Semiconductor Device Control Board Segmentation for Noise and Heat

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional power semiconductor modules face challenges in reducing noise and heat influence due to long leads connecting control boards, which can cause ground potential fluctuations and increase noise, while attempting to minimize noise, they also face heat dissipation issues from mounted components like photocouplers.

Innovation Solution

The semiconductor device design includes a configuration where the control boards are positioned with a short lead distance of 20 mm or less, with photocouplers mounted on a separate control board away from semiconductor modules, and drive elements on another, optimizing the layout to reduce inductance and heat dissipation through strategic terminal placement and insulation, ensuring efficient signal transmission and heat management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If photocoupler and drive element are mounted close to one another on the same control board to reduce noise influence, then noise resistance is improved, but temperature of photocoupler rises due to heat from drive element

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise influenceVSAvoidphotocoupler temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The control board is divided into a first control board for mounting drive elements and a second control board for mounting photocouplers. This segmentation separates heat-generating components from heat-sensitive components, allowing the photocoupler to be electrically connected to the drive element through a lead rather than direct mounting, thus reducing temperature rise while maintaining electrical connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If lead distance between control boards is reduced to 20 mm or less to minimize noise, then noise resistance is improved, but heat dissipation becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovenoiseVSAvoidheat dissipation
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The control system is segmented into two separate control boards with the lead connection serving as the interface. This segmentation allows the lead to be kept short (20 mm or less) for noise reduction while the thermal management is handled separately through board-level heat dissipation designs and spatial arrangement, decoupling the noise and heat dissipation concerns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2822366B1Semiconductor device
Publication Date: 2016.05.11 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP2822366B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP2822366B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2822366B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor module 18 including a high-side first transistor 10b and a low-side second transistor 10a, a first control board 8 located above the semiconductor module, a drive element 6 connected to a first gate terminal and a first source terminal of the first transistor on the first control board, and a drive element 6 connected to a second terminal and a second source terminal of the second transistor on the first control board, a second control board 5 located above the first control board, and photocouplers 3 provided on the second control board. The semiconductor module includes a positive electrode terminal 25; a ground terminal 26, and an output terminal 27. The first gate terminal and the first source terminal are located at the side provided with the positive electrode terminal and the ground terminal. The second gate terminal and the second source terminal are located at the side provided the output terminal.