Semiconductor Device Insulating Rings Arc Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Press-pack semiconductor devices face damage from excessive fault currents leading to local heating and electric arcing, which can cause rupture of hermetically sealed housings due to pressure development from polymer material ablation during arcs, limiting their non-rupture capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring a middle insulating ring of plastics material and an inner insulating ring of ceramics or glass material, with a tongue-and-groove alignment and radial openings for gate connections, provides enhanced arc protection by reducing pressure development and shielding the plastics ring from arc plasma, while maintaining mechanical flexibility and structural stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a polymer material protective ring is arranged between the ceramics ring and Si wafer to prevent arc plasma impact, then the protection capability against arc plasma is improved, but pressure development inside the housing increases due to ablation of the polymer material
Solution Approach 1:
The protective ring is divided into two distinct segments: an outer polymer material ring for arc plasma protection and an inner ceramics material ring for pressure control. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function without the adverse effects of the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective ring uses a composite structure combining polymer material and ceramics material in a single functional component. The polymer outer layer provides arc plasma shielding while the ceramics inner layer resists ablation and controls pressure development, creating a synergistic protective system.
2Reliability
If a ceramics insulating ring is used to protect against arc plasma, then the non-rupture capability is improved, but the mechanical flexibility and ease of assembly are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The protective ring system is segmented into modular components (outer polymer ring and inner ceramics ring) that can be manufactured separately and assembled independently. This segmentation enables the use of brittle ceramics material without compromising overall assembly flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer material ring acts as an intermediary between the ceramics ring and the external environment, providing a flexible mounting interface that simplifies assembly while the ceramics ring provides the rigid protective function. The tongue-and-groove connection serves as a mechanical mediator for easy assembly.
3Reliability
If the housing is designed to withstand high short-circuit currents, then the non-rupture capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective ring structure serves as an intermediary protective layer between the arc plasma source and the housing, absorbing and dissipating arc energy before it reaches the housing. This mediator approach allows the housing to have a simpler design while still achieving high non-rupture capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective ring provides beforehand cushioning against arc plasma impact and pressure waves. By placing this protective barrier in advance, the housing is shielded from direct arc exposure, reducing the structural complexity required for the housing itself to withstand fault conditions.
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
The combination of plastics and high-temperature-resistant materials enhances the non-rupture capabilities of the semiconductor device, preventing housing rupture under high short-circuit currents and maintaining hermetic sealing, even under extreme arc conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the arc plasma may burn through thin metal flanges of the housing, or may crack a ceramics insulating ring of the housing
Implementation Method 2
Sometimes, due to the arc, pressure may develop inside the housing due to ablation of a polymer material
Implementation Method 3
either the middle insulating ring or the inner insulating ring has a tongue and the other thereof has a groove such that the tongue fits into the groove for their rotational alignment
Implementation Method 4
the corresponding openings for the gate wire may be aligned by a tongue or protrusion of the middle insulating ring that fits into a corresponding opening or groove in the inner insulating ring
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device comprises two electrodes with opposite faces; a semiconductor wafer sandwiched between the two electrodes; an outer insulating ring attached to the two electrodes and surrounding the semiconductor wafer; a middle insulating ring inside the outer insulating ring and surrounding the semiconductor wafer, whereby the middle insulating ring is made of a plastics material; and an inner insulating ring inside the middle insulating ring, whereby the inner insulating ring is made of ceramics and/or glass material. Either the middle insulating ring or the inner insulating ring has a tongue and the other thereof has a groove such that the tongue fits into the groove for their rotational alignment. The middle insulating ring and the inner insulating ring have a radial opening for receiving a gate connection of the semiconductor device.