US-12620730-B2 - Power module comprising positioning structures, alignment tool and method for positioning and aligning the power module

Abstract

A power module comprising at least one module component is provided. The power module has a side surface. The side surface of the power module comprises positioning structures. At least one of the positioning structures has a geometrical form configured for receiving an alignment tool and further configured for vertically moving the power module when sliding the alignment tool along a lateral direction. Moreover, an alignment tool and a method using the alignment tool for positioning and aligning the power module are provided.

Inventors

• Milad MALEKI
• Dominik TRUESSEL
• Fabian Fischer
• Lluis Santolaria

Assignees

• HITACHI ENERGY LTD

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230330

Priority Date

20220620

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A power module comprising at least one module component, wherein the power module has a side surface, the side surface of the power module comprises positioning structures, and at least one of the positioning structures has a geometrical form configured for receiving an alignment tool and further configured for vertically moving the power module when sliding the alignment tool along a lateral direction, and wherein the at least one positioning structure has at least in places a vertically oblique or vertically curved surface, and/or the at least one positioning structure is formed on a side surface of the at least one module component.
2. 2 . The power module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one positioning structure has at least in places the vertically oblique or vertically curved surface.
3. 3 . The power module according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one positioning structure comprises a first plane partial surface and a second partial surface, wherein the second partial surface adjoins the first plane partial surface and forms a sliding surface provided by the vertically oblique or vertically curved surface.
4. 4 . The power module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is formed as a recessed portion on the side surface of the power module.
5. 5 . The power module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is formed as a protruded portion on the side surface of the power module.
6. 6 . The power module according to claim 1 , comprising a carrier, wherein the at least one module component is arranged on the carrier, the carrier is a cooler or a heat sink, and the at least one positioning structure is formed on a side surface of the carrier.
7. 7 . The power module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is formed on the side surface of the at least one module component.
8. 8 . The power module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one positioning structure has a lateral width in a range from 1.5 mm to 15 mm, a lateral length in a range from 4 mm to 15 mm, and a vertical height in a range from 2 mm to 10 mm.
9. 9 . The power module according to claim 1 , wherein the power module has at least one or several pin-shaped terminals each having a lateral portion and a vertical portion, and the at least one positioning structure has the geometrical form configured for sliding the alignment tool and for vertically moving the power module with respect to the alignment tool when sliding the alignment tool and thus for moving the at least one or the several pin-shaped terminals along a vertical direction.
10. 10 . A method for aligning a power module, comprising at least one module component, with respect to an assembly board using an alignment tool comprising: positioning a side surface of the power module at a side surface of the alignment tool, wherein the side surface of the alignment tool comprises alignment structures, wherein at least one of the alignment structures is configured for docking at least one positioning structure on the side surface of the power module, inserting the at least one positioning structure into the at least one alignment structure or inserting the at least one alignment structure into the at least one positioning structure for aligning the power module with respect to the assembly board, resulting in a sliding of the alignment tool along a lateral direction with respect to the power module, wherein the sliding of the alignment tool along the lateral direction is accompanied by a controlled movement of the power module along a vertical direction with respect to the assembly board, and after the power module is aligned to the assembly board, the alignment tool is released from the power module, wherein the at least one positioning structure has at least in places a vertically oblique or vertically curved surface, and/or the at least one positioning structure is formed on a side surface of the at least one module component.
11. 11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the power module has at least one pin-shaped terminal each having a lateral portion and a vertical portion, wherein the vertical portion is directed towards the assembly board, the assembly board comprises at least one contact hole for receiving the pin-shaped terminal, and the controlled movement of the power module is configured for adjusting the position of the pin-shaped terminal relative to the position of the contact hole and for inserting the pin-shaped terminal into the contact hole, and by carrying out the controlled movement of the power module, the power module is interconnected to the assembly board.
12. 12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the side surface of the alignment tool comprises at least one vertical slot for receiving and fixing a lateral position of the at least one pin-shaped terminal.
13. 13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one positioning structure and the at least one alignment structure have mutually complementary geometrical forms, one of the at least one positioning structure and the at least one alignment structure is formed as a recessed portion, and the other one of the at least one positioning structure and the at least one alignment structure is formed as a protruded portion.
14. 14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one positioning structure has at least in places the vertically oblique or vertically curved surface.
15. 15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the vertically oblique or vertically curved surface is used for sliding the alignment tool along the lateral direction resulting in the controlled movement of the power module along the vertical direction with respect to the alignment tool.
16. 16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one positioning structure comprises a first plane partial surface and a second partial surface, wherein the second partial surface adjoins the first plane partial surface and forms a sliding surface provided by the vertically oblique or vertically curved surface.
17. 17 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is formed as a recessed portion on the side surface of the power module.
18. 18 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is formed as a protruded portion on the side surface of the power module.
19. 19 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one positioning structure is formed on the side surface of the at least one module component.
20. 20 . An alignment tool having a side surface comprising alignment structures, wherein at least one of the alignment structures is configured for docking at one positioning structure of the power module according to claim 1 , and wherein the alignment tool is configured that when the at least one alignment structure slides on a surface of the power module along a lateral direction, the lateral movement of the alignment tool is accompanied by a controlled movement of the power module along a vertical direction with respect to the alignment tool.

Description

The present application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 22179823.4, filed on Jun. 20, 2022, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full. The present disclosure relates to a power module, an alignment tool and a method using the alignment tool for positioning and aligning the power module. When implementing power modules, for instance power semiconductor modules, in various applications, the power modules shall be mechanically and electrically connected to control electronics like gate drivers or other integrated circuits configured for controlling the power modules. The control electronics can be arranged on an assembly board, such as on a control board or a printed circuit board. Such assembly board can be arranged on top of the power modules. The electrical connections between the power semiconductor module/s and the assembly board can be provided by auxiliary or control terminals of the power module/s. There is a need for exactly placing the power module/s relative to the position of the assembly board for facilitating the process of mechanically and electrically interconnecting the power module/s to the assembly board. Using an alignment tool may help in providing an efficient and simplified method for exactly placing the power module/s with respect to the position of the assembly board. Embodiments of the disclosure, for instance as claimed in the independent claims, address the above shortcomings in the art in whole or in part. Further embodiments of the power module, the alignment tool and of the method for interconnecting the power module/s to an assembly board, for instance to a control board, are subject matter of the further claims. According to an embodiment of a power module, it comprises at least one module component. The power module has a side surface, wherein the side surface of the power module comprises positioning structures. At least one of the positioning structures has a geometrical form configured for receiving an alignment tool, for example an alignment structure of the alignment tool. The at least one positioning structure can be further configured for vertically moving the power module when sliding the alignment tool along a lateral direction. The power module can comprise a carrier, wherein the at least one module component is arranged on the carrier. The side surface of the power module can be formed partially by a side surface of the carrier and partially by a side surface of the at least one module component. It is possible that the side surface of the power module comprises two or more than two positioning structures which are configured for receiving alignment structures of the alignment tool and are further configured for vertically moving the power module when sliding the alignment tool along a lateral direction. A vertical direction is understood to mean a direction which is directed perpendicular to a main extension surface of the power module or of the carrier. The carrier can be a cooler or a heat sink. A lateral direction is understood to mean a direction which is parallel to the main extension surface of the power module or of the carrier. The vertical direction and the lateral direction are orthogonal to each other. Such a power module described here allows an uncomplicated but exact fixation and a secure electrical interconnection of the power module to control electronics. The positions of the positioning structures on the side surface of the power module allow an exact placement of the power module lateral directions, for instance in horizontal X-direction and longitudinal Y-direction when using an alignment tool with corresponding, for example complementary alignment structures. In virtue of this aspect, a proper alignment of terminals, for example of pin-shaped terminals, of the power module with respect to contact holes of the assembly board, for instance of the control board, can be guaranteed. Hence, it can be avoided that some terminals, for instance some auxiliary terminals, of the power module would be bent or displaced and thus would not fit into the contact holes of the assembly board. The geometrical form of the at least one positioning structure or of several positioning structures on the side surface of the power module allows moving or guiding the power module along the vertical direction, i.e. along the Z-direction with respect to the alignment tool, in a simplified manner. Thus, a proper interconnection between for instance press-fit pins of the power module and the contact holes of the assembly board can be achieved in a simplified manner. Hence, the positioning structures on the side surface of the power module facilitate the alignment of the power module with respect to the position of the assembly board in lateral directions, wherein the alignment can be accompanied by a controlled movement of the power module along the vertical direction. According to a further embodiment of the power module, th