Semiconductor Device Thermal Protection via Strain-Managed Connection Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of wide band-gap semiconductors, such as silicon carbide, is increased by the necessity of adding semiconductor temperature sensors, which are expensive and not necessary for all elements in a semiconductor device.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design where the first element, typically silicon, has a higher equivalent plastic strain increment in its connection layer than the second element, such as silicon carbide, allowing controlled failure of the connection layer before the second element, thus eliminating the need for a temperature detector in the more expensive silicon carbide element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a temperature sensor is added to the silicon carbide element for thermal protection, then the reliability of thermal protection is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the temperature sensing function from the silicon carbide element itself and relocates it to the silicon-based element. By designing the silicon-based element with a PN junction temperature sensor and using it to monitor the temperature of both elements through thermal coupling, the costly silicon carbide element is relieved of the temperature sensor requirement, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining thermal protection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The silicon-based element is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as a switching element, a heat sink for the silicon carbide element, and a temperature sensor host. The single temperature sensor on the silicon-based element provides thermal protection for both elements, eliminating the need for separate temperature sensors on each element and reducing overall system cost
2Ease of manufacture
If the size of silicon carbide chips is reduced to lower cost, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the thermal management becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a nested structure where the silicon carbide element is placed on top of the silicon-based element, which serves as both a functional element and a heat dissipation substrate. The silicon-based element acts as a heat sink for the smaller silicon carbide element, providing effective thermal management despite the reduced chip size. This nested arrangement allows compact thermal coupling while maintaining cost advantages from smaller silicon carbide chips
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 design minimizes the size and cost of silicon carbide chips by ensuring the silicon-based element fails first, reducing the need for temperature detectors in silicon carbide elements and maintaining thermal protection without increasing the overall semiconductor device size.
Implementation Method 1
Sizes of the first element and the second element are set so that an equivalent plastic strain increment of the first connection layer is greater than an equivalent plastic strain increment of the second connection layer
Implementation Method 2
an equivalent plastic strain increment of the first connection layer is greater than an equivalent plastic strain increment of the second connection layer
Implementation Method 3
The first connection layer electrically connects the electrode at the rear surface of the first element to the heat sink. The second connection layer electrically connects the electrode at the rear surface of the second element to the heat sink
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes: a first element formed of a first constituent as a main constituent; a second element formed of a second constituent as a main constituent; a heat sink on which the first element and the second element are disposed; a first connection layer electrically connecting the first element to the heat sink; a second connection layer electrically connecting the second element to the heat sink; and a mold resin covering and protecting the first element, the second element and the heat sink. Sizes of the first element and the second element are set so that an equivalent plastic strain increment of the first connection layer is greater than the second connection layer. Accordingly, in the semiconductor device including semiconductor elements formed of different constituents, the elements are thermally protected without providing a temperature detector to the semiconductor element formed of one of the constituents.