A semiconductor device may include coolers, semiconductor modules, and a pair of connecting pipes. The coolers are arranged in a line and each of which includes a first flow path. Each of the semiconductor modules is interposed between a corresponding pair of the coolers. Each of the connecting pipes communicates with the adjacent coolers. A pair of coolant holes may be provided at one of the coolers located at one end in the stacking direction. A pair of second flow paths may extend respectively from the coolant holes to one of the coolers located at other end in the stacking direction. A bolt-head retainer and an internally threaded portion may be provided in each second flow path, the bolt-head retainer retaining a head of a bolt, and the internally threaded portion fixing the bolt. The coolers between the bolt-lead retainers and the internally threaded portions are fixed by the bolts.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device in which the effect of dimensional tolerance can be reduced, and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device according to the present invention includes: a plurality of cooling plates each having a coolant passage inside; spacers disposed to stack the cooling plates with spaces; at least one semiconductor package disposed on at least one principal surface of at least one of the cooling plates; and a spring plate disposed between adjacent ones of the cooling plates, the spring plate biasing the at least one semiconductor package toward the cooling plates.

A molded semiconductor package includes a mold compound, a plurality of leads each having a first end embedded in the mold compound and a second end protruding from a side face of the mold compound, and a semiconductor die embedded in the mold compound and electrically connected, within the mold compound, to the plurality of leads. The second end of each lead of the plurality of leads has a bottom surface facing in a same direction as a bottom main surface of the mold compound. The bottom surface of each lead of the plurality of leads is coplanar with the bottom main surface of the mold compound or disposed in a plane above the bottom main surface of the mold compound so that no lead of the plurality of leads extends below the bottom main surface of the mold compound.

The present disclosure relates to power modules. The teachings thereof may be embodied in a power unit and/or a drive unit for driving the power unit, along with methods for producing a power module. For example, a power module may include: a power unit including a heat sink; a power device disposed on the heat sink; an insulating layer covering the heat sink and the power device; and a drive unit for driving the power unit, the drive unit comprising a contact element corresponding to the contact area of the power unit. An underside of the power unit is defined by an underside of the heat sink. A top side of the power unit is defined by a contact area thermally and/or electrically coupled to the power device and a surface of the insulating layer surrounding the contact area. The contact element may be disposed abutting the contact area of the power unit for making electrical and/or thermal contact with the power device.

An electrical power conversion apparatus is provided which includes a semiconductor module and a plurality of cooling pipes. Each of the cooling pipes has an electrical conductivity and a cooling medium flow path formed therein. Each of the cooling pipes is equipped with a flow path extension forming portion which protrudes above a module body in at least one of height-wise directions and in which a portion of the cooling medium flow path is formed. The flow path extension forming portion overlaps at least either of the power terminals or the control terminals in a stacking direction of the cooling pipes. This enhances the efficiency in decreasing the inductance of the power terminals and/or the control terminals, improves the productivity of the electrical power conversion apparatus, and enables the size of the electrical power conversion apparatus to be reduced.

Semiconductor device assemblies with heat transfer structures formed from semiconductor materials are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device assembly can include a thermal transfer structure formed from a semiconductor substrate. The thermal transfer structure includes an inner region, an outer region projecting from the inner region, and a cavity defined in the outer region by the inner and outer regions. The semiconductor device assembly further includes a stack of first semiconductor dies in the cavity, and a second semiconductor die attached to the outer region of the thermal transfer structure and enclosing the stack of first semiconductor dies within the cavity.

Each of the first and second switching modules may include first through (n+1)th cooling plates stacked along a vertical direction with respect to the support module; first through nth switches respectively disposed between the first through (n+1)th cooling plates; a first electrode plate disposed on the (n+1)th cooling plate; a first supporting member disposed on the first electrode plate; a first pressing member disposed between the first electrode plate and the first supporting member; a second electrode plate disposed below the first cooling plate; a second supporting member disposed below the second electrode plate; and a second pressing member disposed between the second electrode plate and the second supporting member.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes stacking a first substrate comprising a first surface having a semiconductor element and an opposing second surface and a second substrate comprising a third surface having a semiconductor element and an opposing fourth surface, forming a first contact hole extending from the second surface to the first surface of the first substrate and forming a first groove inwardly of a first region of the second surface of the first substrate by etching inwardly of the first substrate from the second surface thereof, forming a first patterned mask on the first substrate, so that the first groove is covered by the material of the first patterned mask, forming a first metal electrode in the first contact hole through an opening in the first mask as a mask, and removing the first mask and subsequently cutting through the first substrate in the first groove.

A semiconductor device may include a stack in which a cooler and a semiconductor module are stacked, the semiconductor module housing a semiconductor element; a contact plate contacting the stack in a stacking direction of the semiconductor module and the cooler; and a spring contacting the contact plate and pressurizing the stack via the contact plate in the stacking direction, wherein the spring may contact a center portion of the contact plate in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, and a recess or a cavity may be provided at the center portion of the contact plate, the recess facing the stack.

Semiconductor substrate sections joined by an integral flexible cable are utilized to form a device comprising a connector. The connector can be surface mounted on through-holes and soldered for enhanced robustness.