Semiconductor device

Abstract

A semiconductor device comprising at least a semiconductor component, a heat sink, a connecting element and an electrical circuit connected to the heat sink in an electrically conductive manner; wherein the semiconductor component and the heat sink are arranged at a distance from one another and are electrically and thermally conductively connected via the connecting element, wherein an electrical current can be supplied to the electrical circuit via the heat sink.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor component, a heat sink, a connecting element, and an electrical circuit connected to the heat sink in an electrically conductive manner; wherein the semiconductor component and the heat sink are separated a distance from one another and are electrically and thermally conductively connected via the connecting element which bridges the distance between the semiconductor component and the heat sink, wherein an electrical current can be supplied to the electrical circuit via the heat sink.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element which bridges the distance between the semiconductor component and the heat sink is at least partially deformable.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting element is at least partially elastically deformable.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein a contacting is made at least between the connecting element and the semiconductor component or between the connecting element and the heat sink exclusively via a clamping action as a result of the elastic deformation of the connecting element.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element is at least integrally connected to the heat sink.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the semiconductor component comprises at least one transistor, wherein the first connector is a drain connector.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element is a sheet metal part.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the semiconductor component comprises at least one transistor, wherein the first connector is a drain connector.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor component is arranged on a printed circuit board, wherein a first base area of the semiconductor component faces the printed circuit board, and a second base area opposite the first base area faces the heat sink.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, further comprising an electrical first connector of the semiconductor component being arranged on the second base area.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of semiconductor components is arranged on the printed circuit board, and wherein the second base areas of at least two semiconductor components are arranged at a different distance from one another to the heat sink, each of the second base areas being electrically and thermally conductively connected to the heat sink via the one connecting element.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the connecting element for connecting a respective semiconductor component to the heat sink each has a spring segment which is elastically deformable independently of other spring segments of the connecting element in the arrangement between the semiconductor component and the heat sink.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. It should be pointed out that the invention is not intended to be limited by the exemplary embodiments mentioned. In particular, unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is also possible to extract partial aspects of the facts explained in the figures and to combine them with other components and findings from the present description. In particular, it should be pointed out that the figures and in particular the proportions shown are only schematic. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1: shows a semiconductor device having direct contacting of the heat sink and semiconductor components; in a perspective view;

(3) FIG. 2: shows a known semiconductor component for arrangement in a semiconductor device, in a perspective view;

(4) FIG. 3: shows a part of a semiconductor device, comprising a printed circuit board and a plurality of semiconductor components in a side view;

(5) FIG. 4: shows the semiconductor device according to FIGS. 1 and 3;

(6) FIG. 5: shows a connecting element in a plan view;

(7) FIG. 6: shows the connecting element of FIG. 5 in a side view; and

(8) FIG. 7: shows a semiconductor device having the connecting element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) FIG. 1 shows a semiconductor device 1 with direct contacting of the heat sink 3 and the semiconductor components 2; in a perspective view. FIG. 2 shows a known semiconductor component 2 for arrangement in a semiconductor device 1, in a perspective view. FIG. 3 shows part of a semiconductor device 1, comprising a printed circuit board 7 and a plurality of semiconductor components 2 in a side view. FIG. 4 shows the semiconductor device 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 3. FIGS. 1 to 4 are described together below.

(10) The semiconductor device 1 comprises a plurality of semiconductor components 2 arranged on a printed circuit board 7 and a heat sink 3. The semiconductor components 2 and the heat sink 3 are arranged directly adjacent to one another, so that contacting of the semiconductor components and the heat sink 3 is preferably realized.

(11) The semiconductor components 2 are arranged on a printed circuit board 7, a first base area 8 of the semiconductor components 2 facing the printed circuit board 7 and a second base area 9 opposite the first base area 8 facing the heat sink 3. The heat sink 3 is arranged via guides 13 in relation to the printed circuit board 7 and the semiconductor components 2.

(12) The semiconductor components 2 are cuboid in shape, the base areas 8, 9 forming the largest side surfaces.

(13) It can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 that the second base areas 9 of different semiconductor components 2 are arranged at a different distance 5, 6 from the heat sink 3 (here due to different thicknesses of the semiconductor components 2). A (first) semiconductor component 2 is arranged at a first distance 5 and a (second) semiconductor component 2 at a second distance 6 from the heat sink 3.

(14) FIG. 5 shows a connecting element 4 in a plan view. FIG. 6 shows the connecting element 4 according to FIG. 5 in a side view. FIG. 7 shows a semiconductor device 1 with the connecting element 4 according to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIGS. 5 to 7 are described together below. Reference is made to the embodiments to the FIGS. 1 to 4.

(15) The semiconductor device 1 comprises a plurality of semiconductor components 2 arranged on a printed circuit board 7, a heat sink 3 as well as a connecting element 4 and an electrical circuit 17 which is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the heat sink 3. The semiconductor components 2 and the heat sink 3 are arranged at mutually different distances 5, 6 and are electrically and thermally conductively connected to one another via the connecting element 4. An electrical current can be passed on to the electrical circuit 17 via the heat sink 3.

(16) The electrical circuit 17 comprises an electrical line, via which the heat sink 3 can be connected or is connected to a voltage source (not shown here).

(17) Via the connecting element 4 arranged between the heat sink 3 and the semiconductor components 2, an electrical current is dissipated on the one hand during operation of the semiconductor device 1 and on the other hand heat generated in the semiconductor components 2 is dissipated to the heat sink 3. Different distances 5, 6 between the semiconductor components 2 and the heat sink 3 are bridged via the connecting element 4.

(18) The semiconductor components 2 are arranged on a printed circuit board 7, a first base area 8 of the semiconductor components 2 facing the printed circuit board 7 and a second base area 9 opposite the first base area 8 facing the heat sink 3. The semiconductor components 2 are cuboid in shape, the base areas 8, 9 forming the largest side surfaces. An electrical first connector 10 of the semiconductor components 2 is arranged on the second base area 9.

(19) The connecting element 4 contacts the semiconductor component 2 at least at the first connector 10. Via the first connector 10, each semiconductor component 2 is connected to the one-piece heat sink 3 or to the circuit 17 in an electrically conductive manner.

(20) The semiconductor components 2 comprise at least one transistor (possibly a plurality of transistors or electrical circuits comprising transistors), the first connector 10 being a drain connector.

(21) The transistors each have a first connector 10 (drain), a second connector 14 (source) and a third connector 15 (gate).

(22) The connecting element 4 is here a sheet metal part or a stamped part. The connecting element 4 each has a spring segment 11 for connecting a semiconductor component 2 to the heat sink 3, which, when arranged between the semiconductor component 2 and the heat sink 3 is (substantially) elastically deformable independently of other spring segments 11 of the connecting element 4. The first distance 5 or second distance 6 present between the respective semiconductor component 2 and the common heat sink 3 is bridged by each spring segment 11.

(23) The spring segments 11 are spaced apart from one another by means of stamped lines 18 (FIG. 5) and are therefore substantially independently deformable. Starting from a middle plane 19, each spring segment 11 is deformed towards the heat sink 3 on the one hand and towards the semiconductor component 2 on the other hand (see FIG. 6), so that spring segment parts of each spring segment 11 extend from the middle plane 19 to each side of the middle plane 19.

(24) The spring segments 11 are arranged within a (fixed, undeformed, i.e. flat) frame 12. The frame 12 has guides 13 so that the frame 12 and thus the spring segments 11 can be arranged aligned with the printed circuit board 7 (and with the heat sink 3).

(25) Spacers 16 are arranged on the connecting element 4, so that an elastic deformation of the spring segments 11 (which are different from each other) is possible and thus a different distance 5, 6 (also possibly between the heat sink 3 and the connecting element 4) can be compensated.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(26) 1 semiconductor device 2 semiconductor component 3 heat sink 4 connecting element 5 first distance 6 second distance 7 printed circuit board 8 first base area 9 second base area 10 first connector 11 spring segment 12 frame 13 guide 14 second connector 15 third connector 16 spacers 17 circuit 18 stamped line 19 middle plane