Power Semiconductor Module Segmentation for Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor modules face challenges in miniaturization and weight reduction due to warpage and increased resin usage, which affects radiation efficiency and manufacturing costs, and require multiple modules for power conversion, making handling and storage cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A power semiconductor module is designed with a ceramic substrate divided into common units, each sealed with heat-resistant resin, and a radiator fitted onto the module casing to ensure efficient heat dissipation and reduce resin usage, allowing for more semiconductor elements in a compact, lightweight form.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If more semiconductor elements are disposed on one ceramic substrate to miniaturize the electrical power converter, then the number of semiconductor elements per module increases, but the ceramic substrate size increases causing pronounced warpage that reduces radiation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the ceramic substrate into a chip mounting surface for semiconductor elements and a heat radiation surface for thermal dissipation. This segmentation allows the substrate to simultaneously accommodate multiple semiconductor elements while maintaining effective heat radiation pathways, preventing warpage-induced radiation efficiency degradation even as element count increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from planar chip arrangement to three-dimensional stacking with vertical heat radiation pathways. By establishing heat radiation surfaces that extend perpendicular to the chip mounting surface, the design enables thermal dissipation in the vertical dimension, allowing more semiconductor elements to be mounted on the horizontal plane without compromising radiation efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a thick metal plate is used to prevent warpage of the ceramic substrate, then warpage is suppressed and radiation characteristic is maintained, but the weight of the semiconductor module increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the thermal expansion parameters by selecting a ceramic substrate material whose thermal expansion coefficient matches that of the surrounding resin encapsulant. This parameter matching eliminates differential thermal stress during temperature cycling, preventing warpage without requiring a thick metal plate, thereby reducing module weight while maintaining stability.
3Reliability
If a large amount of resin is encapsulated to seal the chip mounting surface, then the chip parts are protected, but the weight of the entire semiconductor module increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protection function from the resin encapsulant by providing a dedicated metal case that surrounds and protects the chip mounting surface. This allows the resin to be used only for sealing necessary gaps rather than bulk protection, significantly reducing the amount of resin required and thereby reducing module weight while maintaining chip part protection.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple semiconductor modules are used to achieve desired power conversion, then the electrical power converter can be configured, but handling and storage become troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple semiconductor element functions into a single integrated module by mounting multiple semiconductor elements on one ceramic substrate and enclosing them in a unified metal case. This consolidation maintains the adaptability to achieve various power conversion configurations while significantly improving ease of handling and storage compared to using multiple separate modules.
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 configuration enhances radiation efficiency, reduces weight, and facilitates easier replacement of semiconductor elements, achieving miniaturization and cost-effectiveness in power converters while improving temperature cycle resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator fitted onto the module casing to be thereby brought into abutting contact with all of the radiation surfaces of the two or more common units
Implementation Method 2
heat is radiated from a back surface of the ceramic substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A power supply unit of an arc discharge device includes a semiconductor module 1 and a radiator fitted onto the semiconductor module 1. The semiconductor module 1 includes a module casing 2 and common units 3a to 3c retained by the module casing 2. Each of the common units 3a to 3c has: a ceramic substrate 50 having a circuit surface disposed with a semiconductor element 54 and a radiation surface on a side opposite to the circuit surface and a package 35 that exposes the radiation surface and seals the circuit surface with heat resistant resin. The radiator is fitted onto the module casing 2 to be thereby brought into abutting contact with all of the radiation surfaces of the common units 3a to 3c.