Semiconductor modules and vehicles

Abstract

To solve the problem that when a semiconductor module with a cooler has the cooler fixed to an external refrigerant supply device by the use of a fastening member such as a screw, the cooler may buckle with the fastening force of the fastening member to exert an influence on the sealability of a refrigerant flow passage formed between the cooler and refrigerant supply device.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a semiconductor module that comprises a semiconductor device and a cooling device, and the cooling device has a top plate, a side wall, a bottom plate, a refrigerant circulation part for circulating a refrigerant, an intake for introducing the refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation part, and an outlet for leading the refrigerant out of the refrigerant circulation part, wherein the top plate and bottom plate have a plurality of through holes for inserting a fastening member fastening the semiconductor module to an external device, the plurality of through holes penetrate the top plate and bottom plate in one direction, and a part of the refrigerant circulation part protrudes to outside the segment connecting the centers of adjacent through holes in plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, semiconductor modules including a plurality of semiconductor elements such as power semiconductor chips and equipped with a cooler including cooling fins are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 11). [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-129208 A [Patent Document 2] WO2016 / 121159 [Patent Document 3] JP 2020-027891 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2019-204922 A [Patent Document 5] Patent No. 6486579 [Patent Document 6] JP ​​2020-027891 A [Patent Document 7] WO2016 / 204257 [Patent Document 8] JP 2017-183421 A [Patent Document 9] JP 2017-098439 A [Patent Document 10] JP 2016-100456 A [Patent Document 11] WO2016 / 042903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] When the above-mentioned semiconductor module is mounted on an external refrigerant supply device, the cooler is fixed to the refrigerant supply device using fastening members such as screws. However, the fastening force of the fastening members can cause the cooler to buckle, which can affect the sealing of the refrigerant flow path formed between the cooler and the refrigerant supply device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a semiconductor module including a semiconductor device and a cooling device. The semiconductor device may have a semiconductor chip and a circuit board on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The cooling device may have a top plate on which the circuit board of the semiconductor device is fixed to a main surface. The cooling device may have a side wall connected to the top plate. The cooling device may have a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate. The cooling device may have a refrigerant flow section defined by the top plate, the side wall, and the bottom plate for circulating the refrigerant. The cooling device may have an inlet formed in the bottom plate for introducing the refrigerant into the refrigerant flow section. The cooling device may have an outlet formed in the bottom plate for leading out the refrigerant from the refrigerant flow section. The cooling device may have a plurality of fins disposed in the refrigerant flow section and extending to connect between the top plate and the bottom plate. The top plate and the bottom plate may include three through holes for inserting fastening members for fastening the semiconductor module to an external device, each of which passes through the top plate and the bottom plate in one direction. In a plan view, the geometric center of gravity of at least one of the inlet and outlet openings may be located inside an imaginary triangle having the three through holes as vertices.

[0005] Two of the three through holes may be located on either side of the opening. In a plan view, a perpendicular bisector of a line segment connecting points located inside the two through holes may pass through the opening.

[0006] In a plan view, the perpendicular bisector of a line segment connecting the geometrical centers of gravity of the two through holes may pass through the geometrical center of gravity of the opening.

[0007] The outer edge of the opening may be located inside an imaginary triangle having the three through holes as vertices.

[0008] The through holes may include a first through hole, a second through hole, a third through hole, and a fourth through hole. In a plan view, the first through hole and the fourth through hole may be located on both sides of the entrance. The second through hole and the third through hole may be located on both sides of the exit. In a plan view, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the first through hole and the fourth through hole, the second through hole may be located between the first through hole and the fourth through hole. In a plan view, the geometric center of gravity of the entrance may be located inside a virtual triangle having the first through hole, the fourth through hole, and the second through hole as vertices. In a plan view, the geometric center of gravity of the exit may be located inside a virtual triangle having the second through hole, the third through hole, and the fourth through hole as vertices.

[0009] When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the first through hole and the fourth through hole, at least a portion of the second through hole may overlap with the inlet.

[0010] When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the first through hole and the fourth through hole, the geometric center of gravity of the second through hole and the geometric center of gravity of the inlet may coincide with each other.

[0011] When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the second through hole and the third through hole, at least a portion of the fourth through hole may overlap with the outlet.

[0012] When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the second through hole and the third through hole, the geometric center of gravity of the fourth through hole and the geometric center of gravity of the outlet may coincide with each other.

[0013] A line connecting the first through hole and the fourth through hole may be parallel to a line connecting the third through hole and the second through hole, and a line connecting the first through hole and the fourth through hole may form an acute angle with a line connecting the second through hole and the fourth through hole.

[0014] The top plate and the bottom plate may be rectangular in plan view. The through holes may further include a fifth through hole. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the first through hole and the fourth through hole, at least a portion of the second through hole may overlap with the fourth through hole, and at least a portion of the fifth through hole may overlap with the third through hole.

[0015] The through holes may further include a sixth through hole. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the first through hole and the fourth through hole, at least a portion of the sixth through hole may overlap with the first through hole.

[0016] In a plan view, the first through hole, the third through hole, the fifth through hole and the sixth through hole may be located at the four corners of a rectangle.

[0017] The thickness of the bottom plate may be greater than the thickness of a portion of the top plate that faces the refrigerant flow portion.

[0018] At least one of the three through holes may pass through the top plate, the side wall and the bottom plate in one direction.

[0019] The sidewall may include a thin portion and a thick portion, and the at least one through hole may be formed in the thick portion.

[0020] The cooling device may further include a reinforcing part located outside the refrigerant flow part and connected to the top plate and the bottom plate. At least one of the three through holes may penetrate the top plate, the reinforcing part, and the bottom plate in one direction.

[0021] The semiconductor device may further include a resin structure for encapsulating the semiconductor chip. The resin structure may be fixed to a main surface of the top plate. The through hole may extend through at least the resin structure, the top plate, and the bottom plate in one direction.

[0022] When the fastening member is a screw, the resin structure may include a recess for accommodating the head of the screw so that the head does not protrude outside the resin structure.

[0023] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle including the semiconductor module according to the first aspect.

[0024] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a cooling device 10 for a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor module 100, taken along line II in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the area [A] indicated by the dashed line in FIG. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an example of the arrangement and shape of the side walls 36 and the reinforcing portion 25, the arrangement of the cooling region 95 of the cooling device 10, the arrangement of the metal layer 85 of the semiconductor device 70, the arrangement and shape of the fins 94, and the flow direction of the coolant in a semiconductor module 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of a bottom plate 64 of a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a state in which a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a coolant supply unit 130. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a state in which a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a coolant supply unit 130. FIG. [Figure 10]1 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of a bottom plate 67 which is a modified example of the bottom plate 64 of the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of a bottom plate 68 which is a modified example of the bottom plate 64 of the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a main circuit diagram of a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0027] 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views showing an example of a semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a cooling device 10 of the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the semiconductor module 100 virtually cut along line II shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of an area [A] shown by a broken line in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement and shape of the side wall 36 and the reinforcing part 25, the arrangement of the cooling region 95 of the cooling device 10, the arrangement of the metal layer 85 of the semiconductor device 70, the arrangement and shape of the fins 94, and the flow direction of the coolant in the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] 1, 4, and 5, the resin structure 71 shown in Fig. 2 is omitted for clarity of explanation. In Fig. 5, the thickness in the z-axis direction of the portion of the top plate 20 facing the coolant flow portion 92 is indicated by T1, the thickness in the x-axis direction of the thick portion 36-2 of the side wall 36 is indicated by T2, and the thickness in the z-axis direction of the bottom plate 64 is indicated by T3. In Fig. 6, the metal layers 85 of the U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W shown in Fig. 1 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0029] The semiconductor module 100 includes a semiconductor device 70 and a cooling device 10. The semiconductor device 70 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the cooling device 10. In the description of the present embodiment, the surface of the cooling device 10 on which the semiconductor device 70 is mounted is defined as the xy plane, and the axis perpendicular to the xy plane is defined as the z axis. The xyz axes form a right-handed system. In the description of the present embodiment, the direction from the cooling device 10 toward the semiconductor device 70 in the z axis direction is defined as the up direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the down direction, but the up and down directions are not limited to the direction of gravity. In the description of the present embodiment, the upper surface of each member is defined as the top surface, the lower surface is defined as the bottom surface, and the surface between the upper surface and the bottom surface is defined as the side surface. In the description of the present embodiment, a plan view refers to a case in which the semiconductor module 100 is viewed from the positive z axis direction or the negative z axis direction.

[0030] The semiconductor device 70 has a semiconductor chip 78 and a circuit board 76 on which the semiconductor chip 78 is mounted. The semiconductor device 70 according to the present embodiment includes three circuit boards 76, which are arranged in the y-axis direction on the cooling device 10. Each circuit board 76 may have one or more semiconductor chips 78 mounted thereon. In the present embodiment, two semiconductor chips 78 are mounted on each circuit board 76, and the two semiconductor chips 78 are arranged in the y-axis direction on the circuit board 76. The semiconductor device 70 according to the present embodiment further has a resin structure 71 that seals the semiconductor chip 78.

[0031] The semiconductor module 100 of this embodiment functions as a device constituting a three-phase AC inverter. As shown in Fig. 1, the semiconductor device 70 of this embodiment has, as a power semiconductor device, a U-phase unit 70U including a circuit board 76, a semiconductor chip 78-1, and a semiconductor chip 78-4, a V-phase unit 70V including a circuit board 76, a semiconductor chip 78-2, and a semiconductor chip 78-5, and a W-phase unit 70W including a circuit board 76, a semiconductor chip 78-3, and a semiconductor chip 78-6. Each of the semiconductor chips 78 of the U-phase unit 70U, the V-phase unit 70V, and the W-phase unit 70W becomes a heat source that generates heat when the semiconductor module 100 operates.

[0032] The semiconductor chip 78 is a vertical semiconductor element and has an upper electrode and a lower electrode. The semiconductor chip 78 includes, for example, elements such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), and a free wheel diode (FWD) formed on a semiconductor substrate such as silicon. The semiconductor chip 78 may be a reverse conducting IGBT (RC-IGBT) in which the IGBT and the FWD are formed on a single semiconductor substrate. In the RC-IGBT, the IGBT and the FWD may be connected in inverse parallel.

[0033] The bottom electrode of the semiconductor chip 78 is connected to the top surface of the circuit board 76. The semiconductor chip 78 of this embodiment is fixed to the top surface of the circuit board 76 by solder 79. The top electrode of the semiconductor chip 78 may be an emitter, source, or anode electrode, and the bottom electrode may be a collector, drain, or cathode electrode. The semiconductor substrate in the semiconductor chip 78 may be silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN).

[0034] A semiconductor chip 78 including a switching element such as an IGBT or a MOSFET has a control electrode. The semiconductor module 100 may have a control terminal connected to the control electrode of the semiconductor chip 78. The switching element can be controlled by an external control circuit via the control terminal.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, the circuit board 76 is a laminated board including, in order, an insulating plate 81 having an upper surface and a lower surface, a circuit layer 83 provided on the upper surface of the insulating plate 81, and a metal layer 85 provided on the lower surface of the insulating plate 81.

[0036] The circuit board 76 has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the lower surface is disposed on the upper surface of the cooling device 10. The circuit board 76 of the present embodiment is fixed to the upper surface of the cooling device 10 by solder 79 via a metal layer 85. In addition, as an example, two semiconductor chips 78 are fixed to the upper surface of the circuit board 76 of the present embodiment.

[0037] The circuit board 76 may be, for example, a DCB (Direct Copper Bonding) board or an AMB (Active Metal Brazing) board. The insulating plate 81 of this embodiment includes ceramic. The insulating plate 81 may be formed using a ceramic material such as alumina (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon nitride (Si3N4), or the like. The insulating plate 81 of this embodiment is rectangular in plan view.

[0038] In this specification, a rectangle may mean a square or oblong shape, and may have at least one chamfered or smooth corner. For example, a rectangle may include an octagon, a dodecagon, a hexagon, etc., with each of the four corners being chamfered.

[0039] The circuit layer 83 and the metal layer 85 may be plate materials containing a conductive material such as copper or a copper alloy. The circuit layer 83 and the metal layer 85 in this embodiment are rectangular in plan view, similar to the insulating plate 81.

[0040] The circuit layer 83 is fixed to the upper surface side of the insulating plate 81 by solder, brazing, or the like. The semiconductor chip 78 is electrically and mechanically connected to the upper surface of the circuit layer 83 by solder or the like, that is, directly connected in terms of an electrical circuit. The circuit layer 83 may be electrically connected to other conductive members by wires or the like. The circuit layer 83 may also be directly bonded to the upper surface of the insulating plate 81 (DCB: Direct Copper Bonding).

[0041] Resin structure 71 is rectangular in plan view, more specifically, a rectangle having long and short sides. As shown in Fig. 2, resin structure 71 of this embodiment includes sealing portion 74 that seals semiconductor chip 78, and housing portion 72 that surrounds sealing portion 74. Sealing portion 74 is an insulating member that contains a resin such as silicone gel or epoxy resin. Sealing portion 74 of this embodiment seals not only semiconductor chip 78, but also circuit board 76 and other circuit elements.

[0042] The accommodation section 72 is a frame formed of an insulating material such as a thermosetting resin or an ultraviolet-curing resin. The accommodation section 72 of this embodiment is provided on the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20 to surround an area in which the circuit board 76 and the like are arranged. In other words, the accommodation section 72 of this embodiment has an internal space capable of accommodating the semiconductor chip 78, the circuit board 76, and other circuit elements. The accommodation section 72 may be bonded to the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20. The above-mentioned sealing section 74 is formed, for example, by filling the internal space of the accommodation section 72 with the above-mentioned resin and curing it. Note that the resin structure 71 may include only the sealing section 74 without including the accommodation section 72.

[0043] A plurality of conductive connection parts 73 are insert-molded in the accommodation part 72. One end of each of the plurality of conductive connection parts 73 is electrically connected to the semiconductor device 70, and the other end is electrically connected to an external device. Each of the plurality of conductive connection parts 73 constitutes either an input terminal or an output terminal (N terminal, P terminal) of the semiconductor device 70.

[0044] Furthermore, the resin structure 71 of this embodiment includes at least three through holes 77 corresponding to holes for inserting fastening members in the cooling device 10. The through holes 77 penetrate the resin structure 71 in the z-axis direction. The resin structure 71 of this embodiment includes a first through hole 77-1, a second through hole 77-2, a third through hole 77-3, a fourth through hole 77-4, a fifth through hole 77-5, and a sixth through hole 77-6. In a plan view, the first through hole 77-1, the third through hole 77-3, the fifth through hole 77-5, and the sixth through hole 77-6 are located at the four corners of the rectangle of the resin structure 71.

[0045] The cooling device 10 has a top plate 20, a side wall 36, a bottom plate 64, a refrigerant flow section 92, an inlet 41, an outlet 42, and a plurality of fins 94. In this embodiment, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the plurality of fins 94 may be collectively referred to as a base plate 40. The cooling device 10 of this embodiment further has a reinforcing section 25.

[0046] The top plate 20 is a plate-like member having a main surface extending in the xy plane. The circuit board 76 of the semiconductor device 70 is fixed to the main surface of the top plate 20. The resin structure 71 is also fixed to the main surface of the top plate 20 of this embodiment. The top plate 20 of this embodiment is rectangular in plan view, more specifically, a rectangle having long and short sides. The short sides of the top plate 20 of this embodiment are parallel to the x axis, and the long sides are parallel to the y axis. In this specification, when a shape is referred to as a rectangle, a square, a quadrangle, a rhombus, a polygon, or the like, these shapes may have at least one chamfered or smooth corner.

[0047] The top plate 20 includes at least three through holes 80 for inserting fastening members, such as bolts, bosses, and screws, for fastening the semiconductor module 100 to an external device. The through holes 80 penetrate the top plate 20 in the z-axis direction. The top plate 20 of this embodiment includes a first through hole 80-1, a second through hole 80-2, a third through hole 80-3, a fourth through hole 80-4, a fifth through hole 80-5, and a sixth through hole 80-6. In a plan view, the first through hole 80-1, the third through hole 80-3, the fifth through hole 80-5, and the sixth through hole 80-6 are located at the four corners of the rectangle of the top plate 20.

[0048] 3, the top plate 20 has an upper surface (front surface) 22 and a lower surface (rear surface) 24 that are parallel to the xy plane. The top plate 20 is formed of a metal, for example, and is formed of a metal containing aluminum, for example. The top plate 20 may have a plating layer of nickel or the like formed on the surface.

[0049] In this embodiment, the circuit board 76 of the semiconductor device 70 is directly fixed to the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20 by solder 79. More specifically, the metal layer 85 of the circuit board 76 is fixed to the main surface of the top plate 20 by solder 79. Heat generated in each semiconductor chip 78 is transferred to the top plate 20. The top plate 20, the circuit board 76, and the semiconductor chip 78 are arranged in this order toward the positive direction of the z-axis. The top plate 20 and the circuit board 76, and the circuit board 76 and the semiconductor chip 78 may be thermally connected to each other. In this embodiment, the respective members are fixed to each other by solder 79, and each member is thermally connected via the solder 79. In addition, the top plate 20 of this embodiment has the above-mentioned storage section 72 fixed to the main surface by an adhesive.

[0050] The side wall 36 is connected to the top plate 20. In this embodiment, the side wall 36 is integral with the top plate 20 and extends from the top plate 20 in the negative z-axis direction. The side wall 36 constitutes a side surface of the cooling device 10. As an example, the side wall 36 is formed of a metal, and as a more specific example, the side wall 36 is formed of a metal containing aluminum like the top plate 20.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, the side wall 36 of this embodiment includes a thin portion 36-1 and a thick portion 36-2. The thin portion 36-1 and the thick portion 36-2 have different thicknesses in a cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20. The thin portion 36-1 has a substantially constant thickness, and may be, for example, 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. The thick portion 36-2 is thicker than the thin portion 36-1, and the thickness changes continuously along the direction in which the side wall 36 continues. The thin portion 36-1 and the thick portion 36-2 are formed alternately and continuously along the direction in which the side wall 36 continues.

[0052] The side wall 36 of this embodiment has a generally rectangular outline in the xy plane, more specifically, a rectangular outline having long and short sides. In the xy plane, the outline of the side wall 36 of this embodiment is located inside the outline of the top plate 20. The outline may refer to a line that forms the outer shape of an object.

[0053] The bottom plate 64 is connected to the side wall 36 and faces the top plate 20. The bottom plate 64 of this embodiment is a plate-like member. The bottom plate 64 of this embodiment is rectangular in plan view, more specifically, a rectangle having long and short sides. In addition, the short sides of the bottom plate 64 of this embodiment are parallel to the x-axis, and the long sides are parallel to the y-axis.

[0054] The bottom plate 64, like the top plate 20, includes at least three through holes 65 for inserting fastening members, such as bosses, for fastening the semiconductor module 100 to an external device. The through holes 65 penetrate the bottom plate 64 in the z-axis direction. The bottom plate 64 of this embodiment includes a first through hole 65-1, a second through hole 65-2, a third through hole 65-3, a fourth through hole 65-4, a fifth through hole 65-5, and a sixth through hole 65-6. In a plan view, the first through hole 65-1, the third through hole 65-3, the fifth through hole 65-5, and the sixth through hole 65-6 are located at the four corners of the rectangle of the bottom plate 64.

[0055] 1 to 6, in this embodiment, the first through hole 77-1 of the resin structure 71, the first through hole 80-1 of the top plate 20, and the first through hole 65-1 of the bottom plate 64 are arranged so as to be coaxial with each other. In addition, the second through hole 77-3 of the resin structure 71, the second through hole 80-2 of the top plate 20, and the second through hole 65-2 of the bottom plate 64 are arranged so as to be coaxial with each other. In addition, the third through hole 77-3 of the resin structure 71, the third through hole 80-3 of the top plate 20, and the third through hole 65-3 of the bottom plate 64 are arranged so as to be coaxial with each other.

[0056] Moreover, the fourth through hole 77-4 of the resin structure 71, the fourth through hole 80-4 of the top plate 20, and the fourth through hole 65-4 of the bottom plate 64 are arranged coaxially. Moreover, the fifth through hole 77-5 of the resin structure 71, the fifth through hole 80-5 of the top plate 20, and the fifth through hole 65-5 of the bottom plate 64 are arranged coaxially. Moreover, the sixth through hole 77-6 of the resin structure 71, the sixth through hole 80-6 of the top plate 20, and the sixth through hole 65-6 of the bottom plate 64 are arranged coaxially.

[0057] In this manner, the through hole 77 of the resin structure 71, the through hole 80 of the top plate 20, and the through hole 65 of the bottom plate 64 penetrate at least the resin structure 71, the top plate 20, and the bottom plate 64 in one direction. Furthermore, the through hole 80 of the top plate 20 and the through hole 65 of the bottom plate 64, which are arranged coaxially with each other, may penetrate the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the bottom plate 64 in one direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6, each set of the first through hole 80-1 to the fifth through hole 80-5 of the top plate 20 and each set of the first through hole 65-1 to the fifth through hole 65-5 of the bottom plate 64 penetrates the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the bottom plate 64 in the z-axis direction.

[0058] These sets of first through holes 80-1 etc. and first through holes 65-1 etc. are formed in the thick portion 36-2 of the side wall 36. This makes it possible to increase the cooling efficiency by enlarging the coolant flow portion 92 without increasing the size of the semiconductor module 100, while also increasing the rigidity against a strong fastening force that may be applied when the semiconductor module 100 is firmly fastened to an external device with bolts or the like.

[0059] The inner surfaces of through holes 80 and 65, which penetrate the top plate 20, the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64 in one direction, may have a thread groove formed thereon, for example having a shape complementary to the threads of a screw that is screwed into the through holes, or may have a smooth curved surface overall, or may have a thread groove formed in part of the smooth curved surface.

[0060] 5, the thickness T1 in the z-axis direction of the portion of the top plate 20 facing the coolant flow portion 92 is smaller than the representative thickness T2 of the thick portion 36-2 of the side wall 36 in the xy plane and the thickness T3 in the z-axis direction of the bottom plate 64. By reducing the thickness of the top plate 20, heat from the semiconductor device 70 arranged on the upper surface 22 of the top plate 20 can be efficiently transferred to the coolant flowing in the coolant flow portion 92.

[0061] On the other hand, the portion of the top plate 20 where the through hole 80 is formed has the thick portion 36-2 of the side wall 36 extending in the negative direction of the z-axis, and is stronger than the portion facing the refrigerant flow portion 92. This makes it possible to prevent the top plate 20 from being damaged by the above-mentioned fastening force.

[0062] In addition, by arranging a plurality of thick portions 36-2 along the direction in which the side wall 36 continues, the strength of the side wall 36 can be increased, thereby preventing the top plate 20 from being deformed, such as twisted, due to mechanical or thermal influences. This allows the semiconductor module 100 to prevent large stress and plastic strain from occurring in the solder 79 that fixes the semiconductor device 70 to the top plate 20.

[0063] Furthermore, the thickness T3 of the bottom plate 64 in the z-axis direction is greater than the thickness T1 of the portion of the top plate 20 that faces the refrigerant flow portion 92. This makes it possible to increase the overall rigidity of the cooling device 10.

[0064] The bottom plate 64 may be disposed in direct or indirect contact with the lower end of the side wall 36 in the negative z-axis direction. Indirect contact refers to a state in which the lower end of the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64 are in close contact with each other via an adhesive 98, such as a sealant, adhesive, or brazing material, provided between the lower end of the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 64 is disposed in close contact with the lower end of the side wall 36 via the adhesive 98. The bottom plate 64 is formed of a metal, for example, and as a more specific example, is formed of a metal containing aluminum, similar to the base plate 40.

[0065] The lower end of the side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64 are preferably brazed to each other. In this case, the brazing material is preferably a metal having a lower melting point than the base plate 40 and the bottom plate 64.

[0066] The refrigerant flow section 92 is a space for circulating a refrigerant such as LLC or water, and is defined by the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the bottom plate 64. In other words, the side wall 36 is disposed surrounding the refrigerant flow section 92 in the xy plane, and the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64 are disposed facing each other in the z-axis direction with the refrigerant flow section 92 in between. Thus, the outline of the refrigerant flow section 92 in the xy plane is defined by the inner circumference of the side wall 36. Therefore, the refrigerant flow section 92 is generally rectangular in plan view. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerant flow section 92 is generally rectangular in cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20 having long sides 96 and short sides 93. In this embodiment, the long side 96 is oriented in the y-axis direction, and the short side 93 is oriented in the x-axis direction.

[0067] The refrigerant flow section 92 may be sealed by the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the bottom plate 64, in which case the lower end of the side wall 36 may be in tight contact with the bottom plate 64. Note that tight contact refers to a state in which the refrigerant inside the refrigerant flow section 92 does not leak out from the tight contact part.

[0068] The inlet 41 is a hole for introducing the refrigerant into the refrigerant flow portion 92, and is formed in the bottom plate 64. The outlet 42 is a hole for leading the refrigerant out of the refrigerant flow portion 92, and is formed in the bottom plate 64, similar to the inlet 41. By forming the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 in the bottom plate 64, which is the thickest in the structure that defines the refrigerant flow portion 92, the strength of the cooling device 10 can be improved and the processing of the cooling device 10 can be facilitated.

[0069] The inlet 41 and the outlet 42 are located on one side and the opposite side of the cooling device 10 in the x-axis direction, respectively, and on one side and the opposite side of the cooling device 10 in the y-axis direction. That is, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 are located at opposite ends of the refrigerant flow section 92 in the diagonal direction of the refrigerant flow section 92 having a rectangular shape in the xy plane.

[0070] The multiple fins 94 are disposed in the coolant flow section 92 and extend so as to connect between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64. The above-mentioned coolant flow section 92 includes a cooling region 95 in which the multiple fins 94 are disposed. Note that in FIG. 3, instead of illustrating the fins 94, the cooling region 95 is indicated by dots. Note that in the following description, one or multiple fins 94 may be simply referred to as fin 94.

[0071] The cooling region 95 may be rectangular in plan view. As shown in Fig. 6, the cooling region 95 of this embodiment is rectangular in plan view, with its short side parallel to the x-axis and its long side parallel to the y-axis.

[0072] In the cooling region 95 of the present embodiment, the number of fins 94 aligned in the direction of the long side 96 of the coolant flow section 92 is greater than the number of fins 94 aligned in the direction of the short side 93 of the coolant flow section 92. The cooling region 95 includes a region in which the fins 94 are provided and flow paths between the fins 94. The distance between adjacent fins 94 may be narrower than the width of the fins 94 themselves.

[0073] The refrigerant flow section 92 further includes a first header 30-1 adjacent to one side of the cooling region 95, and a second header 30-2 adjacent to the other side of the cooling region 95, which is opposite to the one side of the cooling region 95. In other words, the refrigerant flow section 92 includes the first header 30-1 and the second header 30-2 arranged to sandwich the cooling region 95 in a plan view. In this embodiment, the first header 30-1 is adjacent to the negative side of the cooling region 95 in the x-axis direction, and the second header 30-2 is adjacent to the positive side of the cooling region 95 in the x-axis direction. These headers 30 refer to spaces having a height equal to or greater than a predetermined height (length in the z-axis direction) in the refrigerant flow section 92. The height equal to or greater than the predetermined height may be the distance between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64.

[0074] The first header 30-1 of this embodiment communicates with the inlet 41, and is not provided with a plurality of fins 94. Similarly, the second header 30-2 of this embodiment communicates with the outlet 42, and is not provided with a plurality of fins 94. Note that the first header 30-1 and the second header 30-2 may be provided with, for example, blade fins for guiding the flow of the refrigerant, pin fins for reinforcing the top plate 20, or the like.

[0075] In this embodiment, each of the first header 30-1 and the second header 30-2 is longer in the y-axis direction than in the x-axis direction in plan view, and extends in the y-axis direction.

[0076] The fins 94 are formed of, for example, a metal, and as a more specific example, are formed of a metal containing aluminum, similar to the top plate 20 .

[0077] The fins 94 have upper and lower ends that face each other in the z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the upper ends of the fins 94 are thermally and mechanically connected to the underside 24 of the top plate 20. In this embodiment, the fins 94 are configured integrally with the top plate 20, in other words, the fins 94 protrude integrally from the underside 24 of the top plate 20. In this embodiment, the fins 94 extend from the underside 24 of the top plate 20 toward the refrigerant flow section 92 in the negative direction of the z-axis.

[0078] The lower ends of the fins 94 in this embodiment are fixed to the bottom plate 64 by an adhesive 98. The extending direction of the fins 94 in this embodiment is substantially perpendicular to the respective main surfaces of the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64.

[0079] In this embodiment, each of the fins 94 is a pin fin. Each of the fins 94 in this embodiment has a rectangular cross section parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20. This allows the surface area of ​​the fins 94 in contact with the refrigerant to be increased compared to when the cross section of the fin is circular, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0080] The fins 94 may be arranged in the refrigerant flow section 92 such that, when the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant flow section 92, none of the sides of the rectangle are perpendicular to the main flow direction of the refrigerant in the cooling region 95. In the example of this embodiment, the main flow direction of the refrigerant in the cooling region 95 is the x-axis direction. In this embodiment, the fins 94 are arranged in the refrigerant flow section 92 such that none of the sides of the rectangle are perpendicular to the x-axis direction. More specifically, the fins 94 in this embodiment are arranged in the refrigerant flow section 92 such that none of the sides of the rectangle are perpendicular to the x-axis direction, one diagonal line is parallel to the y-axis direction, and the other diagonal line is parallel to the x-axis direction. Alternatively, the fins 94 may be arranged in the refrigerant flow section 92 such that none of the sides of the rectangle are perpendicular to the x-axis direction, one diagonal line is inclined to the y-axis direction, and the other diagonal line is inclined to the x-axis direction. Compared to the case where multiple fins are arranged in refrigerant flow section 92 so that one of the sides of the rectangle is perpendicular to the main flow direction, any of the configurations described above can reduce the flow velocity loss of the refrigerant flowing within refrigerant flow section 92 and improve the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0081] Furthermore, in a cross section taken along the xy plane, the fins 94 of this embodiment have a rhombus that is longer in the direction of the short side 93 than in the direction of the long side 96 of the coolant flow section 92. Of a pair of diagonals of the rhombus, the diagonal parallel to the long side 96 is shorter than the diagonal parallel to the short side 93. The length of each side of the rhombus cross section of the fins 94 may be 1.9 mm to 2.2 mm. Each corner of the rhombus cross section may be rounded with a radius of curvature of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0082] The fins 94 may each have a polygonal cross-sectional shape, for example, a square shape. In this case, the fins 94 may be disposed in the refrigerant flow section 92 such that one diagonal of the square runs along the direction from the first header 30-1 to the second header 30-2.

[0083] The fins 94 may also be arranged to form a predetermined pattern in the xy plane of the coolant flow section 92. In this embodiment, the fins 94 are arranged in a staggered manner as shown in Fig. 5. The fins 94 may also be arranged in a square manner in the xy plane of the coolant flow section 92.

[0084] 6, in plan view, metal layers 85 of U-phase unit 70U, V-phase unit 70V, and W-phase unit 70W of the present embodiment all partially overlap with cooling region 95, and the remaining portions excluding this portion overlap with first header 30-1 and second header 30-2. Metal layers 85 of U-phase unit 70U etc. may partially overlap with cooling region 95, and the remaining portions excluding this portion may overlap with one of first header 30-1 and second header 30-2, or may entirely overlap with cooling region 95.

[0085] 3 and 6, the reinforcing portion 25 is located outside the coolant flow portion 92 and is connected to the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64. The fifth through hole 80-5 and the fifth through hole 65-5 described above penetrate the top plate 20, the reinforcing portion 25, and the bottom plate 64 in the z-axis direction. The reinforcing portion 25 may be connected to the side wall 36, in other words, may be a part of the side wall 36. In this case, the reinforcing portion 25 constitutes one thick portion 36-2 of the side wall 36.

[0086] FIG. 7 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of the bottom plate 64 of the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the geometric centers of gravity of the through hole 65, the inlet 41, and the outlet 42 in a plan view are indicated by black circles. In addition, lines for explaining the positions of the geometric centers of gravity of the respective through holes are indicated by dashed lines. In addition, the angle formed by two specific dashed lines is indicated by θ. In the following description, only the through hole 65 of the bottom plate 64 among the through holes of the semiconductor module 100 may be described, but the same is true for the through hole 80 of the top plate 20 and the through hole 77 of the resin structure 71, which are positioned coaxially with the through hole 65 of the bottom plate 64, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0087] In a plan view, the geometric center of gravity of at least one of the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 is located inside a virtual triangle with the three through holes 65 as vertices. Two of the three through holes 65 may be located on both sides of the opening. In addition, in a plan view, the perpendicular bisector of a line segment connecting points located inside each of the two through holes 65 may pass through the opening. More preferably, in a plan view, the perpendicular bisector of a line segment connecting the geometric centers of gravity of each of the two through holes 65 may pass through the geometric center of gravity of the opening. In addition, preferably, the outer edge of the opening may be located inside a virtual triangle with the three through holes 65 as vertices.

[0088] In this embodiment, in a plan view, the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4 are located on both sides of the inlet 41, and the second through hole 65-2 and the third through hole 65-3 are located on both sides of the outlet 42. In addition, in a plan view, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4, the second through hole 65-2 is located between the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4.

[0089] 7, in this embodiment, the geometric center of gravity of the inlet 41 is located inside an imaginary triangle A having vertices of the first through hole 65-1, the fourth through hole 65-4, and the second through hole 65-2 in a plan view. Similarly, the geometric center of gravity of the outlet 42 is located inside an imaginary triangle B having vertices of the second through hole 65-2, the third through hole 65-3, and the fourth through hole 65-4 in a plan view.

[0090] Further, in this embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4, at least a part of the second through hole 65-2 overlaps with the inlet 41. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4, the geometric center of gravity of the second through hole 65-2 and the geometric center of gravity of the inlet 41 may coincide. Similarly, in this embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the second through hole 65-2 and the third through hole 65-3, at least a part of the fourth through hole 65-4 overlaps with the outlet 42. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the second through hole 65-2 and the third through hole 65-3, the geometric center of gravity of the fourth through hole 65-4 and the geometric center of gravity of the outlet 42 may coincide.

[0091] In this embodiment, the outer edge of the inlet 41 is located inside an imaginary triangle having vertices at the first through hole 65-1, the fourth through hole 65-4, and the second through hole 65-2 in a plan view. Similarly, the outer edge of the outlet 42 may be located inside an imaginary triangle having vertices at the third through hole 65-3, the second through hole 65-2, and the fourth through hole 65-4 in a plan view. This arrangement can improve the sealing performance of the refrigerant flow path through the inlet 41 and the outlet 42.

[0092] 7, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4 is parallel to the line connecting the third through hole 65-3 and the second through hole 65-2. In this embodiment, it is further preferable that the angle θ formed by the line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4 and the line connecting the second through hole 65-2 and the fourth through hole 65-4 is an acute angle.

[0093] Fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a state in which the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the coolant supply unit 130. Also, Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a state in which the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the coolant supply unit 130.

[0094] In this embodiment, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 formed in the bottom plate 64 communicate with an inlet 141 and an outlet 142 of an external refrigerant supply unit 130, respectively, to form a refrigerant flow path between the cooling device 10 and the refrigerant supply unit 130. The inlet 141 and the outlet 142 communicate with an inlet pipe 143 and an outlet pipe 144 formed inside the refrigerant supply unit 130, respectively. The inlet 141 and the outlet 142 are formed in a flange of the refrigerant supply unit 130, respectively.

[0095] The refrigerant supply unit 130 causes the refrigerant to flow from the introduction pipe 143 and the introduction port 141 through the inlet 41 into the refrigerant flow section 92, and causes the refrigerant that has flowed through the refrigerant flow section 92 to flow out from the outlet 42 through the discharge port 142 and the discharge pipe 144. Thus, the cooling device 10 receives the refrigerant from the external refrigerant supply unit 130 through the inlet 41, and the refrigerant circulates inside the refrigerant flow section 92 and is then discharged to the refrigerant supply unit 130 through the outlet 42.

[0096] Here, FIG. 9 shows a state in which the semiconductor module 100 is fastened to the coolant supply unit 130 by the fastening member 120. When the semiconductor module 100 is fastened to the coolant supply unit 130 by the fastening member 120, a strong fastening force by the fastening member 120 is applied to the cooling device 10 of the semiconductor module 100 through the through hole 77 of the resin structure 71, the through hole 80 of the top plate 20, and the through hole 65 of the bottom plate 64 in order to enhance the sealing property of the above-mentioned coolant flow path. The periphery of the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 of the cooling device 10 is pressed against the periphery of the inlet 141 and the outlet 142 of the coolant supply unit 130 via a sealing material, for example, a rubber O-ring. The openings of the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 may be rounded rectangular, rectangular, circular, or elliptical in plan view. A sealing surface for supporting a sealing material may be provided around the openings of the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 on the lower surface of the bottom plate 64.

[0097] According to the semiconductor module 100 of the present embodiment described above, the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64 of the cooling device 10 include at least three sets of the through holes 80 and the through holes 65 for inserting the fastening member 120. Furthermore, according to the semiconductor module 100, in a plan view, the geometric center of gravity of at least one of the openings of the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 is located inside an imaginary triangle having the three sets of the through holes 80 and the through holes 65 as vertices. According to the semiconductor module 100 having this configuration, when mounted on an external device such as the refrigerant supply unit 130, the sealing material arranged around the opening can be uniformly compressed from three different directions, and the occurrence of leakage of liquid in the refrigerant flow path formed between the semiconductor module 100 and the external device can be effectively prevented.

[0098] 2 and 9, resin structure 71 includes recess 75 for accommodating the head of a screw when fastening member 120 is a screw. Recess 75 can prevent the head of the screw from protruding outward from resin structure 71 when the screw is inserted into through-hole 77 or the like and semiconductor module 100 is fastened to an external device.

[0099] Furthermore, the semiconductor module 100 of this embodiment has an arrangement in which the main flow direction (positive x-axis direction) of the coolant flowing through the cooling device 10 is perpendicular to the arrangement direction (y-axis direction) of the multiple heat sources. For example, when multiple heat sources such as semiconductor chips 78 are present in the y-axis direction on the top plate 20 of the cooling device 10, if the main flow direction of the coolant flowing through the cooling device 10 is made parallel to the arrangement direction of the heat sources (y-axis direction), each heat source cannot be uniformly cooled.

[0100] In contrast, according to the semiconductor module 100 of this embodiment, the coolant flow section 92 has a rectangular cross section (in the xy plane) parallel to the main surface of the top plate 20, with long sides 96 and short sides 93, and the coolant is introduced into the coolant flow section 92 from an inlet 41 communicating with one side in the direction of the short side 93 (x-axis direction), diffuses throughout the coolant flow section 92, and is discharged from an outlet 42 communicating with the other side in the direction of the short side 93 (x-axis direction). The coolant comes into contact with the underside 24 of the top plate 20 on which the circuit board 76 is placed and the fins 94, and cools each semiconductor chip 78 of the semiconductor device 70. In other words, the heat generated by each semiconductor chip 78 is transferred to the coolant passing near the top plate 20 and the fins 94.

[0101] Therefore, according to the semiconductor module 100 of this embodiment, the cooling device 10 can efficiently cool the heat generated by each of the semiconductor chips 78 arranged in the y-axis direction on the upper surface of the cooling device 10 by using the refrigerant.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fins 94 constituting the base plate 40 may be integrally configured. In this embodiment, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fins 94 may be integrally formed. For example, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fins 94 may be integrally formed from a single continuous plate member.

[0103] For example, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fins 94 may be integrally formed by punching a continuous sheet of plate member using a die corresponding to the shapes of the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fins 94. As another example, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fins 94 may be integrally formed by molding using any forging method such as cold forging in a room temperature environment using an impact press or warm forging in a high temperature environment, hot forging, or molten metal forging, or by molding by casting. In the semiconductor module 100 of this embodiment, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fins 94 are integrally formed, thereby reducing the number of parts compared to a form in which parts formed separately are fixed to each other.

[0104] Fig. 10 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of a bottom plate 67 which is a modified example of the bottom plate 64 of the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also, Fig. 11 is a schematic bottom view showing an example of a bottom plate 68 which is a modified example of the bottom plate 64 of the semiconductor module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] 10 and 11 respectively show bottom plates 67 and 68 of semiconductor module 100, and omit illustration of other components of semiconductor module 100. Also, in Fig. 10 and 11, similar to Fig. 7, the geometric centers of gravity of through hole 65, inlet 41, and outlet 42 in plan view are indicated by filled-in circles. Also, dashed lines are used to explain the positions of the respective geometric centers of gravity.

[0106] 1 to 9, the modified example shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 differs only in the arrangement, number and / or dimensions of specific components, and has the same functions and uses. Therefore, the components of the modified example shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 are given the same reference numbers as the components of the embodiment described using Fig. 1 to 9, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0107] 10, in a plan view, the perpendicular bisector of the line segment connecting the geometric centers of gravity of the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4 passes through the geometric center of gravity of the inlet 41. In the present embodiment, in a plan view, the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4 are located on both sides of the inlet 41, and the second through hole 65-2 and the third through hole 65-3 are located on both sides of the outlet 42. In a plan view, the second through hole 65-2 is located between the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4.

[0108] 10, in this embodiment, the geometric center of gravity of the inlet 41 is located inside an imaginary triangle A having vertices at the first through hole 65-1, the fourth through hole 65-4, and the second through hole 65-2 in a plan view. Similarly, the geometric center of gravity of the outlet 42 is located inside an imaginary triangle B having vertices at the second through hole 65-2, the third through hole 65-3, and the fourth through hole 65-4 in a plan view.

[0109] In this embodiment, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4, at least a portion of the second through hole 65-2 overlaps with the fourth through hole 65-4, and at least a portion of the fifth through hole 65-5 overlaps with the third through hole 65-3. Also, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the first through hole 65-1 and the fourth through hole 65-4, at least a portion of the sixth through hole 65-6 overlaps with the first through hole 65-1.

[0110] In this embodiment, the outer edge of the inlet 41 is located inside an imaginary triangle having vertices at the first through hole 65-1, the fourth through hole 65-4, and the second through hole 65-2 in a plan view. Similarly, the outer edge of the outlet 42 may be located inside an imaginary triangle having vertices at the third through hole 65-3, the second through hole 65-2, and the fourth through hole 65-4 in a plan view. The semiconductor module 100 according to this modification also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0111] 1 to 9, except that the bottom plate 68 of the modified example shown in Fig. 11 does not include the fifth through hole 65-5 and the sixth through hole 65-6. The semiconductor module 100 according to this modified example also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0112] 12 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 200 is a vehicle that generates at least a portion of its propulsive force using electric power. As an example, the vehicle 200 is an electric vehicle in which all of the propulsive force is generated by an electric power-driven device such as a motor, or a hybrid vehicle that uses both an electric power-driven device such as a motor and an internal combustion engine driven by a fuel such as gasoline.

[0113] The vehicle 200 includes a control device 210 (external device) that controls electrically-driven devices such as a motor. The control device 210 includes a semiconductor module 100. The semiconductor module 100 may control the power supplied to the electrically-driven devices.

[0114] 13 is a main circuit diagram of a semiconductor module 100 according to multiple embodiments of the present invention. The semiconductor module 100 functions as a three-phase AC inverter circuit having output terminals U, V, and W, and may be part of an in-vehicle unit that drives a motor of a vehicle.

[0115] In the semiconductor module 100, the semiconductor chips 78-1, 78-2, and 78-3 may form an upper arm, and the semiconductor chips 78-4, 78-5, and 78-6 may form a lower arm. A pair of the semiconductor chips 78-1 and 78-4 may form a leg (U phase). A pair of the semiconductor chips 78-2 and 78-5 and a pair of the semiconductor chips 78-3 and 78-6 may similarly form legs (V phase, W phase). In the semiconductor chip 78-4, the emitter electrode may be electrically connected to the input terminal N1, and the collector electrode may be electrically connected to the output terminal U. In the semiconductor chip 78-1, the emitter electrode may be electrically connected to the output terminal U, and the collector electrode may be electrically connected to the input terminal P1. Similarly, in the semiconductor chips 78-5 and 78-6, the emitter electrodes may be electrically connected to the input terminals N2 and N3, respectively, and the collector electrodes may be electrically connected to the output terminals V and W, respectively. Furthermore, in the semiconductor chips 78-2 and 78-3, the emitter electrodes may be electrically connected to the output terminals V and W, respectively, and the collector electrodes may be electrically connected to the input terminals P2 and P3, respectively.

[0116] Each of the semiconductor chips 78-1 to 78-6 may be alternately switched by a signal input to the corresponding control terminal. In this embodiment, each of the semiconductor chips 78 may generate heat during switching. The input terminals P1, P2, and P3 may be connected to the positive pole of an external power supply, the input terminals N1, N2, and N3 to the negative pole of the external power supply, and the output terminals U, V, and W to a load. The input terminals P1, P2, and P3 may be electrically connected to each other, and the other input terminals N1, N2, and N3 may also be electrically connected to each other.

[0117] In the semiconductor module 100, the multiple semiconductor chips 78-1 to 78-6 may each be a RC-IGBT (reverse conducting IGBT) semiconductor chip. Also, each of the semiconductor chips 78-1 to 78-6 may include a combination of a transistor such as a MOSFET or an IGBT and a diode.

[0118] In the above descriptions of the embodiments, certain states may be expressed using the word "approximately", such as "approximately orthogonal", "approximately the same", "approximately coincident", "approximately constant", "approximately symmetrical", "approximately diamond shaped", "approximately rectangular", etc., but all of these are intended to include not only those that are in the exact specific state, but also those that are roughly in the specific state.

[0119] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0120] For example, in the above embodiment, the semiconductor module 100 is described as including three semiconductor devices 70, but instead, one, two, or four or more semiconductor devices 70 may be included.

[0121] For example, the fins 94 may be arranged in a lattice pattern, preferably in a diagonal lattice pattern or a diamond lattice pattern. Also, for example, the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 may be adjacent to the cooling region 95 and provided on a diagonal line in the refrigerant flow section 92. Also, for example, the openings of the inlet 41 and the outlet 42 may have a length in the direction of the long side 96 greater than a length in the direction of the short side 93 in a plan view.

[0122] For example, in the above embodiment, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fin 94 are described as being integrally formed in the base plate 40. Alternatively, the top plate 20, the side wall 36, and the fin 94 may be formed separately and then fixed to each other with an adhesive 98 or the like. The top plate 20 and the side wall 36 may be formed integrally, and the separately formed fin 94 may be fixed to the top plate 20. The top plate 20 and the fin 94 may be formed integrally, and the separately formed side wall 36 may be fixed to the top plate 20 with an adhesive 98 or the like. The side wall 36 and the bottom plate 64 may be formed integrally, for example, by drawing, and the separately formed top plate 20 may be fixed to the side wall 36 with the adhesive 98 or the like, for example, by brazing. In this case, the side wall 36 may extend outward in the xy plane, and the extending surface of the side wall 36 and the lower surface 24 of the top plate 20 may be connected.

[0123] Also, for example, in the above embodiment, the fins 94 are described as being formed integrally with the top plate 20 and extending toward the bottom plate 64, but instead, the fins 94 may be formed integrally with the bottom plate 64 and extend from the bottom plate 64 toward the top plate 20. In this case, the tip of the fin 94 may be fixed to the top plate 20 with an adhesive 98 or the like.

[0124] Also, for example, in the above embodiment, the fins 94 have been described as extending between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64 in the normal direction to the main surface of the top plate 20, i.e., extending perpendicularly to the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64, but instead, the fins 94 may extend between the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64 at an angle to the normal direction to the main surface of the top plate 20. Also, the dimensions of the cross section of the fins 94 in the xy plane may be constant or may vary in the z-axis direction, and as a more specific example, the fins may extend from one of the top plate 20 and the bottom plate 64 to the other so as to taper toward the tip.

[0125] Also, for example, in the above embodiment, each of the multiple fins 94 has been described as a pin fin, but instead, they may be plate-shaped blade fins, and may have, for example, a cross-sectional shape parallel to the main surface of the tabletop 20 that is an elongated rectangle.

[0126] In addition, for example, in the drawings of the above embodiment, the inner side of the side wall 36 is described as a broken line in plan view, but it is not limited to a broken line and may be a straight line or a curve. For example, in plan view, the inner side of the side wall 36 etc. may be a curved line that bulges in an arch shape toward the refrigerant flow portion 92 side, or a curved line that is recessed in an arch shape on the opposite side.

[0127] It should be noted that the order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and may be realized in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the process in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 10 cooling device, 20 top plate, 22 upper surface, 24 lower surface, 25 reinforcing portion, 30 header, 30-1 first header, 30-2 second header, 36 side wall, 36-1 thin portion, 36-2 thick portion, 40 base plate, 41 inlet, 42 outlet, 64, 67, 68 bottom plate, 65 through hole, 65-1 first through hole, 65-2 second through hole, 65-3 third through hole, 65-4 fourth through hole, 65-5 fifth through hole, 65-6 sixth through hole, 70 semiconductor device, 70U U-phase unit, 70V V-phase unit, 70W W-phase unit, 71 resin structure, 73 conductive connection portion, 75 recess, 77 through hole, 77-1 first through hole, 77-2 second through hole, 77-3 3rd through hole, 77-4 4th through hole, 77-5 5th through hole, 77-6 6th through hole, 72 accommodating portion, 74 sealing portion, 76 circuit board, 78 semiconductor chip, 79 solder, 80 through hole, 80-1 1st through hole, 80-2 2nd through hole, 80-3 3rd through hole, 80-4 4th through hole, 80-5 5th through hole, 80-6 6th through hole, 81 insulating plate, 83 circuit layer, 85 metal layer, 92 coolant flow portion, 93 short side, 96 long side, 94 fin, 95 cooling region, 98 adhesive, 100 semiconductor module, 120 fastening member, 130 coolant supply unit, 131 through hole, 131-1 1st through hole, 131-2 2nd through hole, 131-3 3rd through hole, 131-4 4th through hole, 131-5 5th through hole, 131-6 6th through hole, 141 inlet, 142 outlet, 143 inlet pipe, 144 outlet pipe, 200 vehicle, 210 control device

Claims

1. A semiconductor module including a semiconductor device and a cooling device, The cooling device includes: a top plate on which the semiconductor device is disposed; A side wall connected to the top plate; a bottom plate connected to the side wall and facing the top plate; a refrigerant flow section defined by the top plate, the side wall, and the bottom plate for flowing a refrigerant; an inlet formed in the bottom plate for introducing a refrigerant into the refrigerant flow section; an outlet formed in the bottom plate for discharging the refrigerant from the refrigerant flow portion; having the top plate and the bottom plate have a plurality of through holes for inserting fastening members for fastening the semiconductor module to an external device, each of the through holes penetrating the top plate and the bottom plate in one direction; a portion of the refrigerant flow portion protrudes outward beyond a line segment connecting centers of adjacent through holes in a plan view; the side wall includes a plurality of thick portions each having the through hole and a thin portion disposed between the thick portions; a semiconductor module, wherein an edge of the inlet or outlet on the thin portion side is positioned between a line segment connecting the refrigerant flow portion sides of two adjacent thick portions on either side of the inlet or outlet, and a line segment connecting the centers of the through holes of the two thick portions.

2. The thickness of the thin portion is 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 .

3. The openings of the inlet and the outlet are rounded rectangular, rectangular or oval in plan view. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 .

4. The longitudinal direction of the opening is parallel to the extension direction of the thin portion in a plan view. The semiconductor module according to claim 3 .

5. A sealing surface for supporting a sealing material around the inlet and the outlet is provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate. The semiconductor module according to claim 1 .

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