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US-12622267-B2 - Array of heat-sinked power semiconductors

US12622267B2US 12622267 B2US12622267 B2US 12622267B2US-12622267-B2

Abstract

An array of heat-sinked power semiconductors that includes a power semiconductor and a heat sink. The power semiconductor has a power semiconductor die, a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal. The power semiconductor die has a plurality of semiconductor terminals. Each of the first terminals is electrically coupled to an associated one of the semiconductor terminals. The second terminal is a surface mount terminal and is electrically coupled to one of the first terminals. The heat sink has a heat sink body and a plurality of fins. The heat sink body has a base and an exterior surface. The base is fixedly coupled directly to the surface mount terminal. The exterior surface has a fin mount portion to which the fins extend. At least a portion of the fin-mount portion is oriented non-parallel to base.

Inventors

  • Jeffrey J. Ronning

Assignees

  • AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240617

Claims (7)

  1. 1 . An array of heat-sinked power semiconductors comprising: a power semiconductor having a power semiconductor die, a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal, the power semiconductor die having a plurality of semiconductor terminals, each of the first terminals being electrically coupled to an associated one of the semiconductor terminals, the second terminal being a surface mount terminal and electrically coupled to one of the first terminals; and a heat sink having a heat sink body and a plurality of sets of fins, the heat sink body having a base surface entirely formed with a plane parallel to and fixedly coupled directly to the surface mount terminal, a pair of first faces opposite one another along a linear apex such that the sets of fins project away from the heat sink body in different directions, and a pair of second faces opposite and parallel to one another, wherein the heat sink body is formed with a closed wedge-shape by all of the faces such as the base surface, the pair of first faces and the pair of second faces.
  2. 2 . The array of heat-sinked power semiconductors of claim 1 , wherein the first faces are boundary surfaces of the heat sink base and terminate at respective boundary surface planes.
  3. 3 . The array of heat-sinked power semiconductors of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink body has two boundary surfaces.
  4. 4 . The array of heat-sinked power semiconductors of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sets of fins is unitarily and integrally formed with the heat sink body.
  5. 5 . An array of heat-sinked power semiconductors comprising: a power semiconductor having a power semiconductor die, a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal, the power semiconductor die having a plurality of semiconductor terminals, each of the first terminals being electrically coupled to an associated one of the semiconductor terminals, the second terminal being a surface mount terminal and electrically coupled to one of the first terminals; and a heat sink having a heat sink body and a plurality of fins, the heat sink body having a base and a plurality of exterior surfaces, which form a closed wedge-shape, the base being fixedly coupled directly to the surface mount terminal and at least one of the plurality of exterior surfaces having a fin mount portion to which the fins extend, at least a portion of the fin-mount portion being non-parallel to base, wherein the fin-mount portion includes first and second planar segments intersecting one another.
  6. 6 . The array of heat-sinked power semiconductors of claim 5 , wherein the first and second planar segments that are not parallel to one another.
  7. 7 . The array of heat-sinked power semiconductors of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the fins is unitarily and integrally formed with the heat sink body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/354,262, filed on Jun. 22, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. FIELD The present disclosure relates to a heat-sinked power semiconductor, as well as to a related inverter, motor assembly and vehicle drive unit. BACKGROUND This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 11,303,183 discloses a motor assembly having an inverter with a plurality of heat-sinked power semiconductors that comprise a power semiconductor and a heat sink that is fixedly coupled to the power semiconductor. The power semiconductor can be any type of power semiconductor that can controlled to selectively transmit electrical power, such as a MOSFET or IGBT, that has a power semiconductor die, a plurality of pin terminals that are electrically coupled to the power semiconductor die, and a plate terminal that is electrically coupled to one of the pin terminals. The heat sink can be formed of a suitable material, such as copper, and is coupled to the plate terminal in a suitable manner, such as a solder connection that mechanically bonds and electrically couples the heat sink to the plate terminal. A suitable fluid is circulated through the inverter and passes through fins on the heat sink to cool the heat-sinked power semiconductors during the operation of the motor assembly. Commonly assigned International Patent Application No. PCT/US2022/026127 discloses a motor assembly having an inverter with a plurality of heat-sinked power semiconductors and a heat sink that is fixedly coupled to the power semiconductor. The power semiconductor can be any type of power semiconductor that can controlled to selectively transmit electrical power, such as a MOSFET or IGBT, that has a power semiconductor die, a plurality of pin terminals that are electrically coupled to the power semiconductor die, and a plate terminal that is electrically coupled to one of the pin terminals. The heat sink can be formed of a suitable material, such as copper, and is coupled to the plate terminal in a sintering operation. A suitable fluid is circulated through the inverter and passes through fins on the heat sink to cool the heat-sinked power semiconductors during the operation of the motor assembly. The sinter bond between the heat-sink and the plate terminal is relatively more robust than the solder bond that is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 11,303,183. Commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0037241 discloses a motor assembly having an inverter with a plurality of heat-sinked power semiconductors in which the heat sink and plate terminal are unitarily and integrally formed. Configuration in this manner eliminates the bond between the heat sink and the plate terminal. While the above configurations are satisfactory for their intended purpose, there nevertheless remains a need in the art for a heat-sinked power semiconductor that is capable of rejecting heat from the power semiconductor at a relatively higher rate. SUMMARY This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. In one form, the present disclosure provides an array of heat-sinked power semiconductors that includes a power semiconductor and a heat sink. The power semiconductor has a power semiconductor die, a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal. The power semiconductor die has a plurality of semiconductor terminals. Each of the first terminals is electrically coupled to an associated one of the semiconductor terminals. The second terminal is a surface mount terminal and is electrically coupled to one of the first terminals. The heat sink has a heat sink body and a plurality of sets of fins. The heat sink body has a base and a plurality of boundary surfaces. The base is fixedly coupled directly to the surface mount terminal. Each of the boundary surfaces terminates at an associated boundary surface plane. Each of the boundary surface planes intersects at least one of the other boundary surface planes. Each of the sets of fins is fixedly coupled to the body and extends directly from an associated one of the boundary surfaces. In another form, the present disclosure provides an array of heat-sinked power semiconductors that includes a power semiconductor and a heat sink. The power semiconductor has a power semiconductor die, a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal. The power semiconductor die has a plurality of semiconductor terminals. Each of the first terminals is electrically coupled to an associated one of the semiconductor terminals. The second terminal is a surface mount terminal and is electrically coupled to one of the first terminals. The heat sink has a heat sink body and a plurality of fins. The heat sink bo