Semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The objective is to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device by preventing the other end of a wiring member, which is fixed to the case and extends inside the case, from tilting towards the semiconductor element, and by suppressing the propagation of cracks generated inside the sealing material near the other end of the wiring member to the semiconductor element, even when temperature changes are repeated during operation. [Solution] The semiconductor device according to the present disclosure is a semiconductor device sealed with a sealing material, comprising a substrate, a semiconductor element provided on the upper surface side of the substrate, a case provided on the periphery of the substrate, and a wiring member having one end fixed to the case, extending inward from the case, and joined to the upper surface of the semiconductor element via a bonding layer, wherein the case has a wiring member support portion protruding inward from the case, the lower surface of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion, and the other end of the wiring member is positioned at a distance from the case.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been disclosed a semiconductor device including a substrate, a semiconductor element provided on the upper surface side of the substrate, a case provided on the periphery of the substrate, a wiring member having one end fixed to the case and extending inside the case and joined to the upper surface of the semiconductor element via a bonding layer, and a sealing resin filled inside the case for sealing the semiconductor element and the wiring member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the temperature of the semiconductor device changes repeatedly during operation, strain stress is generated inside the sealing material due to the difference in the linear expansion coefficient between the sealing material that seals the wiring member and the wiring member. Since the stress increases locally at the shape-changing part of the object, the strain stress generated inside the sealing material concentrates near the other end of the wiring member that is not fixed to the case. Therefore, cracks may occur inside the sealing material near the other end of the wiring member that is not fixed to the case, and the cracks may progress to the semiconductor element. In addition, in the semiconductor device described in Patent Document 1, since the other end of the wiring member is not fixed to the case, the other end of the wiring member may tilt toward the semiconductor element side. When the other end of the wiring member tilts toward the semiconductor element side, the distance between the semiconductor element and the other end of the wiring member becomes closer. Therefore, when the temperature changes repeatedly during operation, there is a problem that cracks generated inside the sealing material near the other end of the wiring member are likely to progress to the semiconductor element. <^

[0005] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device that suppresses tilting of the other end of the wiring member toward the semiconductor element, and prevents cracks generated inside the sealing material near the other end of the wiring member from propagating to the semiconductor element even when temperature changes are repeated during operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The semiconductor device according to this disclosure is a semiconductor device sealed with a sealing material, comprising a substrate, a semiconductor element provided on the upper surface side of the substrate, a case provided on the periphery of the substrate, and a wiring member having one end fixed to the case, extending inward from the case, and joined to the upper surface of the semiconductor element via a bonding layer, wherein the case has a wiring member support portion protruding inward from the case, the lower surface of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion, and the other end of the wiring member is positioned at a distance from the case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The semiconductor device described herein suppresses tilting of the other end of the wiring member toward the semiconductor element, and even when temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to suppress the propagation of cracks generated inside the sealing material near the other end of the wiring member toward the semiconductor element, thereby providing a highly reliable semiconductor device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the semiconductor device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device according to Embodiment 1, shown from A1 to A2 in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken from A3 to A4 in Figure 1 of a semiconductor device according to a modified example 1 of Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device according to a modified example 2 of Embodiment 1, shown from A1 to A2 in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged view of region A5 in Figure 4 of a semiconductor device according to a modified example 2 of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the semiconductor device according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device according to Embodiment 2, taken from B1 to B2 in Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a plan view of the semiconductor device according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device according to Embodiment 3, taken from C1 to C2 in Figure 8. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Introduction> In semiconductor devices, one side parallel to the depth direction is referred to as "upper," and the other side as "lower." Of the two main surfaces of a substrate, layer, or other component, one surface is referred to as the upper surface, and the other surface as the lower surface. The directions of "upper" and "lower" are not limited to the direction of gravity or the direction in which the semiconductor device is mounted.

[0010] Furthermore, the drawings are schematic representations, and the relative sizes and positions of images shown in different drawings are not necessarily accurately depicted and may be modified as appropriate. In the following explanation, similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed explanations of these components may be omitted.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the semiconductor device 100 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device 100 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 shows a cross-section along the dashed line A1-A2 shown in Figure 1. The dotted line in Figure 1 indicates the circuit pattern 2, semiconductor element 4, and wiring member support portion 61 located below the wiring member 7.

[0012] The following explanation will describe semiconductor devices that are sealed with a sealing material, as well as semiconductor devices that are expected to be sealed with a sealing material in the future.

[0013] The configuration of the semiconductor device 100 will be explained using Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 2, the semiconductor device 100 has a circuit pattern 2 provided on the upper surface of a substrate 1. The substrate 1 is composed of a metal plate and an insulating member. The insulating member is provided on the upper surface of the metal plate, and the insulating member and the metal plate are joined using a bonding material such as solder or a sintered material. The circuit pattern 2 is provided on the upper side of the insulating member, and the insulating member and the circuit pattern 2 are joined using a bonding material such as solder or a sintered material. The metal plate and the circuit pattern 2 are made of metal, for example, copper. The metal plate is a heat sink that dissipates heat generated by the semiconductor element 4, and the circuit pattern 2 forms the electrical circuit of the semiconductor device 100. The insulating member only needs to ensure electrical insulation from the semiconductor element 4, which will be described later, and may be made of, for example, an inorganic ceramic material or a resin material. Note that the substrate 1 may be composed of the metal plate and the insulating member as an integrated unit, or the metal plate and the insulating member may be provided separately as individual parts. Note that the substrate 1 may be an insulating substrate in which the substrate 1 and the circuit pattern 2 are integrated.

[0014] A semiconductor element 4 is provided on the upper surface of the substrate 1. In this embodiment, the semiconductor element 4 is bonded to the upper surface of the circuit pattern 2 via a first junction layer 3. The semiconductor element 4 may be made of Si, or it may be made of a wide-bandgap semiconductor such as SiC, GaN, or Ga2O3. There is no particular limit to the type of device of the semiconductor element 4, but it may be a switching element such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) or a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), or a freewheeling element such as a diode. The first junction layer 3 is made of a bonding material such as solder or a sintered material. The sintered material only needs to be conductive, and for example, silver paste may be used.

[0015] A heat sink 5 is provided on the lower surface of the substrate 1. The heat sink 5 is made of a metal such as aluminum with high thermal conductivity. Further, fins may be formed on the lower surface side of the heat sink 5.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a case 6 is provided on the periphery of the substrate 1. The case 6 is made of an insulating resin. Further, the case 6 has a wiring member support portion 61 protruding inside the case 6. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the wiring member support portion 61 is provided integrally with the case 6, but the wiring member support portion 61 may be provided as a separate member from the case 6. Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wiring member support portion 61 protrudes inside the case 6 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the wiring member 7 described later extends inside the case 6.

[0017] A wiring member 7 is integrally formed with the case 6. One end of the wiring member 7 is fixed to the case 6 and has an exposed portion 71 exposed to the outside. The wiring member 7 with one end fixed to the case 6 extends toward the inside of the case 6 and is joined to the upper surface of the semiconductor element 4 via the second bonding layer 8. Specifically, the wiring member 7 is joined to the surface electrode of the semiconductor element 4 via the second bonding layer 8. Here, the surface electrode is, for example, an emitter electrode if the semiconductor element 4 is an IGBT, or an anode electrode if the semiconductor element 4 is a diode. Further, the wiring member 7 is an electrode plate and is made of a metal, for example, copper. Furthermore, the lower surface of the wiring member 7 is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61 protruding inside the case 6 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends inside the case 6 and the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 are in contact with each other. Also, the end face of the other end of the wiring member 7 is arranged at a distance from the case 6. That is, the end face of the other end of the wiring member 7 is not in contact with the case 6. Further, the second bonding layer 8 is made of a bonding material such as a brazing material like solder or a sintered material.

[0018] Note that the wiring member 7 is preferably arranged so as to face the semiconductor element 4, the substrate 1, and the circuit pattern 2. That is, it is desirable that the semiconductor element 4, the substrate 1, the circuit pattern 2, and the wiring member 7 are provided so as to be parallel to each other. Note that the numbers of the circuit pattern 2, the first bonding layer 3, the semiconductor element 4, and the second bonding layer 8 described above are not limited to one, and may be two or more as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0019] Also, the wiring member support portion 61 may be provided such that the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61 contacts any one of the lower surfaces of the wiring member 7 extending inside the case 6. The position where the lower surface of the wiring member 7 contacts the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61 is arbitrary, and the position where the wiring member support portion 61 is provided in the case 6 and the shape of the wiring member support portion 61 are also arbitrary.

[0020] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with a sealing material 9. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the sealing material 9 is provided inside the case 6. The sealing material 9 is composed of, for example, an insulating gel, resin, or the like.

[0021] As described above, the semiconductor device 100 of the present embodiment is configured. By adopting a configuration in which the lower surface of the wiring member 7 extending inside the case 6 contacts the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61, it is possible to suppress the inclination of the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4 side. Therefore, even when the temperature change is repeated during operation, it is possible to suppress the crack generated inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 from spreading to the semiconductor element 4. The reason for this will be described below.

[0022] In conventional semiconductor devices, one end of the wiring member 7 is fixed to the case 6, but the lower surface of the wiring member 7 extending inside the case 6 is not supported. As a result, the other end of the wiring member 7 tilts towards the semiconductor element 4, and the distance between the semiconductor element 4 and the other end of the wiring member 7 shortens. In this state, the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with a sealing material 9, and if temperature changes are repeated during operation, cracks that occur inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 are more likely to propagate into the semiconductor element 4.

[0023] In contrast, in the semiconductor device 100 of this embodiment, the lower surface of the wiring member 7 extending inside the case 6 is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61, so that the wiring member 7 can be supported by the wiring member support portion 61. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the other end of the wiring member 7 from tilting toward the semiconductor element 4, and the distance between the semiconductor element 4 and the wiring member 7 can be made longer than in the conventional design. As a result, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to suppress the propagation of cracks that occur inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 to the semiconductor element 4 more than in the conventional design.

[0024] Furthermore, in the semiconductor device 100 of this embodiment, the other end face of the wiring member 7 is positioned with a gap between it and the case 6. If the other end face of the wiring member 7 were positioned in contact with the case 6, during the semiconductor device manufacturing process, when the semiconductor element 4 and the wiring member 7 are bonded together with a bonding material at a high temperature, the other end of the wiring member 7 would expand due to thermal expansion, pushing against the case 6, thus generating strain stress between the case 6 and the wiring member 7. This strain stress would cause the wiring member 7 to warp, resulting in an uneven thickness of the second bonding layer 8 and a deterioration in the bonding performance between the wiring member 7 and the semiconductor element 4. Therefore, by positioning the other end face of the wiring member 7 with a gap between it and the case 6, as in the semiconductor device 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to suppress contact between the other end face of the wiring member 7 and the case 6 even when the other end of the wiring member 7 expands due to thermal expansion towards the case 6, thereby suppressing the strain stress generated between the case 6 and the wiring member 7. Therefore, the occurrence of warping of the wiring member 7 can be suppressed, and the thickness of the second bonding layer 8 can be made uniform, thereby improving the bonding performance between the wiring member 7 and the semiconductor element 4.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the semiconductor device 100 has the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7, which extends inside the case 6, in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. This prevents cracks from propagating from the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4, even when the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and undergoes repeated temperature changes during operation. It also prevents cracks from propagating only upward from the upper surface of the other end of the wiring member 7. Therefore, even when the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and undergoes repeated temperature changes during operation, it is possible to further suppress the propagation of cracks generated inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4 compared to conventional designs.

[0026] Furthermore, when the semiconductor element 4 is made of SiC, its heat resistance is higher than that of Si, allowing it to operate in high-temperature environments, resulting in larger temperature changes during operation. Consequently, when the semiconductor element 4 is made of SiC, the internal stress of the encapsulating material 9 increases due to temperature changes during operation, making it easier for cracks to propagate in the semiconductor element 4. By applying the present invention, it is possible to suppress the propagation of cracks in the semiconductor element 4 when the semiconductor element 4 is made of SiC.

[0027] Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device 100 of this embodiment will be described. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device 100 of this embodiment is basically the same as conventional semiconductor device manufacturing methods, except for the wiring member support part formation and wiring member placement steps, so some parts will be omitted from the explanation.

[0028] The method for manufacturing the semiconductor device 100 includes a wiring member support part formation step, a wiring member placement step, and a bonding step.

[0029] First, the process for forming the wiring member support portion will be explained. As an example of how to form the wiring member support portion 61, we will first explain the case in which the wiring member support portion 61 is integrally provided with the case 6. For example, a part of the mold used when molding the case 6 is made into a convex shape, and resin is poured into the mold. In this way, the wiring member support portion 61 is formed, which is integrated with the case 6 and protrudes inward from a part of the case 6.

[0030] If the wiring member support portion 61 is provided as a separate component from the case 6, the wiring member support portion 61 may be formed by providing an insulating spacer in the case 6 at the location where the wiring member support portion 61 is to be provided.

[0031] Next, the wiring member placement process will be described. The wiring member 7, which has one end fixed to the case 6 and extends inside the case 6, is placed on the wiring member support portion 61. In this way, the lower surface of the wiring member 7 can be brought into contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. In this embodiment, the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 is also brought into contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. The other end of the wiring member 7 is positioned with a gap between it and the case 6.

[0032] Next, the bonding process will be explained. For example, solder is interposed between the semiconductor element 4 and the wiring member 7, which are located on the upper surface of the substrate 1, and the substrate is heated to a high temperature of approximately 200°C to 250°C, which is above the melting point of the solder. In this way, the semiconductor element 4 and the wiring member 7 are bonded together. At this time, the case 6 and the wiring member 7 also become hot, but because their coefficients of thermal expansion are different, strain stress is generated between the case 6 and the wiring member 7.

[0033] The semiconductor device 100 is manufactured through the process described above. As described above, the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device 100 in this embodiment includes a wiring member support part formation step, a wiring member placement step, etc., in which a wiring member support part 61 is formed on the case 6 and the wiring member 7 is placed on the wiring member support part 61. In this way, the lower surface of the wiring member 7 is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support part 61, and the wiring member 7 can be supported by the wiring member support part 61, so that the wiring member 7 does not tilt toward the semiconductor element 4. Therefore, since the distance between the semiconductor element 4 and the wiring member 7 is longer than in the conventional method, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with a sealing material 9 after the bonding process and temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to suppress the propagation of cracks that occur inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 to the semiconductor element 4 more than in the conventional method.

[0034] Furthermore, in the wiring member placement process, the other end face of the wiring member 7 is positioned with a gap between it and the case 6. This prevents the other end face of the wiring member 7 from coming into contact with the case 6, even if it thermally expands toward the case 6 when the semiconductor element 4 and the wiring member 7 are joined by the joining material at a high temperature during the joining process. This suppresses the generation of strain stress between the case 6 and the wiring member 7, prevents warping of the wiring member 7, and allows for a uniform thickness of the second joining layer 8.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, during the wiring member placement process, the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. By doing so, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 after the bonding process and temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to suppress the propagation of cracks from the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4, and to ensure that cracks propagate only upward from the upper surface of the other end of the wiring member 7. Therefore, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to further suppress the propagation of cracks generated inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4 compared to the conventional method.

[0036] Next, a modified example of Embodiment 1 will be described using Figures 3 to 5. First, Modification 1 will be described using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device according to Modification 1. Note that Figure 3 shows the cross-section along the dashed line A3-A4 shown in Figure 1.

[0037] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show the cross-sectional shape of the wiring member 7 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends inward into the case 6. As shown in Figure 3(a), the cross-sectional shape of the wiring member 7 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends may be bathtub-shaped. Also, as shown in Figure 3(b), the cross-sectional shape of the wiring member 7 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends may be U-shaped. By doing so, the size of the cross-section of the wiring member 7 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends becomes larger in the vertical direction than if it were simply rectangular, so the second moment of area when the wiring member 7 is bent in the vertical direction becomes larger. Therefore, the amount of downward deflection at the other end of the wiring member 7 becomes smaller, and the tilting of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4 can be further suppressed. Therefore, since the distance between the semiconductor element 4 and the wiring member 7 is longer than in the conventional design, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, the propagation of cracks that occur inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 to the semiconductor element 4 can be further suppressed compared to the conventional design. Furthermore, by making the cross-sectional shape of the wiring member 7 in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which it extends a bathtub shape or a U-shape, the size of the surface of the lower surface of the wiring member 7 that is joined to the semiconductor element 4 can be made sufficiently larger than the size of the upper surface of the semiconductor element 4, thereby ensuring the bonding strength with the semiconductor element 4.

[0038] In addition, the above description explained the case where the cross-sectional shape of the wiring member 7 in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends is a bathtub shape or a U-shape. However, any shape in which the size of the cross-section of the wiring member 7 in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends is larger in the vertical direction is acceptable, and the cross-sectional shape is arbitrary.

[0039] Next, Modification 2 will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device according to Modification 2. Note that the schematic plan view of the semiconductor device according to Modification 2 is the same as that of Figure 1 and is therefore omitted. Figure 4 shows a cross-section along the dashed line A1-A2 shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of region A5 shown in Figure 4.

[0040] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the lower corner of the other end of the wiring member 7 may be cut out to form a notch 72, so that the wiring member 7 contacts the upper surface of the wiring member support 61 at the lower surface of the notch 72. Having a notch 72 in the wiring member 7 makes it easier to align the wiring member support 61 and the wiring member 7 when placing the wiring member 7 on the wiring member support 61 in the wiring member placement process described above. In addition, the overall height of the semiconductor device 100 can be reduced, making it possible to miniaturize the semiconductor device. Furthermore, the wiring member 7 is positioned with a gap between the end face of the notch 72 and the case 6. This prevents the end face of the notch 72 of the wiring member 7 from contacting the case 6 even when the other end of the wiring member 7 undergoes thermal expansion toward the case 6, thereby suppressing the occurrence of warping of the wiring member 7 and making the thickness of the second bonding layer 8 uniform.

[0041] Embodiment 2. The semiconductor device 200 in Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the semiconductor device 200 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device 200 according to Embodiment 2. Figure 7 shows the cross-section along the dashed line B1-B2 shown in Figure 6. The dotted line in Figure 6 indicates the circuit pattern 2, semiconductor element 4, and wiring member support portion 61 located below the wiring member 7.

[0042] The following description will focus on semiconductor devices sealed with a sealing material, and semiconductor devices that are expected to be sealed with a sealing material in the future. Furthermore, the following description will focus on the differences from the semiconductor device 100 of Embodiment 1, and will omit detailed explanations of points that are the same as the semiconductor device 100 of Embodiment 1.

[0043] The semiconductor device 200 of Embodiment 2 differs from Embodiment 1 in that, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the wiring member support portion 61 is provided such that a part of the case 6 protrudes inward in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends inward into the case 6. More specifically, as shown in Figure 6, in a plan view, the wiring member support portion 61 is provided such that a part of the side wall of the case 6 protrudes inward in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends inward into the case 6.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the semiconductor device 200 of Embodiment 2, multiple circuit patterns 2 are provided on the upper surface of the substrate 1 at intervals in the direction in which the wiring members 7 extend inward into the case 6, and semiconductor elements 4 are provided on the upper surface of each circuit pattern 2. In addition, the wiring member support portion 61 is provided between the circuit patterns 2 so that the lower surface of the wiring member support portion 61 is in contact with the substrate 1. Note that, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, three or more circuit patterns 2, semiconductor elements 4, etc., may be provided, and multiple wiring member support portions 61 may be provided between each circuit pattern 2 so that the lower surface of the wiring member support portion 61 is in contact with the substrate 1.

[0045] As described above, the semiconductor device 200 of Embodiment 2 is configured. Similar to Embodiment 1, in the semiconductor device 200 of Embodiment 2, the lower surface of the wiring member 7 extending inside the case 6 is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. In this way, the wiring member 7 can be supported by the wiring member support portion 61, and tilting of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4 can be suppressed. Therefore, since the distance between the semiconductor element 4 and the other end of the wiring member 7 is longer than in the conventional case, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated, cracks that occur inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 can be suppressed from propagating toward the semiconductor element 4 more than in the conventional case.

[0046] Furthermore, similar to Embodiment 1, in Embodiment 2, the other end face of the wiring member 7 is positioned with a gap between it and the case 6. This prevents the other end face of the wiring member 7 from coming into contact with the case 6 even when the other end of the wiring member 7 undergoes thermal expansion toward the case 6, thereby suppressing the strain stress generated between the case 6 and the wiring member 7. Consequently, warping of the wiring member 7 can be suppressed, and the thickness of the second bonding layer 8 can be made uniform, thereby improving the bonding performance between the wiring member 7 and the semiconductor element 4.

[0047] Furthermore, in the semiconductor device 200 of Embodiment 2, multiple circuit patterns 2 are provided on the upper surface of the substrate 1 at intervals in the direction in which the wiring members 7 extend inward into the case 6, semiconductor elements 4 are provided on the upper surface of each circuit pattern 2, and wiring member support parts 61 are provided between each circuit pattern 2 such that the lower surface of the wiring member support part 61 is in contact with the substrate 1. When multiple semiconductor elements 4 are provided, it is necessary to ensure a certain distance between each of the multiple semiconductor elements 4 in order to ensure insulation. In the configuration of the semiconductor device 200 of Embodiment 2, the case 6 made of insulating resin can be placed between the semiconductor elements 4, and in the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 7, the outer circumference of the wiring member support part 61 becomes the insulation distance, so the creepage insulation distance between the semiconductor elements 4 can be increased, and the spacing between each of the multiple semiconductor elements 4 can be made smaller than in the conventional method, thus enabling miniaturization of the semiconductor device.

[0048] Furthermore, in the semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 2, the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 extending inward from the case 6 is not in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. However, similar to Embodiment 1, the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 extending inward from the case 6 may be made to be in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61. In other words, a wiring member support portion 61 may be additionally provided at a position where the upper surface of the wiring member support portion 61 is in contact with the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7, with the support portion 61 being provided by a part of the side wall of the case 6 protruding inward in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends inward from the case 6. By doing so, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to suppress the propagation of cracks from the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4, and to ensure that cracks propagate only upward from the upper surface of the other end of the wiring member 7. Therefore, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, the propagation of cracks that occur inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 to the semiconductor element 4 can be further suppressed compared to the conventional method.

[0049] Embodiment 3. The semiconductor device 300 in Embodiment 3 will be described using Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of the semiconductor device 300 according to Embodiment 3. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device 300 according to Embodiment 3. Note that Figure 9 shows a cross-section along the dashed line C1-C2 shown in Figure 8. The dotted line in Figure 8 indicates the wiring member 7 and the wiring member support 61 located below the lid 62. For clarity, the schematic plan view shown in Figure 8 omits the substrate 1, circuit pattern 2, first bonding layer 3, semiconductor element 4, and second bonding layer 8 shown in Figure 1 of Embodiment 1.

[0050] The following description will focus on semiconductor devices sealed with a sealing material, and semiconductor devices that are expected to be sealed with a sealing material in the future. Furthermore, the following description will focus on the differences from the semiconductor device 100 of Embodiment 1, and will omit detailed explanations of points that are the same as the semiconductor device 100 of Embodiment 1.

[0051] The semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 3 differs from Embodiment 1 in that, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the case 6 has a lid portion 62 provided on the upper part of the wiring member 7, and the lid portion 62 has a wiring member support portion 61 that protrudes inward from the lid portion 62. The wiring member support portion 61 has a protruding portion 611 that protrudes from the lid portion 62 toward the wiring member 7, and an extending portion 612 that extends from the protruding portion 611 toward the lower surface of the wiring member 7. The lower surface of the wiring member 7 is in contact with the upper surface of the extending portion 612 of the wiring member support portion 61, and the end face of the other end of the wiring member 7 is positioned at a distance from the case 6.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 3 is provided with multiple circuit patterns 2, a first bonding layer 3, semiconductor elements 4, and a second bonding layer 8. The semiconductor elements 4, the second bonding layer 8, etc., are provided with spacing between them in the direction in which the wiring member 7 extends inward into the case 6. One semiconductor element 4 is designated as the first semiconductor element 4a, and the other semiconductor element 4 as the second semiconductor element 4b. The wiring member 7 is composed of a first wiring member 7a that is bonded to the first semiconductor element 4a and a second wiring member 7b that is bonded to the second semiconductor element 4b. The wiring member support portion 61 is inverted T-shaped in cross-section and has a first extension portion 612a and a second extension portion 612b. Furthermore, the lower surface of the other end of the first wiring member 7a contacts the upper surface of the first extension 612a, and the lower surface of the other end of the second wiring member 7b contacts the upper surface of the second extension 612b. The end faces of the other ends of the first wiring member 7a and the second wiring member 7b are positioned at a distance from the protruding portion 611 of the case 6.

[0053] As described above, the semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 3 is configured. Similar to Embodiment 1, in the semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 3, the lower surface of the wiring member 7 extending inside the case 6 is in contact with the upper surface of the extension portion 612 of the wiring member support portion 61. In this way, the wiring member 7 can be supported by the extension portion 612 of the wiring member support portion 61, thereby suppressing the wiring member 7 from tilting toward the semiconductor element 4. Therefore, since the distance between the semiconductor element 4 and the other end of the wiring member 7 is longer than in the conventional design, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, the propagation of cracks generated inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4 can be suppressed more than in the conventional design.

[0054] Furthermore, similar to Embodiment 1, in Embodiment 3, the other end face of the wiring member 7 is positioned with a gap between it and the case 6. This prevents the other end face of the wiring member 7 from coming into contact with the case 6 even when the other end of the wiring member 7 undergoes thermal expansion toward the case 6, thereby suppressing the strain stress generated between the case 6 and the wiring member 7. Consequently, warping of the wiring member 7 can be suppressed, and the thickness of the second bonding layer 8 can be made uniform, thereby improving the bonding performance between the wiring member 7 and the semiconductor element 4.

[0055] Furthermore, in the semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 3, the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 extending inside the case 6 is in contact with the upper surface of the extension portion 612 of the wiring member support portion 61. By doing so, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to suppress the propagation of cracks from the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4, and to ensure that cracks propagate only upward from the upper surface of the other end of the wiring member 7. Therefore, even if the semiconductor device 100 is sealed with the sealing material 9 and temperature changes are repeated during operation, it is possible to further suppress the propagation of cracks generated inside the sealing material 9 near the other end of the wiring member 7 toward the semiconductor element 4 compared to the conventional method.

[0056] Furthermore, the semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 3 is provided with multiple circuit patterns 2, a first bonding layer 3, semiconductor elements 4, and a second bonding layer 8. The wiring member 7 is composed of a first wiring member 7a bonded to the first semiconductor element 4a and a second wiring member 7b bonded to the second semiconductor element 4b. The protruding portion 611 of the wiring member support portion 61 is positioned between the first wiring member 7a and the second wiring member 7b. When multiple semiconductor elements 4, etc., are provided and the first wiring member 7a and the second wiring member 7b are adjacent to each other, it is necessary to ensure a certain distance between the first wiring member and the second wiring member in order to ensure insulation. In the configuration of the semiconductor device 300 of Embodiment 3, the protruding portion 611 of the case 6, which is made of an insulating resin, can be positioned between the first wiring member 7a and the second wiring member 7b. In the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 10, the outer circumference of the wiring member support portion 61 becomes the insulating distance, thus increasing the creepage insulating distance. This allows the distance between the first wiring member 7a and the second wiring member 7b to be smaller than in the conventional design, thus enabling miniaturization of the semiconductor device.

[0057] The configurations shown in the embodiments described above are merely examples of the content of this disclosure and can be combined with other known technologies. Furthermore, the embodiments can be combined with each other, as well as with each other, and variations can be combined. Additionally, parts of the configuration can be omitted or modified without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0058] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0059] (Note 1) A semiconductor device that is sealed with a sealing material, circuit board and A semiconductor element provided on the upper surface side of the substrate, A case provided on the periphery of the aforementioned substrate, The wiring member comprises one end of which is fixed to the case, extends inward into the case, and is joined to the upper surface of the semiconductor element via a bonding layer, The case has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward from the inside of the case. The lower surface of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion. The other end face of the wiring member is a semiconductor device positioned at a distance from the case. (Note 2) The semiconductor device described in Appendix 1, wherein the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion. (Note 3) The semiconductor device according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the case has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward from the case in a direction opposite to the direction in which the wiring member extends inward from the case. (Note 4) The semiconductor device according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the case has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward from the case in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member extends inward from the case. (Note 5) Multiple circuit patterns are provided on the upper surface of the substrate, spaced apart in the direction in which the wiring members extend inward into the case. The semiconductor elements are each provided on the upper surface of the circuit pattern, The semiconductor device described in Appendix 4, wherein the wiring member support portion is provided between the circuit patterns such that the lower surface of the wiring member support portion is in contact with the substrate. (Note 6) The aforementioned case is, A cover portion provided on the upper part of the wiring member, The lid portion has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward, The aforementioned wiring member support portion is A protruding portion that extends from the cover toward the wiring member, It has an extension portion that extends from the protruding portion toward the lower surface of the wiring member, The semiconductor device according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the lower surface of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the extension portion of the wiring member support portion. (Note 7) The semiconductor elements are provided in multiple locations with spacing between them in the direction in which the wiring members extend inward into the case. The first wiring member is joined to the first semiconductor element, The device comprises a second wiring member joined to the second semiconductor element, The wiring member support portion is in an inverted T shape in cross-sectional view and has a first extension portion and a second extension portion. The lower surface of the other end of the first wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the first extension, and the lower surface of the other end of the second wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the second extension. The semiconductor device according to Appendix 6, wherein the end faces of the other ends of the first wiring member and the second wiring member are arranged at a distance from the protruding portion of the wiring member support portion of the case. (Note 8) The wiring member contacts the upper surface of the wiring member support portion at the lower surface of the notch formed by cutting out the lower corner of the other end of the wiring member. The semiconductor device according to any one of the appendices 2 to 7, wherein the end face of the notch of the wiring member is arranged at a distance from the case. (Note 9) The semiconductor device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 8, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the wiring member in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member extends is bathtub-shaped or U-shaped. (Note 10) The wiring member support portion is provided integrally with the case, and is a semiconductor device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 8. (Note 11) The semiconductor device is a semiconductor device according to any one of the appendices 1 to 8, which is composed of SiC. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1 Substrate, 2 Circuit pattern, 3 First bonding layer, 4 Semiconductor element, 4a First semiconductor element, 4b Second semiconductor element, 5 Heat sink, 6 Case, 61 Wiring member support part, 611 Protrusion, 612 Extension part, 612a First extension part, 612b Second extension part, 62 Cover part, 7 Wiring member, 7a First wiring member, 7b Second wiring member, 71 Exposed part, 72 Notch, 8 Second bonding layer, 9 Sealing material, 100 200 300 Semiconductor device

Claims

1. A semiconductor device that is sealed with a sealing material, circuit board and A semiconductor element provided on the upper surface side of the substrate, A case provided on the periphery of the aforementioned substrate, The wiring member comprises one end of which is fixed to the case, extends inward into the case, and is joined to the upper surface of the semiconductor element via a bonding layer, The case has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward from the inside of the case. The lower surface of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion. The other end face of the wiring member is a semiconductor device positioned at a distance from the case.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the other end of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the wiring member support portion.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the case has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward from the case in a direction opposite to the direction in which the wiring member extends inward from the case.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the case has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward from the case in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member extends inward from the case.

5. Multiple circuit patterns are provided on the upper surface of the substrate, spaced apart in the direction in which the wiring members extend inward into the case. The semiconductor elements are each provided on the upper surface of the circuit pattern, The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the wiring member support portion is provided between the circuit patterns such that the lower surface of the wiring member support portion is in contact with the substrate.

6. The aforementioned case is, A cover portion provided on the upper part of the wiring member, The lid portion has a wiring member support portion that protrudes inward, The aforementioned wiring member support portion is A protruding portion that extends from the cover toward the wiring member, It has an extension portion that extends from the protruding portion toward the lower surface of the wiring member, The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the extension portion of the wiring member support portion.

7. The semiconductor elements are provided in multiple locations with spacing between them in the direction in which the wiring members extend inward into the case. The first wiring member is joined to the first semiconductor element, The device comprises a second wiring member joined to the second semiconductor element, The wiring member support portion is inverted T-shaped in cross-sectional view and has a first extension portion and a second extension portion. The lower surface of the other end of the first wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the first extension, and the lower surface of the other end of the second wiring member is in contact with the upper surface of the second extension. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the end faces of the other ends of the first wiring member and the second wiring member are arranged at a distance from the protruding portion of the wiring member support portion of the case.

8. The wiring member contacts the upper surface of the wiring member support portion at the lower surface of the notch formed by cutting out the lower corner of the other end of the wiring member. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the end face of the notch of the wiring member is arranged at a distance from the case.

9. The semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the wiring member in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the wiring member extends is bathtub-shaped or U-shaped.

10. The wiring member support portion is provided integrally with the case, as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. The semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the semiconductor element is composed of SiC.

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