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US-12622326-B2 - Power semiconductor module with reversed diode

US12622326B2US 12622326 B2US12622326 B2US 12622326B2US-12622326-B2

Abstract

A power semiconductor module may include one or more of the following: a main substrate having at least one metallization layer; a semiconductor switch chip with a positive terminal on a positive terminal side and a negative terminal on a negative terminal side opposite to the positive terminal side adapted for switching a current from the positive terminal to the negative terminal; a diode chip with an anode on an anode side and a cathode on a cathode side opposite to the anode side adapted for blocking a current from the cathode to the anode, where the diode chip is bonded to the second area; a heat sink connected to the main substrate opposite to the semiconductor switch chip and the diode chip; and an auxiliary substrate having at least one metallization layer.

Inventors

  • Wei Liu

Assignees

  • ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20230124
Priority Date
20220124

Claims (13)

  1. 1 . A power semiconductor module, comprising: a main substrate comprising at least one metallization layer, which is divided into a first area and a second area; a semiconductor switch chip with a positive terminal on a positive terminal side and a negative terminal on a negative terminal side opposite to the positive terminal side adapted for switching a current from the positive terminal to the negative terminal, wherein the semiconductor switch chip is bonded with the positive terminal side to the first area; a diode chip with an anode on an anode side and a cathode on a cathode side opposite to the anode side adapted for blocking a current from the cathode to the anode, wherein the diode chip is bonded with the anode side to the second area; a heat sink connected to the main substrate opposite to the semiconductor switch chip and the diode chip; an auxiliary substrate comprising at least one metallization layer, which is divided into a third area and a fourth area; wherein the semiconductor switch chip is bonded with the negative terminal side to the third area, wherein the diode chip is bonded with the cathode side to the fourth area, and wherein the first area is electrically connected to the fourth area and the second area is electrically connected to the third area.
  2. 2 . The power semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary substrate comprises an isolation layer and a second metallization layer opposite to the metallization layer to which the semiconductor switch chip and the diode chip are bonded, and wherein the third area and the second area are electrically connected to the second metallization layer.
  3. 3 . The power semiconductor module of claim 2 , wherein the third area is connected to the second metallization layer with vias through the isolation layer.
  4. 4 . The power semiconductor module of claim 2 , wherein the second area is connected to the second metallization layer with an electrically conducting post bonded to the second area and the second metallization layer.
  5. 5 . The power semiconductor module of claim 4 , wherein the electrically conducting post is bonded to the second metallization layer at a side of the auxiliary substrate.
  6. 6 . The power semiconductor module of claim 4 , wherein the electrically conducting post is arranged between the semiconductor switch chip and the diode chip, and wherein the electrically conducting post protrudes through the isolation layer of the auxiliary substrate.
  7. 7 . The power semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein from a view in a direction orthogonal to the main substrate and the auxiliary substrate, the first area and the fourth area overlap each other, and wherein the first area and the fourth area are electrically connected with an electrically conducting post bonded to the first area and the fourth area.
  8. 8 . The power semiconductor module of one of claim 1 , wherein the diode chip comprises a gallium oxide diode.
  9. 9 . The power semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor switch chip provides a bipolar transistor, for example an IGBT.
  10. 10 . The power semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor switch chip provides a field effect transistor.
  11. 11 . The power semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor switch chip provides a thyristor.
  12. 12 . The power semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the main substrate is a direct bonded copper substrate or an insulated metal substrate; and/or wherein the auxiliary substrate is a direct bonded copper substrate or a printed circuit board.
  13. 13 . A half-bridge module, comprising: a first and a second power semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the main substrate of the first power semiconductor module and the main substrate of the second power semiconductor module are provided by a main substrate of the half-bridge module, and wherein the second area of the first power semiconductor module and the first area of the second power semiconductor module are provided by an AC area of the half-bridge module.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, German Patent Application DE 10 2022 200 708.5, filed Jan. 24, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a power semiconductor module and a half-bridge module. BACKGROUND In automotive applications with electrical drives, such as electrical cars and trucks, half-bridge modules are used for assembling inverters, which generate the AC current, which is needed for driving an electrical motor, from a DC current, which may be provided by an electrical battery. In the moment, such half-bridge modules comprise Si semiconductors. However, due to their higher operation voltages and the possible higher switching frequencies, which may result in lower losses and a more efficient application of the half-bridge modules, it is also considered to use high bandgap semiconductors. Such power semiconductor modules based on high bandgap semiconductors may benefit from new module designs to reduce electromagnetic radiation and losses and to improve local cooling capabilities. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power semiconductor module, which reduces the above-mentioned problems. This object is achieved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are given in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION A first aspect of the invention relates to a power semiconductor module. A power semiconductor module is a device for mechanically and electrically interconnecting semiconductor chips. Here and in the following, the term “power” refers to devices and elements adapted for processing voltages of more than 100 V and/or more than 10 A. According to an embodiment of the invention, the power semiconductor module comprises a main substrate comprising at least one metallization layer, which is divided into a first area and a second area; a semiconductor switch chip with a positive terminal on a positive terminal side and a negative terminal on a negative terminal side opposite to the positive terminal side adapted for switching a current from the positive terminal to the negative terminal, wherein the semiconductor switch chip is bonded with the positive terminal side to the first area; a diode chip with an anode on an anode side and a cathode on a cathode side opposite to the anode side adapted for blocking a current from the cathode to the anode, wherein the diode chip is bonded with the anode side to the second area; a heat sink connected to the main substrate opposite to the semiconductor switch chip and the diode chip; and an auxiliary substrate comprising at least one metallization layer, which is divided into a third area and a fourth area; wherein the semiconductor switch chip is bonded with the negative terminal side to the third area; wherein the diode chip is bonded with the cathode side to the fourth area; and wherein the first area is electrically connected to the fourth area and the second area is electrically connected to the third area. In summary, the power semiconductor module comprises a semiconductor switch chip and a diode chip, which are arranged in the same conduction direction side by side and which are electrically interconnected anti-parallel by two substrates (the main substrate and the auxiliary substrate). The semiconductor switch chip and the diode chip are sandwiched between the two substrates, which have structured metallization layers and which are electrically interconnected to generate the anti-parallel connection. In particular, there are separated metal patterns and/or areas between the semiconductor switch chip and the diode chip. The diode is mounted with its anode side to the main substrate, which has a heat sink on its opposite side, such that the anode side of the diode chip is better cooled than the cathode side. Usually, the heat generating layer in a diode is located more on the anode side than on the cathode side. The power semiconductor module comprises a main substrate comprising at least one metallization layer, which is divided into a first area and a second area. The metallization layer is on an electrically isolating layer of the substrate. It is possible that a further metallization layer is provided on the isolation layer opposite to the (first) metallization layer. The main substrate may be a DBC (direct bonded copper) substrate, i.e. one or two copper layers on a ceramics layer. The main substrate may be an (IMS) insulated metal substrate with an electrically isolating layer made of a polymer filled with ceramics particles. The one or more metallization layers may be made of metal, such as copper or aluminum. The electrically isolating layer may be made of plastics and/or ceramics. The power semiconductor module comprises a semiconductor switch chip with a positive terminal on a positive terminal side and a negative terminal on a negative terminal side opposite to the positive ter