Power module and method for manufacturing a power module

Abstract

A power module (1) comprising a terminal member (2) having several contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37), a terminal (3, 3') for electrically connecting one or more of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) to the outside, and having at least one intermediate leg (4, 4', 28) in contact with one of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37), the intermediate leg (4, 4', 28) being located between two portions (17, 18, 19) of the terminal member (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power module and a method for manufacturing a power module. The power module can be used in power electronics devices such as, for example, a motor drive device or a power conversion device of an electric vehicle (EV). The power module may be a power semiconductor module. The power module may be a high-voltage power module.

Background Art

[0002] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 105655306 and Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 110060971 disclose a power module including a metallization of a substrate and metal clips for interconnecting chips. Alternatively, such a connection may be provided by wire bonding. In both cases, a separate power terminal member for connecting the power module to the outside is provided. European Patent Application Publication No. 3065164 discloses a semiconductor array in which semiconductor devices are arranged in two rows on both sides of an interposer. Conductive elements are provided to direct each current to the power semiconductor array.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the need for a power module having improved external connections and an improved method for manufacturing a power module.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a power module includes a plurality of contact portions and a terminal member having terminals for electrically connecting one or more of the contact portions to the outside. External contacts can be electrically and mechanically connected to the terminals, for example, by screw and bolt connections. Other suitable connection methods for attaching external contacts are, for example, welding, soldering, adhesion, and press-fitting.

[0005] The contact portion may be in the form of, for example, metallization on a substrate or a conductive portion on the surface of an electrical component. The electrical component may be, for example, a chip. The electrical component may be disposed on the metallization on the substrate. The terminal member can interconnect the metallizations of one or more substrates. Alternatively, or in addition, the terminal member can connect an electrical component to the metallization or can connect an electrical component to an electrical component.

[0006] The terminal member may be formed as a single piece. The terminal member may be formed from a metal plate. Also, the terminal member may comprise two or more parts joined to each other or may be composed of two or more pieces joined to each other. Each of the two or more pieces may be formed from a metal plate. The pieces may be formed from materials having different hardnesses or may have different thicknesses. As an example, copper with different hardnesses can be used.

[0007] The terminal may be, for example, in the form of a main terminal, i.e., a current-carrying terminal. It is also possible for the terminal to be an auxiliary terminal for control or monitoring purposes. As an example, the auxiliary terminal may include a signal terminal for controlling a switching device.

[0008] The terminal member includes at least one leg that electrically contacts one of the contact portions. The terminal member can include at least two legs. At least one of the legs of the terminal member is an intermediate leg. Further, at least one of the legs of the terminal member may be an end leg. The end leg is self-standing, i.e., connected to only one part of the terminal member, while the intermediate leg is located between two parts of the terminal member. Exemplarily, the end leg is connected to a part of the terminal member only at one end, while the intermediate leg is connected to parts of the terminal member at both ends.

[0009] As an example, the intermediate leg can be positioned between the terminal and the end leg. In this case, the current path from the terminal to the end leg passes through the intermediate leg. Hereinafter, the intermediate leg may also be referred to as a "stitch", and the terminal having the intermediate leg may also be referred to as a "stitch terminal".

[0010] According to one embodiment, the terminal member can include several intermediate legs arranged in series. Therefore, the current path from the terminal to the end leg passes through all of the intermediate legs arranged in series. The intermediate legs arranged in series can contact several contact portions on at least one of different substrates or the same substrate. It is also possible for the terminal member to include intermediate legs arranged in series and intermediate legs arranged in parallel. It is also possible for the terminal member to include two or more parallel components, one or more of which have only end legs and no intermediate legs, and one or more of which have end legs and intermediate legs.

[0011] In one embodiment, the power module includes several substrates having at least some of the contact portions. The substrates may be arranged on a base plate. The terminal member can contact at least two contact portions of different substrates. Therefore, the stitch terminal not only provides an external connection but also provides an integrated inter-substrate connection.

[0012] Alternatively, or in addition, the terminal member may connect the contact portions of a single substrate. The single substrate may be arranged on a base plate. Also, the power module may have a design of an insulated metal substrate. It is also possible for the terminal member to connect both several contact portions on one substrate and one or more contact portions on a further substrate. At least some of the contact portions may be conductive portions on the surface of an electrical component. The electrical component may be mounted on the metallization on the substrate.

[0013] The terminal member can comprise a bridge located between the intermediate leg and the end leg or located between two intermediate legs. The bridge is lifted from the contact portion. In certain embodiments, the bridge can span, for example, a gap between different substrates.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the power module comprises electrical components in the form of a first switch element and a second switch element electrically connected to form a half-bridge. The terminal member can electrically connect the switch elements. The switch elements may be located on the same substrate or on different substrates. The power module can also comprise several additional switch elements that may be connected by the terminal member. The power module can comprise other passive or discrete components that may be connected by the terminal member.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the terminal member comprises a bar connecting several legs in parallel. The bar may be oriented, for example, parallel to the side on which the terminals are located. The bar can connect several terminal portions such as intermediate legs and / or end legs arranged in parallel. As an example, the bar may be arranged between several end legs and several intermediate legs. However, the end legs can also branch off from the bar at an arbitrary angle compared to the general direction of the terminals and are not explicitly parallel.

[0016] The power module may include additional terminal members. As an example, the terminal member described above can provide an AC terminal, and additional terminals can provide a DC+ terminal and a DC− terminal. It is also possible for the terminal member to provide an auxiliary terminal. The additional terminal members can include, for example, end legs, but need not include intermediate legs. It is also possible for at least one of the additional terminal members to include intermediate legs or both intermediate and end legs. One or more of the additional terminal members may partially overlap the terminal member in the height direction. As an example, the additional terminal member may include a bar that overlaps the bar of the terminal member.

[0017] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a power module includes providing one or more substrates having one or more contact portions and providing a terminal member having terminals for electrically connecting the contact portions to the outside. The one or more substrates can include a power semiconductor device, which may be in the form of a chip, for example. The substrate may be disposed on a base plate. The power module and the terminal member can include all the structural and functional features of the terminal member described above. The method further includes electrically connecting by fixing at least one intermediate leg to one of the contact portions. Exemplarily, the terminal member can include at least one intermediate leg and at least one end leg, each of the intermediate and end legs being connected to a different one of the contact portions.

[0018] This method can provide the connection between the contact parts with each other and the connection to the outside in a single process. The contact parts may be arranged on different substrates so that an integrated inter-substrate connection is provided. The substrates may not be electrically connected to each other until the terminal members are connected to the substrates. Therefore, separate elements such as wire bonds or clips for connecting the substrates to each other are not required. Also, it is possible that the contact parts are located on the same substrate and the terminal members connect the contact parts within the same substrate to each other. The contact parts may not be electrically connected to each other until the terminal members are connected. It is also possible for the terminal members to connect both the contact parts within the substrate and the contact parts of different substrates.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the leg is connected to the contact part by welding. As an example, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or resistance welding techniques can be used.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the leg is connected to the contact part by adhesion, soldering, or sintering.

[0021] This disclosure includes several aspects and embodiments. All features described with respect to one of the aspects and embodiments are disclosed herein with respect to the other aspects and embodiments, even if each feature is not explicitly mentioned in this context.

[0022] Further features, improvements, and advantages will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments in connection with the drawings. In the figures, elements having the same structure and / or function can be referred to by the same reference numerals. It should be understood that the embodiments shown in the figures are illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of a power module 1, and this power module 1 includes a terminal member 2 for electrically connecting the power module 1 to the outside. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the power module 1.

[0025] The terminal member 2 has one or more terminals 3, 3' for connection to external contacts. Each of the terminals 3, 3' includes a hole 30 for fixing an external contact, for example, by screw and bolt connection. Depending on the layout, the hole 30 may not be present, and another connection method such as welding, soldering, adhesion, or press-fitting can be used. The terminal member 2 is formed from a metal plate and may consist of a single piece. It is also possible to form the terminal member 2 from several pieces connected to each other.

[0026] The terminal member 2 may be a current-carrying terminal member. The terminal member 2 can provide, for example, an AC terminal. Alternatively, depending on the layout of the module 1, the terminal member 2 may provide a DC+ or DC− terminal. It is also possible for the terminal member 2 to provide an auxiliary terminal for, for example, control or monitoring purposes. As an example, the auxiliary terminal may include, for example, a signal terminal for controlling a switching device.

[0027] The terminal member 2 includes several legs in the form of intermediate legs 4, 4' and end legs 5, 5' that make electrical and mechanical contact with the contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7'. The legs 4, 4', 5, 5' may be connected to the contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7' by, for example, welding, sintering, soldering, or adhesion. The terminal member 2 includes two parallel intermediate legs 4, 4' located in current paths 13, 13' leading to the end legs 5, 5'. The contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7' may be metallizations on one or more substrates 11, 11', 12, 12'. The contact portions may be electrical contacts on the surface of an electrical component such as a chip.

[0028] Each of the intermediate legs 4, 4' continues to bridges 8, 8' that rise from the contact portions 6, 6'. The bridges 8, 8' lead to four parallel end legs 5, 5' that contact additional contact portions 7, 7'.

[0029] The end legs 5, 5' are self - supporting, i.e., connected to only one part 19 of the terminal member 2 at one end, while the intermediate legs 4, 4' are located between two parts 17, 18 of the terminal member 2 and are connected at both ends to the parts 17, 18 and thus are not self - supporting. The current path to an end leg does not pass through another end leg.

[0030] The illustrated terminal member 2 having at least one intermediate leg 4, 4' is also hereinafter referred to as a "stitch - type terminal". The intermediate legs 4, 4' are also hereinafter referred to as "stitches". The stitch - type terminal member 2 not only provides a connection to the terminal 3 for external connection of the power module 1, but also provides an integrated connection between different contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7' due to the presence of several legs such as the intermediate legs 4, 4' and the end legs 5, 5'.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the power module 1 includes a base plate 10 on which several substrates 11, 11', 12, 12' are arranged. The substrates 11, 11', 12, 12' may be fixed to the base plate 10 by soldering, for example, or may be integral parts of a hybrid base plate assembly. As an example, a configuration of an insulated metal substrate (IMS) may be provided instead. In such a configuration, a metal base with an insulating resin sheet and circuit metallization can be provided.

[0032] The terminal member 2 provides integrated electrical paths to different substrates 11, 11', 12, 12'. The terminal member 2 not only provides external connections but also connects different substrates 11, 11', 12, 12'. In this case, wire bonding for connecting the contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7' of different substrates 11, 11', 12, 12' or for connecting the contact portions of a single substrate can be made unnecessary. Thereby, the external dimensions of the module 1 can be reduced and the manufacturing can be simplified.

[0033] One or more electrical components 15, 15', 16, 16' are arranged on each of the substrates 11, 11', 12, 12'. The electrical components 15, 15', 16, 16' may be in the form of switch elements such as IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) or MOSFET, for example. For each switch element, a related diode may be arranged on the same substrate 11, 11', 12, 12'. In some embodiments, for example, in the case of a silicon carbide power MOSFET, the diode may be unnecessary. The diode may be, for example, a FWD (Free Wheeling Diode) and may be connected in parallel with the related switch element. The electrical components 15, 15', 16, 16' may be connected to the contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7' by wire bonding, for example.

[0034] The switch elements may be electrically connected in the form of a half-bridge. The half-bridge is an electric circuit including two switches connected in series between a DC+ terminal and a DC− terminal, and an AC terminal as an output terminal is connected between the switches. Each of the switches may include several switch elements connected in parallel.

[0035] For example, the right switch element can be connected to the DC+ terminal (high side), and the left switch element can be connected to the DC− terminal (low side). The terminal member 2 can be used as an AC terminal for connecting the different substrates 11, 11', 12, 12'. In particular, each of the intermediate leg portions 4, 4' contacts the high-side contact portions 6, 6', and the end leg portions 8 contact the low-side contact portions 7, 7'. More specifically, the end leg portions 5, 5' may be electrically connected to the collector or drain of the low-side switches 16, 16', and the intermediate leg portions 4, 4' may be electrically connected to the emitter or source of the high-side switches. The high-side switch elements are connected in parallel with each other. Similarly, the low-side switch elements are connected in parallel with each other.

[0036] The terminal member 2 provides connection of different contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7' and different substrates 11, 11', 12, 12' along the length direction L, that is, the direction from the side where the terminals 3, 3' of the power module 1 are located to the opposite side of the power module 1. The contact portions 6, 6' are electrically connected in series with the contact portions 7, 7'.

[0037] In addition to this, the terminal member 2 provides connections to different contact portions 6, 6', 7, 7' and different substrates 11, 11', 12, 12' along the width direction W perpendicular to the length direction L. This is achieved by several parallel intermediate leg portions 4, 4' and parallel end leg portions 5, 5'. It is also possible for the terminal member to change its direction, for example, to form a 90° bend. This can be the case when the contact portions are not arranged along a straight line or when the terminals 3 are provided on different sides. For this purpose, the terminal member 2 comprises a bar 20, from which several end leg portions 5, 5' extend in one direction and several intermediate leg portions 4, 4' extend in the other direction from the bar 20. It is also possible for one or more end leg portions to extend in the same direction as one or more intermediate leg portions. Generally, the parallel intermediate leg portions 4, 4' and the parallel end leg portions 5, 5' may be electrically connected in parallel and geometrically arranged in parallel. However, the leg portions 4, 4', 5, 5' may branch off from the bar 20 in any direction and do not necessarily have to be geometrically arranged in parallel.

[0038] The bar 20 serves for current distribution and current equalization. The contact portions 6', 7' are, by way of example, electrically connected in parallel with the contact portions 6, 7. In addition to this, the bar 20 can provide mechanical stabilization. Also, reduction of thermal stress can be brought about by the bar 20. The bar 20 connecting several intermediate leg portions 4, 4' and end leg portions 5, 5' serves for controlling the tolerances of different positions of the leg portions 4, 4', 5, 5' and stabilizes the leg portions during connection processes such as welding and soldering.

[0039] The terminal member 2 comprises a notch 14 bounded on both sides by the intermediate leg portions 4, 4'. Furthermore, the terminal member 2 comprises a connection portion 26 connecting the leg portions 4, 4', 5, 5' to the terminals 3, 3'. The connection portion 26 may be wider in the width direction than each of the leg portions 4, 4', 5, 5'. The terminal member 2 may be at least partially embedded in the plastic housing by an injection molding process.

[0040] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the terminal member 2. The shapes of the end legs 5, 5' and the bridging bar 20 correspond to those of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0041] Also, the shapes of the intermediate legs 4, 4' correspond to those of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, but the positions of the legs 4, 4' in the width direction W are swapped. Different from FIGS. 1 and 2, the plate-like connection portion 26 between the intermediate legs 4, 4' and the terminal 3 has a width smaller than that of the bar 20. In particular, the connection portion 26 does not extend in the width direction beyond the legs 4, 4'. Thereby, space for further elements is available.

[0042] The bar 20 can be provided with additional stress relaxation mechanisms such as local reduction of its cross-section. Exemplarily, the portions 17, 18, 19 adjacent to the leg 5' can also be provided with such a stress relaxation mechanism 9.

[0043] Figure 4 schematically shows a side view of the power module 1 according to a further embodiment. In this embodiment, the terminal member 2 comprises several intermediate legs 4, 28 connected in series. Thus, the intermediate legs 4, 28 are located at different positions along the length direction L. The current path from the terminal 3 to the end leg 5 passes through both intermediate legs 4, 28. The power module 1 comprises three substrates 11, 12, 39 arranged in a row along the length direction L. The legs 4, 28, 5 connect the contact portions 6, 7, 37 on the substrates 11, 12, 39. The terminal member 2 comprises bridges 8, 39 for bridging the components including the electrical components 15, 16, 29 among the substrates 11, 12, 39 and the gap 40 between the substrates 11, 12, 38.

[0044] The legs 4, 28, 5 can connect, for example, several switch elements on one side. Also, it is possible that the switch elements belong to different sides.

[0045] Depending on the layout, the legs 4, 28, 5 can be located at the same position in the width direction W or at different positions in the width direction W. It is also possible for the power module 1 to further include additional rows of substrates along the width direction connected by additional intermediate legs and end legs arranged parallel to the legs 4, 28, 5. Also, although the legs are electrically connected in parallel, they may not be geometrically parallel and may be oriented at an angle to each other. The bridges 8, 38 can be formed as bars 20 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, two intermediate legs 4, 28 are connected in series. Three or more intermediate legs 4, 28 may be connected in series. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the power module 1 includes three substrates 11, 12, 39 arranged in a row along the length direction L. It is also possible for the power module 1 to include only one substrate. The intermediate legs 4, 28 and the end legs 5 may connect, for example, contact portions located on the same substrate. For this purpose, the legs 4, 5, 28 may branch from the terminal member 2 at an appropriate angle and may not be geometrically parallel to each other.

[0047] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a top view and a side view of the power module 1 corresponding to the power module 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2 having additional additional terminal members 21, 22.

[0048] The additional terminal members 21, 22 include additional terminals 31, 32 for external connection. The additional terminals 31, 32 may be arranged on the opposite side of the terminals 3, 3'. The additional terminal members 21, 22 may each be configured for DC - and DC + connections. One of the additional terminal members 22 of the additional terminal members also includes an additional bar 25, and an additional end leg portion 24 extends from the additional bar 25. The additional bar 25 overlaps the bar 20 of the terminal member 2. The additional bar 25 is located above the gap 40 between the substrates 12, 12' and the substrates 11, 11'. The additional bar 25 is connected to an additional connection portion 34 by a connection web 33. The other terminal member 21 of the additional terminal members includes an additional end leg portion 23 connected to an additional connection portion 35. In the illustrated embodiment, the additional terminal members 21, 22 do not include intermediate leg portions. In an alternative embodiment, depending on the layout of the power module, the additional terminal members may further include intermediate leg portions.

[0049] Figures 7A and 7B schematically illustrate method steps for manufacturing the power module 1.

[0050] According to the first method step shown in Figure 7A, an assembly 36 is provided that includes a base plate 10 and several substrates 11, 12 on the base plate 10. The substrates 11, 12 are fixed to the base plate 10, for example, by solder connection. Electrical components (not shown), such as switches and diodes, may be located on the substrates 11, 12. Further, contact portions 6, 7 are provided on the substrates 6, 7.

[0051] In this step, the substrates 11 and 12 do not have to be electrically connected to each other. Also, in this step, only some of the substrates may be electrically connected to each other. As an example, when several substrates are arranged in parallel and in series, in this step, the substrates arranged in parallel may be electrically connected to each other, and the substrates arranged in series do not have to be electrically connected to each other. Also, the contact portions 6 and 7 may be provided on a single substrate mounted on the base plate, or a configuration of an integrated insulated metal substrate may be provided.

[0052] In the second step shown in FIG. 7B, the terminal member 2 in the form of a metal plate is connected to the contact portions 6 and 7 on the substrates 11 and 12. The connection is made by a welding process such as ultrasonic welding, laser welding, or resistance welding, for example. It is also possible to fix the terminal member 2 by other methods such as soldering, sintering, or adhesion. The power module 1 shown in FIG. 7B is a further embodiment.

[0053] The terminal member 2 can provide a terminal 3 in the form of a main current-carrying terminal. It is also possible for the terminal member 2 to provide a terminal 3 in the form of an auxiliary terminal. It is also possible to connect an auxiliary connection portion to the terminal member 2. After connecting the terminal member 2 to the substrates 11 and 12, the terminal member 2 can be at least partially embedded in a plastic housing by an injection molding or transfer molding process, for example. The terminal member 2 can be partially embedded before or after connection of the terminal member 2 to the contact portions 6 and 7. In the former case, the terminal member 2 may be provided as a kind of terminal block.

[0054] In all embodiments, the terminal member can not only provide an external connection, but also provide an integrated connection between contact portions so that no additional electrical connections such as wire bonds or clips are required. As an example, the terminal member can provide at least one of the connection of contact portions of different substrates and the connection of contact portions of one substrate. It is also possible for the terminal member to provide at least one connection of contact portions of different substrates and at least one connection of contact portions of the same substrate. The contact portion may be at least one of a contact portion on the substrate and a contact portion on the surface of an electrical component such as a chip. The electrical component may be disposed on the metallization on the substrate.

[0055] The integrated connection by the terminal member reduces the cost of the power module and shortens the manufacturing time. In addition to this, no extra space for additional inter-substrate connections is required anymore, and thus the total area on the substrate that can be used for the power semiconductor die increases. Therefore, the current rating of the power module can be increased compared to other separate inter-substrate connections of the terminal member. Further, in at least some embodiments, no additional wire bond process is required after the substrate is attached to the base plate, and only a few additional connections such as welded connections need to be provided.

[0056] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments shown in the figures. As shown in FIG. 7B, for example, instead of four substrates, there may be only two substrates. It is also possible for the terminal member to provide the connection of contact portions on a single substrate. The substrates may be arranged, for example, in rows and columns or only in a single row. It is also possible to arrange the substrates in a form different from rows and / or columns. Further, it is possible for the terminal member to connect only some of the substrates, not all of the substrates on the base plate.

[0057] Furthermore, the terminal member may include any number of intermediate legs. The intermediate legs may be arranged, for example, in parallel or in series. As an example, the terminal member may include, for example, only a single intermediate leg and a single end leg. It is also possible for the terminal member to include more intermediate legs than end legs, or vice versa.

[0058] It is also possible to invert the arrangement of the terminals, for example, by 90°. It is also possible to arrange the terminals on all sides of the module. As an example, the terminals may be configured as at least one of a main terminal and an auxiliary terminal.

[0059] Generally, at least some of the contact portions may be in the form of metallization on one or more substrates. At least some of the contact portions may be contact portions on the surface of an electrical component such as a chip.

[0060] Furthermore, there may be only one substrate. In this case, the terminal member can interconnect the contact portions on a single substrate. It is also possible to have several substrates without providing a base plate. It is also possible for at least some of the contact portions to be provided on a base plate, for example, in the configuration of an insulating metal substrate.

[0061] Reference numerals

Description of the reference numerals

[0062] 1 Power module 2 Terminal member 3, 3' Terminals 4, 4' Intermediate legs 5, 5' End legs 6, 6' Contact portions 7, 7' Contact portions 8, 8' Bridges 9 Stress relaxation mechanism 10 Base plate 11, 11' Substrates 12, 12' Substrates 13, 13' Current paths 14 Notch 15, 15' Electrical component 16, 16' Electrical component 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Bar 21, 22 Further terminal member 23 Further end leg 24 Further end leg 25 Further bar 26 Connection part 28 Intermediate leg 29 Electrical component 30 Hole 31 Further terminal 32 Further terminal 33 Connection web 34 Further connection part 35 Further connection part 36 Assembly 37 Contact part 38 Bridge 39 Substrate 40 Gap L Length direction W Width direction

Claims

1. several contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37), and a terminal member (2) having terminals (3, 3') for electrically connecting one or more of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) to the outside, the terminal member (2) has several portions (17, 18, 19), a plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4'), and a plurality of end legs (5, 5'), each of the plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4') contacts one of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37), each of the plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4') is located between two of the portions (17, 18, 19), each of the plurality of end legs (5, 5') is connected to only one of the portions (17, 18, 19) of the terminal member (2), the terminal member (2) includes at least one additional terminal member (21, 22) that at least partially overlaps the terminal member (2) in the height direction, the current path from the terminals (3, 3') to each of the plurality of end legs (5, 5') passes through each of the plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4'), the terminal member (2) includes a bar (20), from the bar (20), the plurality of end legs (5, 5') extend in a first direction, and the plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4') extend in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the bar (20) connects the plurality of end legs (5, 5') in parallel, the bar (20) connects the plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4') in parallel, a power module (1).

2. The terminal member (2) includes a connection portion (26) that connects the plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4') to the terminals (3, 3'). The connection portion (26) has a width wider than each of the plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4'). The power module (1) according to Claim 1.

3. The contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) include at least one of the metallization on one or more substrates (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) and the contact portions on the surfaces of the electrical components (15, 15', 16, 16'). The power module (1) according to Claim 1 or 2. **Claim 4**: A power module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a plurality of substrates (11, 11', 12, 12', 39), wherein at least two of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) are located on the same one of the substrates (11, 11', 12, 12', 39), and the terminal member (2) contacts at least said two of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37). **Claim 5** A power module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a plurality of substrates (11, 11', 12, 12', 39), wherein at least two of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) are located on different ones of the substrates (11, 11', 12, 12', 39), and the terminal member (2) contacts at least said two of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37). **Claim 6**: A power module (1) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the terminal member (2) connects both a contact portion (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) on a first one of the substrates (11, 11', 12, 12', 39) and a contact portion (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) on a second one of the substrates (11, 11', 12, 12', 39) different from the first one. **Claim 7** A power module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a first electrical component (15, 15') in the form of a first switching element and a second electrical component (16, 16') in the form of a second switching element, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element are electrically connected so as to form a half-bridge, and the terminal member (2) electrically connects the first switching element and the second switching element. **Claim 8**: Comprising a plurality of said first switching elements and a plurality of said second switching elements, wherein the plurality of said first switching elements are high-side switching elements, the plurality of said second switching elements are low-side switching elements, each of a plurality of intermediate legs (4, 4') is connected to an emitter or a source of the high-side switching element, and each of a plurality of end legs (5, 5') is connected to a collector or a drain of the low-side switching element. A power module (1) according to claim 7. **Claim 9** The power module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the terminal member (2) is a single-piece metal plate.

10. The power module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the terminal member (2) includes at least two intermediate leg portions (4, 4') electrically connected in series.

11. The power module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the terminals (3, 3') are at least one of a DC + terminal, a DC - terminal, an AC terminal, and an auxiliary terminal for at least one purpose of control or monitoring.

12. The further terminal members (21, 22) are a further bar (25), and include a plurality of further end leg portions (5, 5') extending from the further bar (25), the further bar (25) overlaps the bar (20) in the height direction, The power module (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the plurality of intermediate leg portions (4, 4') and the plurality of further end leg portions (5, 5') extend in different directions when viewed from the overlapping bars (20) and the further bar (25).

13. A method for manufacturing a power module (1), comprising: A) preparing one or more substrates (11, 11', 12, 12', 39) having contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37), and preparing a terminal member (2) having terminals (3, 3') for electrically connecting the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) to the outside, The terminal member (2) is composed of several parts (17, 18, 19), a plurality of intermediate leg portions (4, 4'), and a plurality of end leg portions (5, 5'), each of the plurality of intermediate leg portions (4, 4') contacts one of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37), each of the plurality of intermediate leg portions (4, 4') is located between two of the parts (17, 18, 19), each of the plurality of end leg portions (5, 5') is connected to only one of the parts (17, 18, 19) of the terminal member (2), the current path from the terminals (3, 3') to each of the plurality of end leg portions (5, 5') passes through each of the plurality of intermediate leg portions (4, 4'), the terminal member (2) includes a bar (20). From the bar (20), a plurality of the end legs (5, 5') extend in a first direction, and a plurality of the intermediate legs (4, 4') extend in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The bar (20) connects a plurality of the end legs (5, 5') in parallel. The bar (20) connects a plurality of the intermediate legs (4, 4') in parallel. The method further includes B) mechanically and electrically connecting a plurality of the intermediate legs (4, 4') and a plurality of the end legs (5, 5') to one of the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37). A method comprising. The method according to claim 13, wherein a plurality of the intermediate legs (4, 4') are connected to the contact portions (6, 6', 7, 7', 37) by welding.

Images