion 7c is formed in the first step P1 shown in Figure 5.

[0058] [Step S11] The terminals 1a and 1b are fixed by the molding resin part 7-1 having an inclined portion 7c and set in the mold 9. Terminal 1a corresponds to, for example, the horizontal portion 12b of terminal 10, and terminal 1b corresponds to, for example, the horizontal portion 42a of terminal 40. [Step S12] During injection molding, resin 8 flows out from the gate into the cavity of the mold 9.

[0059] [Step S13] The resin 8 flowing through the cavity comes into contact with the inclined portion 7c provided on the molded resin part 7-1. [Step S14] A component force V is generated perpendicularly upward with respect to the flow direction of the resin 8, and the terminals 1a and 1b are pressed upward by the component force V generated perpendicularly upward, thereby ensuring positional accuracy.

[0060] In this way, by providing an inclined portion 7c on the molding resin part 7-1 and configuring it so that the pressure of the resin 8 flowing during injection molding is received by the inclined portion 7c, the terminals 1a and 1b fixed to the molding resin part 7-1 can be pressed in one direction, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0061] In the above description, the moldable resin part 7-1 is configured to have an inclined portion 7c. However, any shape other than the inclined portion 7c is acceptable as long as it can appropriately receive the pressure of the resin 8 flowing during injection molding. For example, the moldable resin part 7-1 can be provided with a convex or concave portion, and the positioning accuracy can be improved by the force generated when the pressure of the resin 8 flowing during injection molding is received by the convex or concave portion. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 1. External connection terminal Terminals 1a, 1b, 10, 10-1, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 External terminals 12a, 12b, 22, 32, 42a, 42b, 52, 62 horizontal part 13a, 13b, 23, 33, 43a, 43b, 53, 63 connection part 12r1, 12r2, 23r, 33r, 42r1, 42r2, 42r3, 53r, 62r bent part 14a, 14b, 24, 34, 44a, 44b, 54, 64 connection terminals 12b1 Protrusion 7, 7-1 Resin parts for molding 7a Terminal fitting part 7b Pin insertion section 7a1, 7b3 groove 7b1, 7b2 protrusion 7c Slope 8 resin 9 molds h1, h2, h3 mounting holes V: Component of force in the vertical upward direction 100 semiconductor modules 103 Conductive plate 104 Semiconductor Chips 105 Heat sink 106, 140 cases 110 PN Main Terminal 110a Main terminal installation area 110a1 Protrusion 111a, 112a P main terminal 111b, 112b N main terminal 111c, 112c terminal holder 111a1, 111b1, 112a1, 112b1 connection terminals 120 output terminals 120a Output terminal installation section 121 First Output Terminal 122 Second Output Terminal 123 Third Output Terminal 120-1 Connection terminal 130 External connection terminals Terminals 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137 130a Terminal holding part 134a, 135a, 136a, 137a connection terminals 150 Nut storage compartment 150a recess w1 bonding wire h11, h12, h13, h14, h15, h16, h17 terminal through hole h21, h22, h23, h24 screw holes

Claims

1. An insulating circuit board having a conductive plate on which a semiconductor chip is mounted, arranged on an insulating material, An external connection terminal in which the multiple terminals are insert-molded by a moldable resin part comprising: a terminal fitting portion molded from a first resin by primary molding and having a first groove for fitting a part of the first terminal, and a pin insertion portion molded from the first resin by primary molding and having a hole into which a pin provided in the cavity of a mold used for secondary molding is inserted, the external connection terminal comprising the multiple terminals connected to the insulating circuit board, A semiconductor module having [a certain feature].

2. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the pin insertion portion has a projection at its tip that has the hole provided.

3. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the pin insertion portion further has a second groove for fitting a part of the second terminal, and the first terminal and the second terminal are fitted into the molded resin part.

4. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the molding resin part has a shape that is pressed in a certain direction inside the cavity by the pressure component of the second resin that flows during injection molding of the secondary molding.

5. The semiconductor module according to claim 4, wherein the shape is an inclined shape that generates the component force in a direction perpendicularly upward with respect to the flow direction of the second resin.

6. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the first resin on which the terminal fitting portion and the pin insertion portion are formed and the second resin used during injection molding of the secondary molding are made of the same material.

7. The semiconductor module according to claim 1, wherein the material of the first resin on which the terminal fitting portion and the pin insertion portion are formed has higher insulating properties than the material of the second resin used during injection molding of the secondary molding.

8. A first step of molding a moldable resin part using a first resin by primary molding, which includes a terminal fitting portion having a first groove for fitting a part of a first terminal, and a pin insertion portion having a hole in the cavity of a mold used for secondary molding into which a pin is inserted, A second step involves fitting a portion of the first terminal into the first groove of the terminal fitting portion, inserting the pin into the hole of the pin insertion portion, and mounting the combination of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the molding resin part into the mold. A third step of attaching the third terminal, other than the first terminal and the second terminal, to the mold, A fourth step involves injecting the second resin into the cavity of the mold into which the combination of the first terminal, the second terminal, and the molding resin part, and the third terminal are mounted, thereby forming the external connection terminal by injection molding in the secondary molding process. A method for molding a fitting insert.

9. The aforementioned resin part for molding is provided with a second groove for fitting a part of the second terminal, The insert molding method according to claim 8, wherein in the second step, a part of the second terminal is fitted into the second groove.

10. The insert molding method according to claim 8, wherein the first step is to mold the pin insertion portion including the projection having the hole at its tip.

11. The insert molding method according to claim 8, wherein the first step provides the moldable resin part with a shape that is pressed in a certain direction inside the cavity by the pressure component of the second resin flowing during injection molding of the secondary molding.

12. The insert molding method according to claim 11, wherein the shape is an inclined shape that generates the component force in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second resin flows.

13. The insert molding method according to claim 8, wherein the first resin used in the first step and the second resin used in the fourth step are made of the same material.

14. The insert molding method according to claim 8, wherein the material of the first resin used in the first step has higher insulating properties than the material of the second resin used in the fourth step.

15. The insert molding method according to claim 8, wherein a fifth step of manufacturing a semiconductor module is performed following the fourth step, in which the external connection terminals are connected to an insulating circuit board having a conductive plate on which a semiconductor chip is mounted, and the fifth step of manufacturing a semiconductor module is performed.

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