Semiconductor device

Abstract

Provided is a technology capable of improving the manufacturing yield of a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device (1A) according to an embodiment of the present technology comprises: an insulating circuit board (10) in which a first conductive plate (11b) and a second conductive plate (11c) that are electrically separated from each other are provided to the side of the insulating circuit board (10) that is toward one surface part and a heat dissipation plate (13) is provided to the side that is reverse of the one surface part; a transistor chip (20) which is mounted on the first conductive plate (11b); a temperature sensor chip (30) which has a main surface part (31a) and a rear surface part (31b) that are positioned on opposite sides of the temperature sensor chip (30), where each of an anode electrode (32a) and an cathode electrode (32b) is disposed on the main surface part (31a) and the rear surface part (31b) is connected to the second conductive plate (11c); and a conductive path (51) which electrically connects the second conductive plate (11c) and either electrode among the anode electrode (31a) and the cathode electrode (31b).

Description

Semiconductor device

[0001] The present technology (the technology according to the present disclosure) relates to a semiconductor device, and particularly relates to a technology that is effectively applied to a semiconductor device including a transistor chip and a temperature sensor chip.

[0002] The semiconductor device includes an insulating circuit substrate, a transistor chip, and a temperature sensor chip. The transistor chip is mounted on a first conductive plate of the insulating circuit substrate, and the temperature sensor chip is mounted on a second conductive plate electrically isolated from the first conductive plate of the insulating circuit substrate.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-125617, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-319991, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-068249

[0004] Incidentally, in a semiconductor device incorporated in a power conversion device, a ground insulation test included in a product shipment test is performed in the manufacturing process. In this ground insulation test, a voltage is applied between all terminals of the semiconductor device and a heat dissipation plate on the lower surface side of the semiconductor device for the purpose of evaluating ground insulation other than chips, and the anode electrode and cathode electrode of the temperature sensor chip are set to the same potential together with other terminals. Therefore, among the conductive plates on one surface side of the insulating circuit substrate, the second conductive plate on which the temperature sensor chip is mounted becomes a floating potential.

[0005] On the other hand, in a temperature sensor chip in which an anode electrode and a cathode electrode are arranged on the main surface side among the main surface and the back surface positioned opposite to each other, the anode electrode and cathode electrode arranged on the main surface side and an electrode (metallization layer) arranged on the back surface side are insulated and separated inside the temperature sensor chip. Further, among the conductive plates on one surface side of the insulating circuit substrate, the conductive plate on which the temperature sensor chip is mounted is also insulated and separated from other conductive plates. Therefore, a potential difference occurs between the anode electrode and cathode electrode on the main surface side of the temperature sensor chip, and the electrode on the back surface side of the temperature sensor chip and the second conductive plate on one surface side of the insulating circuit substrate, and there is a concern that partial discharge occurs in the internal insulating structure of the temperature sensor chip. Since the occurrence of this partial discharge becomes a factor that reduces the manufacturing yield of the semiconductor device, there is room for improvement.

[0006] The objective of this technology is to provide a technology that can improve the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices.

[0007] A semiconductor device according to one aspect of this technology comprises: an insulating circuit board having electrically separated first conductive plate and second conductive plate on one side and a heat sink on the side opposite to the one side; a transistor chip mounted on the first conductive plate; a temperature sensor chip having a main surface and a back surface located on opposite sides of each other, with an anode electrode and a cathode electrode respectively arranged on the main surface and the back surface connected to the second conductive plate; and a conductive path electrically connecting either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode to the second conductive plate.

[0008] According to one aspect of this technology, it is possible to improve the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices.

[0009] This is a schematic plan view showing the external configuration of a semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of this technology. This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the longitudinal cross-sectional structure along the II-II cutting line in Figure 1. This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the longitudinal cross-sectional structure along the III-III cutting line in Figure 1. This is a schematic plan view of the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of this technology, omitting the illustration of the wiring board, and showing the upper side of the insulating circuit board. This is a schematic plan view of the wiring pattern on the upper side of the wiring board according to the first embodiment of this technology. This is a plan view of the wiring pattern on the lower side of the wiring board viewed from the upper side according to the first embodiment of this technology. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view for explaining a ground-to-ground insulation test during the manufacturing process of a conventional reference example semiconductor device. This is a diagram showing the amount of discharge charge measured in a ground-to-ground insulation test of a semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of this technology. This is a diagram showing the amount of discharge charge measured in a ground-to-ground insulation test of a conventional reference example semiconductor device. This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of a modified example 1-1 of the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of this technology. This is a modified example 1-2 of the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of this technology, and is a schematic plan view showing the upper surface of the insulating circuit board. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the longitudinal cross-sectional structure along the IV-IV cutting line in Figure 10. This is a modified example 1-3 of the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of this technology, and is a schematic plan view showing the upper surface of the insulating circuit board.

[0010] The embodiments of this technology will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings referred to in the following description, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between thickness and planar dimensions, the ratio of the thickness of each layer, etc., may differ from reality. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined by referring to the following description.

[0011] Furthermore, it goes without saying that there may be differences in the dimensional relationships and ratios between drawings. Also, the effects described herein are merely examples and not limiting, and other effects may exist.

[0012] Furthermore, the following embodiments are illustrative examples of apparatus and methods for realizing the technical concept of this technology, and do not limit the configuration to those described below. In other words, the technical concept of this technology can be modified in various ways within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0013] Furthermore, the definitions of directions such as up and down in the following explanation are merely for explanatory convenience and do not limit the technical concept of this technology. For example, it is obvious that if an object is rotated 90° and observed, up and down will be converted to left and right and read accordingly, and if it is rotated 180° and observed, up and down will be inverted and read accordingly.

[0014] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, in the three mutually orthogonal directions in space, the first and second mutually orthogonal directions within the same plane are defined as the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and the third direction orthogonal to each of the first and second directions is defined as the Z direction. In the following embodiments, the stacking direction of the insulating circuit board (support board) and the wiring board, which will be described later, is described as the Z direction.

[0015] Furthermore, in this specification, when the transistor mounted on the transistor chip is a field-effect transistor (FET) or an electrostatic induction transistor (SIT), the first main electrode means either the source electrode or the drain electrode, the second main electrode means the other remaining electrode, and the control electrode means the gate electrode. When the transistor mounted on the transistor chip is a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), the first main electrode means either the emitter electrode or the collector electrode, the second main electrode means the other remaining electrode, and the control electrode means the base electrode. When the transistor mounted on the transistor chip is an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), the first main electrode means either the emitter electrode or the collector electrode, the second main electrode means the other remaining electrode, and the control electrode means the gate electrode. In the following embodiments, we will focus on a vertical MISFET (Metal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) as the transistor mounted on the transistor chip. Therefore, the first main electrode will be described as the source electrode, the second main electrode as the drain electrode, and the control electrode as the gate electrode.

[0016] [First Embodiment] In this first embodiment, an example of applying this technology to a semiconductor device (power device) used as a component of a power conversion device will be described.

[0017] Furthermore, in this first embodiment, a one-in-one type semiconductor device is described, which is in which multiple chips, each having semiconductor switching elements (MIFETs) and rectifier elements connected in antiparallel, are connected in parallel.

[0018] <Overall Configuration of the Semiconductor Device> First, the overall configuration of the semiconductor device will be explained. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the semiconductor device 1A according to the first embodiment of this technology comprises an assembly structure (assembly component) 2 and a resin encapsulant 9 as an encapsulant that encapsulates the assembly structure 2.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the resin encapsulant 9 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The resin encapsulant 9 has two short sides that are opposite each other in the longitudinal direction (X direction) and extend along the short direction (Y direction), and two long sides that are opposite each other in the short direction and extend along the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 2, the resin encapsulant 9 has thickness in the Z direction, which is perpendicular to the X and Y directions. This resin encapsulant 9 is molded, for example, by a transfer molding method and is made of an epoxy-based thermosetting resin.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the assembled structure 2 comprises an insulating circuit board 10 on which electrically and structurally (physically) separated conductive plates 11a, 11b, and 11c are provided on the upper surface side (one-sided surface side), and a heat sink 13 is provided on the side opposite to the one-sided surface side, and a transistor chip 20 mounted on the conductive plate 11b of the insulating circuit board 10. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the assembled structure 2 further comprises a temperature sensor chip 30 having a main surface 31a and a back surface 31b located on opposite sides, with an anode electrode 32a and a cathode electrode 32b respectively arranged on the main surface 31a side, and the back surface 31b side connected to the conductive plate 11c. Furthermore, the assembled structure 2 includes a conductive path 51 that electrically connects either the anode electrode 32a or the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 to the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10, for example, the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 to the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the assembled structure 2 further includes a wiring board 40 positioned on one side of the insulating circuit board 10, spaced apart from the insulating circuit board 10, the transistor chip 20, and the temperature sensor chip 30. Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the assembled structure 2 further includes a first main circuit terminal 3a, a second main circuit terminal 3b, and a control terminal 3c, as well as main circuit conductive pins 4a and 5a, and a control circuit conductive pin 5c (see Figures 4 and 5). Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the assembled structure 2 further includes a first sensor terminal 6a and a second sensor terminal 6b, and relay conductive pins 7a, 7b, and 7c.

[0022] <Insulating Circuit Board> As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the insulating circuit board 10 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The insulating circuit board 10 has two short sides that are opposite each other in the longitudinal direction (X direction) and extend in the transverse direction (Y direction), which is perpendicular to the X direction, and two long sides that are opposite each other in the Y direction and extend in the X direction. As shown in Figure 2, the insulating circuit board 10 has thickness in the Z direction, which is perpendicular to the X and Y directions. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the extension directions of the two short sides of the insulating circuit board 10 coincide with the extension directions of the two short sides of the resin encapsulant 9, and the extension directions of the two long sides of the insulating circuit board 10 coincide with the extension directions of the two long sides of the resin encapsulant 9.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the insulating circuit board 10 includes an insulating plate 12, three conductive plates 11a, 11b, and 11c provided on the upper surface (one side) of the insulating plate 12 and formed in the same layer, and a heat sink 13 provided on the lower surface opposite to the upper surface of the insulating plate 12. Each of the conductive plates 11a, 11b, and 11c is electrically and structurally (physically) isolated from each other. In this first embodiment, conductive plate 11b corresponds to a specific example of the "first conductive plate" of this technology, and conductive plate 11c corresponds to a specific example of the "second conductive plate" of this technology. That is, the semiconductor device 1A according to this first embodiment includes an insulating circuit board 10 in which conductive plates (first conductive plate) 11b and conductive plates (second conductive plate) 11c are provided on the upper surface side, and a heat sink 13 is provided on the side opposite to the upper surface side.

[0024] As the insulating circuit board 10, for example, a direct copper bond (DCB) substrate can be used, in which metal is eutectic bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of a ceramic substrate that are opposite to each other, or an AMB substrate in which metal is provided to the upper and lower surfaces of a ceramic substrate that are opposite to each other by active metal brazing (AMB). As the material for the ceramic substrate, for example, silicon nitride (Si ３ N ４ ), aluminum nitride (AlN), alumina (Al ２ O ３ ) and the like can be used. In this first embodiment, the insulating circuit board 10 uses, for example, an aluminum nitride plate as the insulating plate 12, and uses, for example, metal plates containing copper (Cu) which has excellent conductivity and thermal conductivity as the conductive plates 11a, 11b, 11c and heat sink plate 13. The insulating plate 12 may also be, for example, a substrate in which an insulating resin such as epoxy resin is impregnated into a base material such as glass fiber, a substrate molded from an insulating resin such as epoxy resin with inorganic fillers such as boron nitride (BN) or aluminum nitride (AlN) added, or a substrate in which an insulating resin with inorganic fillers added to the surface of a flat metal core is coated. The insulating circuit board 10 can also be called a support substrate.

[0025] (Insulating Plate) As shown in Figure 4, the insulating plate 12 has a rectangular shape in plan view. Although not shown in detail, referring to Figure 3, the insulating plate 12 has an upper surface (one surface) and a lower surface (the back surface opposite to the one surface) that are located on opposite sides in the Z direction, which is its thickness direction. As shown in Figure 4, the insulating plate 12 has two short sides 12a and 12b that are located on opposite sides in the X direction and extend in the Y direction which is perpendicular to the X direction, and two long sides 12c and 12d that are located on opposite sides in the Y direction and extend in the X direction. In this first embodiment, the two short sides 12a and 12b of the insulating plate 12 become the two short sides of the insulating circuit board 10, and the two long sides 12c and 12d of the insulating plate 12 become the two long sides of the insulating circuit board 10.

[0026] (Conductive plate) As shown in Figure 4, the conductive plate 11a is positioned on one of the two short sides 12a and 12b of the insulating plate 12 in a plan view, on the side of the short side 12a. The conductive plate 11a extends from one long side 12c to the other long side 12d of the insulating plate 12, and its planar shape in a plan view is rectangular.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the conductive plate 11b is positioned adjacent to the conductive plate 11a in a plan view in the X direction. The conductive plate 11b extends from the conductive plate 11a side toward the other short side 12b of the insulating plate 12, and also extends from one long side 12c side toward the other long side 12d side of the insulating plate 12. The conductive plate 11b has two projections on the other short side 12b of the insulating plate 12 that are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction, and its planar shape in a plan view is approximately rectangular.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the conductive plate 11c is located on the other short side 12b of the insulating plate 12 in a plan view, and is positioned between the two protrusions of the conductive plate 11b. The conductive plate 11c extends from one long side 12c of the insulating plate 12 toward the other long side 12d, and its planar shape in a plan view is rectangular.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the conductive plates 11a, 11b, and 11c are arranged apart from each other in a plan view and are electrically and structurally (physically) isolated.

[0030] (Heat sink) Although not shown in detail, the heat sink 13 has a rectangular shape in plan view, similar to the insulating plate 12, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, its planar size is slightly smaller than that of the insulating plate 12. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the conductive plate 13 overlaps with the conductive plates 11a, 11b, and 11c in the Z direction, with the insulating plate 12 in between. The thickness of the heat sink 13 is not limited to this, but is, for example, thicker than the thickness of each of the conductive plates 11a, 11b, and 11c.

[0031] <Transistor Chip> As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the transistor chip 20 is provided on the conductive plate 11b of the insulating circuit board 10. The transistor chip 20 is not limited to this, but for example, four of them are provided in a 2x2 arrangement.

[0032] Each of the four transistor chips 20 is primarily composed of a semiconductor substrate made of a wide-bandgap semiconductor such as silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN). Each of the four transistor chips 20 is equipped with a transistor and a diode that functions as a Free Wheeling Diode (FWD). The transistors mounted on each of the four first semiconductor chips 20 are connected in parallel to increase the current capacity, forming a single switching element. The diodes mounted on each of the four first semiconductor chips 20 are also connected in parallel to increase the rectification capacity, forming a single rectifier element.

[0033] As the transistor, it is preferable to use a vertical structure in which the main current flows in the depth direction (thickness direction) of the semiconductor chip 20, with an insulated gate structure such as a Metal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MISFET), Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), or Reverse Conductive Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (RC-IGBT). In this first embodiment, a vertical MISFET with an insulated gate structure is used. As the diode, for example, a vertical Schottky Barrier Diode (SBD) can be used. Alternatively, a body diode may be used as a FWD.

[0034] Each of the four transistor chips 20 has the same structural configuration. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, each of the four transistor chips 20 has a main surface (first surface) 21a and a back surface (second surface) 21b located on opposite sides of each other, a first main electrode 22a and a control electrode 22c provided on the main surface 21a side, and a second main electrode 22b provided on the back surface 21b side.

[0035] In this first embodiment, since a MISFET is mounted as a transistor on the transistor chip 20, the first main electrode 22a functions as a source electrode pad, the second main electrode 22b functions as a drain electrode pad, and the control electrode 22c functions as a gate electrode pad. The source region of the transistor and the anode region of the diode mounted on the semiconductor chip 20 are electrically connected to the first main electrode 22a. The drain region of the transistor and the cathode region of the diode mounted on the transistor chip 20 are electrically connected to the second main electrode 22b. The gate electrode of the transistor mounted on the transistor chip 20 is electrically connected to the control electrode 22c. Each of the first main electrode 22a and the second main electrode 22b is made of, for example, an aluminum (Al) film or an Al-based alloy film. Similarly, the control electrode 22c is made of, for example, an aluminum (Al) film or an Al-based alloy film.

[0036] Figure 2 shows two transistor chips 20. Referring to Figure 2, each of the four transistor chips 20 has a second main electrode 22b on the back surface 21b side that is bonded to the conductive plate 11b of the insulating circuit board 10 via a conductive bonding material (e.g., solder or conductive adhesive) 15, thereby electrically and mechanically connecting to the conductive plate 11b. In other words, the semiconductor device 1 of this first embodiment includes transistor chips 20 mounted on the conductive plate (first conductive plate) 11b of the insulating circuit board 10. Note that the transistor chips 20 can also be called semiconductor chips on which power transistors are mounted.

[0037] <Temperature Sensor Chip> The temperature sensor chip 30 shown in Figure 3 is mainly composed of a semiconductor substrate made of silicon, for example. As shown in Figure 3, the temperature sensor chip 30 has a main surface portion 31a and a back surface portion 31b located on opposite sides of each other, an anode electrode 32a and a cathode electrode 32b provided on the main surface portion 31a side, and a metallized layer 32c provided on the back surface portion 31b side.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, the temperature sensor chip 30 is electrically and mechanically connected to the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10 by bonding the metallized layer 32c on the back surface 31b side of the temperature sensor chip 30 to the conductive plate 11c via a conductive bonding material (e.g., solder or conductive adhesive) 16.

[0039] The temperature sensor chip 30 is equipped with a diode whose forward voltage (Vf) decreases as the temperature rises. The anode side of this diode is electrically connected to the anode electrode 32a of the temperature sensor chip 30, and the cathode side of this diode is electrically connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30. In other words, the temperature sensor chip 30 can measure temperature by measuring the voltage between the anode electrode 32a and the cathode electrode 32b. Furthermore, the anode electrode 32a and the cathode electrode 32b, which are located on the main surface 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30, are electrically insulated from the metallized layer 32c located on the back surface 31b side of the temperature sensor chip 30.

[0040] The metallized layer 32c can also be called the back electrode.

[0041] <Wiring board> As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the wiring board 40 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The wiring board 40 has two short sides that are located opposite each other in the longitudinal direction (X direction) and extend in the transverse direction (Y direction), which is perpendicular to the X direction, and two long sides that are located opposite each other in the Y direction and extend in the X direction. As shown in Figure 2, the wiring board 40 has thickness in the Z direction, which is perpendicular to the X and Y directions. As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the extension directions of the two short sides of the wiring board 40 coincide with the extension directions of the two short sides of the resin encapsulant 9, and the extension directions of the two long sides of the wiring board 40 coincide with the extension directions of the two long sides of the resin encapsulant 9.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6, the wiring substrate 40 includes an insulating plate 42, a plate-shaped main conductive portion 41a (see FIGS. 2 and 6) provided in a first wiring layer on the upper surface side of the insulating plate 42 that is the insulating circuit substrate 10 side of the insulating plate 42, and an anode conductive portion 43a, a cathode conductive portion 43b, and a control conductive portion 43c (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) provided in a second wiring layer on the side opposite to the upper surface side of the insulating plate 42. Each of the main conductive portion 41a, the anode conductive portion 43a, the cathode conductive portion 43b, and the control conductive portion 43c is laminated on the insulating plate 42.

[0043] The wiring substrate 40 is, for example, a normal printed wiring board, and is not limited thereto. The wiring substrate 40 has a two-layer wiring structure in which a first wiring layer is provided on the upper surface side of the insulating plate 42, and a second wiring layer is provided on the side opposite to the upper surface side of the insulating plate 42. Each of the first and second wiring layers is made of, for example, copper foil. The insulating plate 42 is formed of, for example, an insulating resin substrate obtained by impregnating glass fibers with a polyimide-based resin.

[0044] (Insulating Plate) As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the insulating plate 42 has a square planar shape in plan view, for example, a rectangular shape. The insulating plate 42 has two short side portions 42a and 42b located opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction which is the X direction and extending in the lateral direction which is the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction, and two long side portions 42c and 42d located opposite to each other in the Y direction and extending in the X direction.

[0045] The extending direction of the two short side portions 42a and 42b of the insulating plate 42 matches the extending direction of the two short side portions of the resin sealing body 9, and the extending direction of the two long side portions 42c and 42d of the insulating plate 42 matches the extending direction of the two long side portions of the resin sealing body 9. In this first embodiment, since the outer peripheral portion of the insulating plate 42 serves as the outer peripheral portion of the wiring substrate 40 in plan view, the two short side portions 42a and 42b and the two long side portions 42c and 42d of the insulating plate 42 serve as the two short side portions and the two long side portions of the wiring substrate 40.

[0046] (Main Conductive Portion) As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, the main conductive portion 41a is formed of a plate-shaped planar pattern provided so as to overlap the first main electrode 22a of each of the four transistor chips 20 in a plan view. The main conductive portion 41a is electrically connected to the conductive plate 11a of the insulated circuit board 10 via the main circuit conductive pin 4a, and is electrically connected to the first main electrode 22a of each of the four transistor chips 20 for each transistor chip 20 via the main circuit conductive pin 5a. In the first embodiment, although not limited thereto, four conductive pins 4a are provided. Further, two conductive pins 5b are provided for each transistor chip 20.

[0047] (Anode Conductive Portion and Cathode Conductive Portion) As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the anode conductive portion 43a extends in the Y direction in a plan view. One end side of the anode conductive portion 43a overlaps the anode electrode 32a of the temperature sensor chip 30 in a plan view, and the other end side opposite to the one end side is drawn out to the outside of the temperature sensor chip 30. The anode conductive portion 43a is electrically connected to the anode electrode 32a of the temperature sensor chip 30 via the relay conductive pin 7a.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the cathode conductive portion 43b extends in the Y direction in a plan view. One end side of the cathode conductive portion 43b overlaps the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 in a plan view, and the other end side opposite to the one end side is drawn out to the outside of the temperature sensor chip 30. The cathode conductive portion 43b is electrically connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 via the relay conductive pin 7b, and is also electrically connected to the conductive plate 11c of the insulated circuit board 10 via the relay conductive pin 7c.

[0049] (Control Conductive Portion) As shown in FIG. 5, the control conductive portion 43c is routed so as to overlap the control electrode 22c of each of the four transistor chips in a plan view. The control conductive portion 43c is electrically connected to the control electrode 22c of each of the four transistor chips 20 for each transistor chip 20 via the control circuit conductive pin 5c.

[0050] The main conductive part 41a, the anode conductive part 43a, the cathode conductive part 43b, and the control conductive part 43c can also be referred to as wiring.

[0051] <Main Circuit Conductive Pins and Control Circuit Conductive Pins> As shown in Figure 2, one end of the main circuit conductive pin 4a is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the main conductive portion 41a of the wiring board 40. The other end of the main circuit conductive pin 4a, opposite to the one end, abuts against the conductive plate 11a of the insulating circuit board 10 from above, and is electrically and mechanically connected to this conductive plate 11a by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive).

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, one end of the main circuit conductive pin 5a is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the main conductive portion 41a of the wiring board 40. The other end of the main circuit conductive pin 5a, opposite to the one end, abuts against the first main electrode 22a of the transistor chip 20 from above, and is electrically and mechanically connected to the first main electrode 22a by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive).

[0053] Although not shown in detail in Figure 5, the control circuit conductive pin 5c, like the main circuit conductive pin 5a, has one end press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the control conductive portion 43c of the wiring board 40. The other end of the control circuit conductive pin 5c, opposite to the one end, abuts against the control electrode 22c of the transistor chip 20 from above, and is electrically and mechanically connected to the control electrode 22c by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive).

[0054] <Intermediate Conductive Pin> As shown in Figure 3, one end of the intermediate conductive pin 7a is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40. The other end of the intermediate conductive pin 7a, opposite to the one end, abuts against the anode electrode 32a of the temperature sensor chip 30 from above, and is electrically and mechanically connected to this anode main electrode 32a by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive).

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, one end of the relay conductive pin 7b is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40. The other end of the relay conductive pin 7b, opposite to the one end, abuts against the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 from above, and is electrically and mechanically connected to the cathode electrode 32b by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive).

[0056] As shown in Figure 3, one end of the relay conductive pin 7c is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40. The other end of the relay conductive pin 7c, opposite to the one end, abuts against the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10 from above, and is electrically and mechanically connected to the conductive plate 11c by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive).

[0057] <Terminals> As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the first main circuit terminal 3a, the second main circuit terminal 3b, the first sensor terminal 6a, and the second sensor terminal 6b each extend in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the resin encapsulant 9, both inside and outside the resin encapsulant 9. Although not shown in detail, the control terminal 3c also extends in the thickness direction of the resin encapsulant 9, both inside and outside the resin encapsulant 9.

[0058] (First Main Circuit Terminal) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first main circuit terminal 3a penetrates the wiring board 40 in the thickness direction (Z direction). One end of the first main circuit terminal 3a protrudes outward from the upper surface of the resin encapsulant 9. The other end of the first main circuit terminal 3a abuts against the conductive plate 11a of the insulating circuit board 10 from above, and is electrically and mechanically joined to this conductive plate 11a by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive). That is, the first main circuit terminal 3a is electrically connected to the first main electrode 22a of each of the four transistor chips 20 via the conductive plate 11a of the insulating circuit board 10, the main circuit conductive pin 4a, and the main conductive portion 41a and main circuit conductive pin 5a of the wiring board 40.

[0059] (Second Main Circuit Terminal) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second main circuit terminal 3b penetrates the wiring board 40 in the thickness direction (Z direction). One end of the second main circuit terminal 3b protrudes outward from the upper surface of the resin encapsulant 9. The other end of the second main circuit terminal 3b abuts against the conductive plate 11b of the insulating circuit board 10 from above, and is electrically and mechanically joined to this conductive plate 11b by a conductive bonding material (for example, solder or conductive adhesive). That is, the second main circuit terminal 3b is electrically connected to the second main electrode 22b of each of the four transistor chips 20 via the conductive plate 11b of the insulating circuit board 10.

[0060] (Control Terminal) The control terminal 3c shown in Figures 1 and 4, although not shown in detail, has one end protruding outward from the upper surface of the resin encapsulant 9. The other end of the control terminal 3c, opposite to the one end, is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the control conductive part 43c of the wiring board 40. In other words, the control terminal 3c is electrically connected to each of the control electrodes 22c of the four transistor chips 20 via the control conductive part 43c and the control circuit conductive pins 5c of the wiring board 40.

[0061] (First Sensor Terminal) As shown in Figures 1 and 3, one end of the first sensor terminal 6a protrudes outward from the upper surface of the resin encapsulant 9. The other end of the first sensor terminal 6a, opposite to the one end, is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40. In other words, the first sensor terminal 6a is electrically connected to the anode electrode 32a of the temperature sensor chip 30 via the anode conductive portion 43a and the relay conductive pin 7a of the wiring board 40.

[0062] (Second Sensor Terminal) As shown in Figures 1 and 3, one end of the second sensor terminal 6b protrudes outward from the upper surface of the resin encapsulant 9. The other end of the second sensor terminal 6b, opposite to the one end, is press-fitted into the wiring board 40, and this press-fitting electrically and mechanically connects it to the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40. That is, the second sensor terminal 6b is electrically connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 via the cathode conductive portion 43b and relay conductive pin 7b of the wiring board 40, and is also electrically connected to the metallized layer 32c of the temperature sensor chip 30 via the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40, the relay conductive pin 7c, the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10, and the conductive bonding material 16.

[0063] <Conductive Path> As shown in Figure 3, the conductive path 51 includes the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40, an intermediate conductive pin 7b that is electrically and mechanically connected to the cathode conductive portion 43b and also electrically and mechanically connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30, and an intermediate conductive pin 7c that is electrically and mechanically connected to the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40 and the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10, respectively. That is, the conductive path 51 electrically connects the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 and the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10.

[0064] In this first embodiment, the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40 corresponds to a specific example of "wiring of a wiring board" in this technology, the relay conductive pin 7b corresponds to a specific example of "first relay conductive pin" in this technology, the relay conductive pin 7c corresponds to a specific example of "second relay conductive pin" in this technology, and the relay conductive pin 7a corresponds to a specific example of "third relay conductive pin" in this technology. Also in this first embodiment, the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40 corresponds to a specific example of "first wiring" in this technology, and the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40 corresponds to a specific example of "second wiring" in this technology. Also in this first embodiment, the conductive plates 11b and 11c correspond to specific examples of "first conductive plate, second conductive plate" in this technology, and the conductive plate 11a corresponds to a specific example of "third conductive plate" in this technology. Also in this first embodiment, the main conductive portion 41a of the wiring board 40 corresponds to a specific example of "third wiring" in this technology. Furthermore, in this first embodiment, the main circuit conductive pins 4a and 5a correspond to specific examples of the "first main circuit conductive pin and second main circuit conductive pin" of this technology.

[0065] <<Main Effects of the First Embodiment>> Next, the main effects of the first embodiment will be explained in comparison with a conventional reference example. Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional reference example of an insulation test to ground during the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device.

[0066] The conventional reference semiconductor device shown in Figure 7 has basically the same configuration as the semiconductor device 1A of the first embodiment, except that it lacks the relay conductive pin 7c shown in Figure 3 and does not have a conductive path 51. In Figure 7, the same parts as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0067] In semiconductor devices incorporated into power converters, a ground-to-ground insulation test is performed during the manufacturing process, which is part of the product shipment testing. In this ground-to-ground insulation test, a voltage is applied between all terminals of the semiconductor device and the heat sink 13 on the bottom (back) side of the semiconductor device, with the aim of evaluating the ground-to-ground insulation other than that of the chip. As shown in Figure 7, the test is performed to bring the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 to the same potential as the other terminals. As a result, the conductive plate 11c on which the temperature sensor chip 30 is mounted becomes a floating potential among the conductive plates on the top side of the insulating circuit board 10.

[0068] On the other hand, in the temperature sensor chip 30, the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b located on the main surface 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30 and the metallized layer 32c located on the back surface 31b side of the temperature sensor chip 30 are insulated and separated within the chip. Furthermore, among the conductive plates on the upper surface side of the insulating circuit board 10, the conductive plate 11c on which the temperature sensor chip 30 is mounted is also insulated and separated from the other conductive plates 11a and 11b. As a result, a potential difference is generated between the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b on the main surface 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30 and the metallized layer 32c on the back surface 31b side of the temperature sensor chip 30 and the conductive plate 11c on the upper surface side of the insulating circuit board 10, raising concerns that partial discharge may occur in the insulating structure inside the temperature sensor chip 30. The occurrence of this partial discharge is a factor that reduces the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices and therefore needs to be improved.

[0069] In contrast, as shown in Figure 3, the semiconductor device 1A according to this first embodiment includes a conductive path 51 that electrically connects the cathode electrode 32b, which is one of the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b located on the main surface 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30, to the conductive plate 11c on the upper surface side of the insulating circuit board 10 on which the temperature sensor chip 30 is mounted. Therefore, when performing the ground-to-ground insulation test included in the product shipment test during the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device 1A, it becomes possible to bring the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30, the metallized layer 32c of the temperature sensor chip 30, and the conductive plate 11c on the insulating circuit board 10 on which the temperature sensor chip 30 is mounted to the same potential. This reduces or eliminates the potential difference between the electrode on the main surface 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30 and the metallized layer 32c on the back surface 31b side of the temperature sensor chip 30 and the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10, thereby eliminating the partial discharge inside the temperature sensor chip 30 that occurs during the ground-to-ground insulation test. Therefore, according to the semiconductor device 1A of this first embodiment, it is possible to prevent failure of the temperature sensor chip 30 caused by damage due to partial discharge, and to improve the manufacturing yield.

[0070] Furthermore, since this measure is only applied to the wiring board 40 side via the relay conductive pin 7c, insulation can be easily ensured between the conductive plate 11c on which the temperature sensor chip 30 is mounted and other conductive plates in the insulating circuit board 10.

[0071] Figure 8A shows the amount of discharge charge measured in a ground-to-ground insulation test for a semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of this technology. Figure 8B shows the amount of discharge charge measured in a ground-to-ground insulation test for a conventional reference example semiconductor device.

[0072] As shown in Figure 8B, in the conventional reference example semiconductor device, the measured discharge charge amount exceeds the measurement limit at high voltage, indicating partial discharge. In contrast, as shown in Figure 8A, in the semiconductor device 1A according to the first embodiment of this technology, the discharge charge amount is below the measurement limit across the entire voltage range, clearly suppressing the occurrence of partial discharge compared to Figure 8B. Therefore, it has been confirmed that the semiconductor device 1A according to the first embodiment of this technology is effective in eliminating partial discharge inside the temperature sensor chip 30. This technology can also be applied when a temperature sensor chip 30 is used in which a metallized layer 32b is not provided on the back surface 31b side.

[0073] <Modifications of the First Embodiment> <Modification 1-1> Figure 9 is a modification 1-1 of the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present technology, and is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the longitudinal cross-sectional structure.

[0074] In this modified example 1-1, the conductive path that electrically connects either the anode electrode 32a or the cathode electrode 32b, which is provided on the main surface portion 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30, to the conductive plate (second conductive plate) 11c of the insulating circuit board 10 is replaced with the conductive path 52 shown in Figure 9 of the first embodiment described above. The other configurations are generally the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0075] As shown in Figure 9, the conductive path 52 of this modified example 1-1 includes the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40, an intermediate conductive pin 7a that is electrically and mechanically connected to the anode conductive portion 43a and also electrically and mechanically connected to the anode electrode 32a of the temperature sensor chip 30, and an intermediate conductive pin 7d that is electrically and mechanically connected to the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40 and the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10, respectively. That is, the conductive path 52 of this modified example 1-1 electrically connects the anode electrode 32a of either the anode electrode 32a or the cathode electrode 32b provided on the main surface portion 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30 to the conductive plate 11c provided on the upper surface side of the insulating circuit board 10.

[0076] The anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40 is electrically and mechanically connected to the first sensor terminal 6a, similar to the first embodiment described above. The cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40 is also electrically and mechanically connected to the second sensor terminal 6b, similar to the first embodiment described above. Specifically, in this modified example 1-1, the first sensor terminal 6a is electrically connected to the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10 and the anode electrode 32a of the temperature sensor chip 30, respectively, while the second sensor terminal 6b is electrically connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30.

[0077] In this modified example 1-1, the anode electrode 32a corresponds to one specific example of "either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode" in this technology, the conductive plate 11c corresponds to one specific example of "the second conductive plate" in this technology, and the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40 corresponds to one specific example of "wiring of the wiring board" in this technology. Also in this modified example 1-1, the relay conductive pin 7a corresponds to one specific example of "the first relay conductive pin" in this technology, and the relay conductive pin 7d corresponds to one specific example of "the second relay conductive pin" in this technology.

[0078] In this modified example 1-1, the present technology can also be applied, and the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices can be improved in the same way as in the first embodiment described above.

[0079] <Modification 1-2> Figure 10 is a schematic plan view showing the upper surface of an insulating circuit board, which is a modification 1-2 of the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present technology. Figure 11 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the longitudinal cross-sectional structure along the IV-IV cutting line in Figure 9.

[0080] In this modified example 1-2, the conductive path 53 shown in Figures 10 and 11 is provided instead of the conductive path 51 shown in Figure 3 of the first embodiment described above. The other configurations are generally the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0081] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the conductive path 53 of this modified example 1-2 includes a bonding wire 54 as a conductive member, which is electrically and mechanically connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b provided on the main surface portion 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30, and also electrically and mechanically connected to the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10. For example, gold (Au) wire or aluminum (Al) can be used as the bonding wire 54. One end of the bonding wire 53 is electrically and mechanically connected to the cathode electrode 32b, and the other end opposite to the one end is electrically and mechanically connected to the conductive plate 11c.

[0082] In this modified example 1-2, the cathode electrode 32b corresponds to a specific example of "either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode" in this technology, the conductive plate 11c corresponds to a specific example of "the second conductive plate" in this technology, and the bonding wire 54 corresponds to a specific example of "the conductive member" in this technology. Also, in this modified example 1-2, similar to the first embodiment described above, the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40 corresponds to a specific example of "the first wiring" in this technology, the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40 corresponds to a specific example of "the second wiring" in this technology, the relay conductive pin 7c corresponds to a specific example of "the first relay conductive pin" in this technology, and the relay conductive pin 7a corresponds to a specific example of "the second relay conductive pin" in this technology.

[0083] In this modified example 1-2, the present technology can also be applied, and the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices can be improved in the same way as in the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, in this modified example 1-2, the relay conductive pin 7b shown in Figure 3 of the first embodiment described above can be omitted.

[0084] Furthermore, this conductive path 53 can also be applied to the anode electrode 32a side of the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b provided on the main surface portion 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30. In this case, the intermediate conductive pin 7c is connected to the anode conductive portion 43a and the conductive plate 11c, respectively, the intermediate conductive pin 7b is connected to the cathode conductive portion 43b and the cathode electrode 32b, respectively, and the bonding wire 54 included in the conductive path 53 is directly connected to the anode electrode 32a and the conductive plate 11c, respectively.

[0085] <Modification 1-3> Figure 12 is a modification 1-3 of the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present technology, and is a schematic plan view showing the upper surface of the insulating circuit board.

[0086] In this modified example 1-3, the conductive path 55 shown in Figure 12 is provided instead of the conductive path 51 shown in Figure 3 of the first embodiment described above. The other configurations are generally the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0087] As shown in Figure 12, the conductive path 55 of this modified example 1-3 includes a plate-shaped lead 56 as a conductive member that is electrically and mechanically connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b provided on the main surface portion 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30, and also electrically and mechanically connected to the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10. The height positions of the first portion of the lead 56 connected to the cathode electrode 32b of the temperature sensor chip 30 and the second portion connected to the conductive plate 11c of the insulating circuit board 10 are offset in the thickness direction of the temperature sensor chip 30.

[0088] In this modified example 1-3, the cathode electrode 32b corresponds to a specific example of "either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode" in this technology, the conductive plate 11c corresponds to a specific example of "the second conductive plate" in this technology, and the lead 56 corresponds to a specific example of "the conductive member" in this technology. Also, in this modified example 1-3, similar to the first embodiment described above, the cathode conductive portion 43b of the wiring board 40 corresponds to a specific example of "the first wiring of the wiring board" in this technology, the anode conductive portion 43a of the wiring board 40 corresponds to "the second wiring" in this technology, the relay conductive pin 7c corresponds to a specific example of "the first relay conductive pin" in this technology, and the relay conductive pin 7a corresponds to a specific example of "the second relay conductive pin" in this technology.

[0089] In these modified examples 1-3, the present technology can also be applied, and the manufacturing yield of semiconductor devices can be improved in the same way as in the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, in this modified example 1-3, the relay conductive pin 7b shown in Figure 3 of the first embodiment described above can be omitted, similar to the modified example 1-2 described above.

[0090] Furthermore, this conductive path 55 can also be applied to the anode electrode 32a side of the anode electrode 32a and cathode electrode 32b provided on the main surface portion 31a side of the temperature sensor chip 30, similar to the conductive path 53 described above. In this case, the intermediate conductive pin 7c is connected to the anode conductive portion 43a and the conductive plate 11c, respectively, the intermediate conductive pin 7b is connected to the cathode conductive portion 43b and the cathode electrode 32b, respectively, and the lead 56 included in the conductive path 55 is directly connected to the anode electrode 32a and the conductive plate 11c, respectively.

[0091] [Other Embodiments] In the first embodiment described above, a 1-in-1 type semiconductor device was described as a power device used in power conversion devices and the like. However, this technology is not limited to 1-in-1 type semiconductor devices, and can also be applied to 2-in-1 type semiconductor devices that can form a half-bridge circuit with a single device, or 6-in-1 type semiconductor devices that can form a three-phase half-bridge circuit, and so on.

[0092] Although the present technology has been described in detail based on the above embodiments and their modifications, it goes without saying that the present technology is not limited to the above embodiments and their modifications, and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence.

[0093] 1A...Semiconductor device 2...Assembly structure (assembly component) 3a...First main circuit terminal (source terminal) 3b...Second main circuit terminal (drain terminal) 3c...Control terminal (gate terminal) 4a...Main circuit conductive pin 5a...Main circuit conductive pin 5c...Control circuit conductive pin 6a...First sensor terminal (anode terminal) 6b...Second sensor terminal (cathode terminal) 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d...Intermediate conductive pin 9...Resin encapsulant 10...Insulated circuit board 11a, 11b, 11c...Conductive board 12...Insulating board 13...Heat sink 15, 16...Conductive bonding material 20...Semiconductor chip 21a...Main surface 21b...Back surface 22a...First main electrode (source electrode) 22b...Second main electrode (drain electrode) 22c...Control electrode (gate electrode) 30...Temperature sensor chip 31a...Main surface 31b...Back surface 32a...Anode electrode 32b...Cathode electrode 32c...Metallized layer (electrode) 40...Wiring board 41a...Main conductive part 42...Insulating board 43a...Anode conductive part (wiring) 43b...Cathode conductive part (wiring) 43c...Control conductive part (wiring) 51, 52, 53...Conductive path 54...Bonding wire 55...Conductive path 56...Lead

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising: an insulating circuit board having electrically separated first conductive plate and second conductive plate on one side and a heat sink on the side opposite to the one side; a transistor chip mounted on the first conductive plate; a temperature sensor chip having a main surface and a back surface located on opposite sides of each other, with an anode electrode and a cathode electrode respectively arranged on the main surface and the back surface connected to the second conductive plate; and a conductive path electrically connecting either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode to the second conductive plate.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a wiring board disposed at a distance from the insulating circuit board on the side of the one surface of the insulating circuit board, wherein the conductive path includes: wiring of the wiring board; a first relay conductive pin connected to the wiring and connected to either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode; and a second relay conductive pin connected to the wiring and the second conductive plate, respectively.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, further comprising a first sensor terminal, a second sensor terminal, and a third relay conductive pin, wherein the wiring of the wiring board is defined as the first wiring, the wiring board further comprises a second wiring electrically separated from the first wiring, the first sensor terminal is connected to the first wiring, the second sensor terminal is connected to the second wiring, and the third relay conductive pin is connected to the other of either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode and is also connected to the second wiring.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor chip further has a back electrode on its back surface that is insulated and separated from the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, and the back electrode of the temperature sensor chip is connected to the second conductive plate.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a first main circuit terminal and a second main circuit terminal, wherein the transistor chip has a first surface portion and a second surface portion located on opposite sides of each other, a first main electrode disposed on the first surface portion, and a second main electrode disposed on the second surface portion, the second main electrode being connected to the first conductive plate, the first main circuit terminal being electrically connected to the first main electrode of the transistor chip, and the second main circuit terminal being electrically connected to the second main electrode of the transistor chip.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the wiring board further has a third wiring, the second main circuit terminal is connected to the first conductive plate, and the first main circuit terminal is electrically connected to the first main electrode of the transistor chip via the third wiring.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the insulating circuit board further has a third conductive plate on the one-sided side that is electrically separated from each of the first and second conductive plates, the first main circuit terminal is connected to the third conductive plate, and the third wiring is electrically connected to the third conductive plate via the first main circuit conductive pin and is also electrically connected to the first main electrode of the transistor chip via the second main circuit conductive pin.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, further comprising a seal that encloses the one side of the insulating circuit board, the transistor chip, the temperature sensor chip, and the wiring board in a state in which the heat sink of the insulating circuit board is exposed, wherein the first and second main circuit terminals, and the first and second sensor terminals, each extend both inside and outside the seal.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, comprising a conductive member directly connected to either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode and directly connected to the second conductive plate, wherein the conductive path is made of the conductive member.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the conductive member is a bonding wire or lead.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising a wiring board disposed on one side of the insulating circuit board, isolated from the insulating circuit board, a first relay conductive pin and a second relay conductive pin, wherein the wiring board has a first wiring and a second wiring electrically separated from the first wiring, the first wiring is electrically connected to the second conductive board via the first relay conductive pin, and the second wiring is electrically connected to the other of either the anode electrode or the cathode electrode via the second relay conductive pin.

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