Power Semiconductor Module Housing Protrusions Against Flashover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power semiconductor module arrangements face malfunctions or failures due to flashover effects caused by electrical components not being entirely covered by the encapsulant, which restricts the design freedom and requires maintaining minimum distances between components.
Innovation Solution
The use of protrusions extending from the lid of the housing towards the substrate or printed circuit board within a defined radius, allowing the encapsulant to form elevations via capillary action and cover exposed components without increasing the overall encapsulant height, thereby reducing the risk of flashover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the encapsulant height is increased to cover all electrical components, then the protection against flashover effects is improved, but the overall module height and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating elevations of the encapsulant material specifically at locations where electrical components are present, rather than uniformly increasing the encapsulant height throughout. This is achieved by placing protrusions into the encapsulant material at predetermined locations, causing the encapsulant to form localized elevations that provide enhanced protection against flashover effects only where needed, while maintaining a lower overall encapsulant height in areas without components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional flat encapsulant surface to a three-dimensional structured surface with elevations. By introducing vertical protrusions that extend into the encapsulant material, the solution adds a vertical dimension to the protection mechanism, creating localized height variations that provide component protection without requiring a uniform increase in overall encapsulant height.
2Reliability
If minimum distances between electrical components are maintained to prevent flashover, then the reliability is improved, but the design freedom and component density are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By providing localized elevations of the encapsulant material at specific component locations, the invention creates individual protection zones around each electrical component. This allows components to be positioned closer together horizontally since the vertical elevation provides the flashover protection, thereby increasing design freedom and potential component density while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If the encapsulant completely covers all electrical components, then the protection from environmental conditions is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a cost-effective protection strategy by providing environmental protection through localized elevations rather than complete submersion. The protrusions are placed only at locations where electrical components are present, creating elevations that provide sufficient protection from environmental conditions at those specific locations while avoiding the complexity and cost of a uniformly thick encapsulant structure throughout the entire module.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively protects electrical components from environmental and mechanical damage while reducing the need for minimum distances between components, enhancing the design flexibility and reliability of power semiconductor module arrangements.
Implementation Method 1
allowing the encapsulant to form elevations via capillary action and cover exposed components
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7C
AI summary
A power semiconductor module arrangement comprises, a housing comprising sidewalls, a lid, and one or more protrusions, a substrate arranged inside the housing or forming a bottom of the housing, a plurality of electronic or electrically conducting components arranged on the substrate, and an encapsulant partly filling the interior of the housing, thereby covering the substrate, wherein each of the one or more protrusions extends from the lid of the housing in a vertical direction towards the substrate, wherein the vertical direction is a direction perpendicular to the substrate and the lid, a lower end of each of the one or more protrusions is either arranged directly above a separate one of the plurality of electronic or electrically conducting components, or within a defined radius around a separate one of the plurality of electronic or electrically conducting components, wherein the defined radius is less than 2mm, and wherein the lower end of a protrusion is the end facing away from the lid and towards the substrate, and the encapsulant has a generally flat surface and forms one or more elevations, wherein each of the one or more elevations encloses an upper end of a different one of the plurality of electronic or electrically conducting components, and encloses the lower end of a respective one of the one or more protrusions, wherein the upper end of an electronic or electrically conducting component is an end facing away from the substrate and towards the lid.