HALF-BRIDGE MODULE WITH PRECISE TEMPERATURE DETECTION

Abstract

A half-bridge module having two switching units, each of which includes multiple transistors connected in parallel and/or in series, in particular IGBTs or MOSFETs. The transistors are arranged on a first substrate. The half-bridge module has a temperature sensor matrix having a plurality of temperature sensors, and the temperature sensors are thermally connected to the transistors at least in some regions. A temperature sensor matrix is also provided.

Claims

1. A half-bridge module, comprising: two switching units which each consist of multiple transistors connected in parallel and/or in series, in particular IGBTs or MOSFETs, wherein the transistors are arranged on a first substrate, wherein the half-bridge module has a temperature sensor matrix having a plurality of temperature sensors, wherein the temperature sensors are thermally connected to the transistors at least in regions.

2. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are able to be read out individually or sequentially via connection terminals (A-L).

3. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a connection terminal (A-L) is electrically connected to at least one temperature sensor.

4. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are designed as NTC thermistors, PTC thermistors, or thermocouples.

5. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are arranged essentially congruent with the transistors and/or connecting lines of the transistors of the half-bridge module.

6. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is designed in the form of a grid of connection terminals (A-L) and temperature sensors or in the form of a second substrate, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is arranged in parallel to the first substrate.

7. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is potted jointly with the transistors of the half-bridge module in a potting compound, wherein the connection terminals (A-L) of the temperature sensor matrix are led out of the potting compound.

8. A temperature sensor matrix, in particular for a half-bridge module as claimed in claim 1, comprising: multiple temperature sensors and having multiple connection terminals (A-L) which are connected to the temperature sensors in an electrically conductive manner, wherein each connection terminal (A-L) is connected to at least one temperature sensor.

9. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 2, wherein a connection terminal (A-L) is electrically connected to at least one temperature sensor.

10. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are designed as NTC thermistors, PTC thermistors, or thermocouples.

11. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are designed as NTC thermistors, PTC thermistors, or thermocouples.

12. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are arranged essentially congruent with the transistors and/or connecting lines of the transistors of the half-bridge module.

13. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are arranged essentially congruent with the transistors and/or connecting lines of the transistors of the half-bridge module.

14. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the temperature sensors of the temperature sensor matrix are arranged essentially congruent with the transistors and/or connecting lines of the transistors of the half-bridge module.

15. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is designed in the form of a grid of connection terminals (A-L) and temperature sensors or in the form of a second substrate, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is arranged in parallel to the first substrate.

16. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is designed in the form of a grid of connection terminals (A-L) and temperature sensors or in the form of a second substrate, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is arranged in parallel to the first substrate.

17. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is designed in the form of a grid of connection terminals (A-L) and temperature sensors or in the form of a second substrate, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is arranged in parallel to the first substrate.

18. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is designed in the form of a grid of connection terminals (A-L) and temperature sensors or in the form of a second substrate, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is arranged in parallel to the first substrate.

19. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is potted jointly with the transistors of the half-bridge module in a potting compound, wherein the connection terminals (A-L) of the temperature sensor matrix are led out of the potting compound.

20. The half-bridge module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor matrix is potted jointly with the transistors of the half-bridge module in a potting compound, wherein the connection terminals (A-L) of the temperature sensor matrix are led out of the potting compound.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0024] The invention is schematically illustrated in the drawings with the aid of embodiments and is described further with reference to the drawings. In the figures:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a temperature sensor matrix according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention and

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a half-bridge module according to the invention having a temperature sensor matrix from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a temperature sensor matrix 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The temperature sensor matrix 1 has multiple temperature sensors 2, 3, 4. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, fifteen temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 are provided.

[0028] The temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 are designed, for example, as PTC thermistors and thus have a positive temperature coefficient. The electrical resistance is directly dependent on the temperature in this case. Alternatively, the use of temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 of the temperature sensor matrix 1 in the form of NTC thermistors, thermocouples, and the like is possible.

[0029] The temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 are arranged in three rows and electrically coupled by connection terminals or the connection lines A-L. Two connection terminals A-L are connected to each temperature sensor 2, 3, 4 to measure the electrical resistance of the temperature sensors 2, 3, 4.

[0030] To minimize the number of the employed connection lines to the temperature sensors 2, 3, 4, each two or three temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 can share a connection line A-E, H-L with one another. The temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 are connected to one another partly in series and partly in parallel via the connection lines A-E, H-L by such an arrangement.

[0031] The temperature sensor matrix 1 can be embodied on a second substrate 6 or as a wire frame made up of the connection terminals A-L. As a result, the temperature sensor matrix 1 can be used to measure a temperature distribution. For example, in order to metrologically detect individual chip temperatures of transistors 16, 17, 18 shown in FIG. 2 precisely during operation of an electric vehicle, the temperature sensor matrix 1 is arranged in parallel to the transistors 16, 17, 18. In the exemplary embodiment described, the temperature sensor matrix 1 is attached directly above the semiconductor chips or the transistors 16, 17, 18 and potted jointly with them. For this purpose, the respective connection terminals A-L are led to the outside and can be tapped outside a potting compound 22.

[0032] By way of the taps A-L, it is possible during operation to activate each sensor path or each temperature sensor 2, 3, 4 sequentially and thus to detect the temperature of the respective temperature sensor 2, 3, 4.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a half-bridge module 8 according to the invention having a temperature sensor matrix 1 from FIG. 1 To illustrate the arrangement, the temperature sensor matrix 1 is placed schematically on a first printed circuit board 10 of the half-bridge module 8 and enables the components of the first printed circuit board 10 to be seen. FIG. 2 also shows an internal chip configuration in a top view including the associated connections.

[0034] The half-bridge module 8 has two switching units 12, 14, which each consist of multiple transistors 16, 17, 18 connected in parallel and/or in series. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the transistors 16, 17, 18 are designed as SiC MOSFETs and can be operated at a maximum junction temperature of 200° C.

[0035] To illustrate the differences between the half-bridge module 8 according to the invention and a half-bridge module according to the prior art, the temperature sensor matrix 1 according to the invention is only arranged on a second switching unit 14.

[0036] The first switching unit 12 corresponds to the prior art and has a single temperature sensor 20, which is arranged on the first printed circuit board 10 next to the transistors 16 of a first switching unit 12. As a result, precise measurement of the temperatures of respective transistors 16 is not possible.

[0037] Due to the positioning or placing of the temperature sensor matrix 1 on the transistors 17, 18 of the second switching unit 14, the temperature distribution and the temperatures of the transistors 17, 18 can be measured directly.

[0038] The temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 of the temperature sensor matrix 1 are thermally connected to the transistors 17, 18 at least in some regions. For example, the temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 can be thermally coupled to the transistors 17, 18 via a potting compound 22 or by direct physical contact.

[0039] The temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 are adapted within the temperature sensor matrix 1 to a position, number, and alignment of the transistors 17, 18. The temperature sensors 2, 3, 4 of the temperature sensor matrix 1 are thus essentially congruent with the transistors 17, 18 and/or connecting lines 24 of the transistors 17, 18 of the half-bridge module 8.

[0040] To measure the temperature of a transistor 17, the connection terminals H and I of the temperature sensor matrix 1 can be evaluated. The evaluation of the connection terminals D and I enables the thermal monitoring of the connecting lines 24 of the transistor 17.

[0041] The further connections drain, gate, source led out of the potting compound 22 enable the transistors 16, 17, 18 to be activated. The connections DC+, DC− are used for supplying a battery (not shown), which is used as a direct current source. The voltage provided by the battery is converted into an AC voltage, which is output at the connection AC. As a result, an electric motor (not shown) of the vehicle can be operated with the aid of the half-bridge module 8 if, for example, a B6 circuit made up of three half-bridge modules 8 is used.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0042] 1 temperature sensor matrix [0043] 2 temperature sensor of a first row [0044] 3 temperature sensor of a second row [0045] 4 temperature sensor of a third row [0046] 6 second substrate [0047] 8 half-bridge module [0048] 10 first substrate [0049] 12 first switching unit [0050] 14 second switching unit [0051] 16 transistor of the first switching unit [0052] 17 transistor of the second switching unit [0053] 18 further transistor of the second switching unit [0054] 20 temperature sensor according to the prior art [0055] 22 potting compound [0056] 24 connecting line of a transistor [0057] A-L connection terminals of the temperature sensor matrix