Electronic system comprising an electronic module
11032951 · 2021-06-08
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
H01L23/433
ELECTRICITY
H01L25/50
ELECTRICITY
H05K7/209
ELECTRICITY
H01L23/3735
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H05K7/20
ELECTRICITY
H01L25/11
ELECTRICITY
H01L25/00
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
The invention relates to a three-dimensional electronic module comprising an electronic device housed between a first substrate and a second substrate, said first and second substrates being electrically and/or thermally connected to one another by at least one and preferably two heat bridges added onto and rigidly connected to said first and second substrates. The invention also relates to an electronic system comprising at least two electronic modules mounted facing one another so as to sandwich a third substrate in contact with the second substrate thereof, respectively. The third substrate is configured to provide thermal and electrical coupling between the two electronic modules via the second substrate (140) thereof.
Claims
1. An electronic power system comprising: a first electronic module and a second electronic module, the first and the second electronic modules each comprising a first heat-conducting substrate, a second electrically conductive substrate, an electronic device arranged between the two substrates, at least one thermal bridge designed to transfer heat between the first substrate and the second substrate, the at least one thermal bridge being separate from the two substrates; and a third substrate thermally; said third substrate being in the form of a plate sandwiched between the first and second electronic modules and being electrically coupled to: the second substrate of the first electronic module; and the second substrate of the second electronic module.
2. The electronic power system according to claim 1, wherein each of said electronic modules comprises at least one connection stud designed to establish an electrical and/or thermal connection between at least one connection terminal of the electronic device and the second substrate.
3. The electronic power system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one connection stud comprises a base on which at least one contact terminal is positioned, the at least one contact terminal being designed to establish an electrical connection with a corresponding connection terminal of the electronic device.
4. The electronic power system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one connection stud comprises an electrical-connection tab projecting with respect to a face of said at least one connection stud.
5. An electronic power system comprising: a first electronic module and a second electronic module, the first and the second electronic modules each comprising a first heat-conducting substrate, a second electrically conductive substrate, an electronic device arranged between the two substrates, at least one thermal bridge designed to transfer heat between the first substrate and the second substrate, the at least one thermal bridge being separate from the two substrates; and a third substrate thermally and electrically coupled to: the second substrate of the first electronic module; and the second substrate of the second electronic module; wherein the first substrate of the electronic module comprises: an electrical insulator; a first electrically conductive coating positioned on a first side of the electrical insulator, said first side being positioned on an opposite side from the electronic device in relation to the first substrate; a second electrically conductive coating positioned on a second side of the electrical insulator, said second side being positioned on the electronic-device side and comprising: a first portion and a second portion, each first and second portion being electrically insulated from one another at the level of the second electrically conductive coating of the first substrate; and a middle portion positioned between the first and second portions and electrically insulated from the first and second portions at the level of the second electrically conductive coating of the first substrate.
6. An electronic power system comprising: a first electronic module and a second electronic module, the first and the second electronic modules each comprising a first heat-conducting substrate, a second electrically conductive substrate, an electronic device arranged between the two substrates, at least one thermal bridge designed to transfer heat between the first substrate and the second substrate, the at least one thermal bridge being separate from the two substrates; and a third substrate thermally and electrically coupled to: the second substrate of the first electronic module; and the second substrate of the second electronic module; wherein the second substrate comprises an electrically conductive coating, a first face of said second substrate positioned on the electronic-device side being at the same electrical potential as a second face of the second substrate positioned on the opposite side from said electronic device in relation to said second substrate, said electrically conductive coating of the second substrate comprising: a first portion and a second portion, each first and second portion being electrically coupled to one another at the level of the electrically conductive coating of the second substrate; and a middle portion positioned between the first and second portions and electrically coupled to the first and second portions at the level of the electrically conductive coating of the second substrate.
7. The electronic power system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one thermal bridge comprises: a first thermal bridge positioned between the first portion of the second conductive coating of the first substrate and the first portion of the conductive coating of the second substrate; and a second thermal bridge positioned between the second portion of the second conductive coating of the first substrate and the second portion of the conductive coating of the second substrate.
8. The electronic power system according to claim 1, said electronic module comprising a first heat sink thermally coupled to the first substrate.
9. The electronic power system according to claim 8, wherein the third substrate comprises a device for conveying heat from a hot point to a cold point, said heat conveying device comprising at least one heat pipe passing through the third substrate from a first end to a second end.
10. The electronic power system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic device of each electronic module forms a half-bridge of an inverter arm, the half-bridge of the first electronic module being electrically connected to the corresponding half-bridge of the second electronic module at an intermediate point.
11. Method for assembling an electronic power system according to claim 1, said assembly method comprising the following steps: for each electronic module: producing the electronic device on the first substrate of the first electronic module; placing and attaching the at least one thermal bridge onto the first substrate of the first electronic module; placing and attaching the second substrate onto the at least one thermal bridge and the electronic device; inserting the third substrate in an intermediate position between two electronic modules that form a pair and are positioned on either side of the third substrate, said third substrate being sandwiched between the two electronic modules that form said pair; rigidly connecting the third substrate to the electronic modules.
12. The electronic power system according to claim 1 wherein said third substrate is made of a heat-conducting and electrically conductive material.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Other features and advantages will again become clear from the following description and from various embodiments given by way of non-limiting illustration with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7) It goes without saying that the features, variants and different embodiments of the invention may be combined with one another in various combinations, unless they are incompatible with one another or mutually exclusive. Variants of the invention that only include a selection of the features described below in isolation from the other described features are conceivable as long as that selection of features is sufficient to impart a technical advantage or to distinguish the invention in relation to the prior art.
(8) In particular, all the variants and embodiments described may be combined unless anything prohibits such combination in technical terms.
(9) In the drawings, elements appearing in several figures retain the same reference numeral.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(10) In the following description and in the claims, the following terms will be used in a non-limiting manner and in order to aid understanding: “longitudinal:” in a direction parallel to the longest extension of the electronic module and/or the electronic system, a longitudinal end of the electronic module and/or the electronic system representing an edge of the electronic module and/or the electronic system when viewed in the direction parallel to the longest extension of the module/system; “lateral” or “transverse:” in a direction perpendicular to the longest extension of the electronic module and/or the electronic system, a transverse end of the electronic module and/or the electronic system representing an edge of the electronic module and/or the electronic system when viewed in the direction perpendicular to the longest extension of the module/system. In the accompanying drawings, the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction together form a horizontal plane.
(11) With reference to
(12) In accordance with the second aspect of the invention, the electronic system 10 described in the drawings comprises: a first and a second electronic module 100; and a third substrate 200 thermally and electrically coupled to both a second substrate 140 of the first electronic module 100 and a second substrate 140 of the second electronic module 100.
(13) In the example shown in the various figures, the electronic system 10 comprises two electronic modules 100 symmetrically mounted around the third substrate 200, such that the third substrate 200 is sandwiched between the two electronic modules at the respective second substrates 140 thereof.
(14) In particular, the third substrate 200 takes the form of a plate, preferably made of a heat-conducting and electrically conductive material, such as a metal material, for example copper or aluminum.
(15) The third substrate 200 also comprises a heat conveying device 210, which extends longitudinally between two lateral ends of the third substrate 200, the heat conveying device 210 extending within the third substrate 200, as can be seen in
(16) The third substrate 200 also comprises an electrical-connection lug 2005 projecting laterally out from the third substrate 200. The electrical-connection lug 2005 of the third substrate 200 has a rectangular shape.
(17) In order to facilitate the connection of an electrical-connection wire, the electrical-connection lug 2005 of the third substrate 200 comprises a preferably circular through-opening 2006 positioned at a center of the electrical-connection lug 2005, as can be seen in the drawings.
(18) The electronic modules 100 that form the electronic system 10 may be all identical or different, depending on the effects sought. In the following paragraphs and in the drawings, all the electronic modules 100 that form the electronic system 10 are all identical and assembled in a symmetrical configuration with respect to the third substrate 200.
(19) Each electronic module 100 comprises: a first heat-conducting and/or electrically conductive substrate 120; a second electrically conductive substrate 140; an electronic device 180 arranged between the two substrates 120, 140; at least one thermal bridge 130 designed to transfer heat between the first substrate 120 and the second substrate 140, the at least one thermal bridge 130 being separate from the two substrates 120, 140, i.e. being mounted on and rigidly attached to the two substrates 120, 140.
(20) In the example shown in the FIGURES, the electric module 100 comprises two thermal bridges 130, each thermal bridge 130 being positioned at a longitudinal end of the control module 100, in a symmetrical configuration with respect to a transverse middle axis of the electronic module 100.
(21) As can be seen more specifically in
(22) Advantageously, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the first electrically conductive coating 121 and the second electrically conductive coating 123 of the first substrate 120 are metal. Preferably, the first substrate 120 takes the form of a DBC or DBA substrate, as described above, and the first electrically conductive coating 121 and the second electrically conductive coating 123 of the first substrate 120 form metal surface tracks of the electrical insulator 122.
(23) The electrical insulator 122 of the first substrate 120 advantageously takes the form of a dielectric plate made of an electrically insulating material, such as a ceramic or polyimide.
(24) As can be seen in
(25) The first portion 123a of the second conductive coating 123 is positioned symmetrically with a first lateral portion 1211 of the first conductive coating 121 in relation to the electrical insulator 122 of the first substrate 120. In particular, the first portion 123a of the second conductive coating 123 and the first lateral portion 1211 of the first conductive coating 121 have a substantially perpendicular shape and extend laterally between the two lateral ends of the electrical module 100.
(26) Advantageously, the first portion 123a of the second conductive coating 123 and the first lateral portion 1211 of the first conductive coating 121 extend vertically in line with the first thermal bridge 130 of the electronic module 100.
(27) The second portion 123b of the second conductive coating 123 is positioned symmetrically with a second lateral portion 1213 of the first conductive coating 121 in relation to the electrical insulator 122 of the first substrate 120. In particular, the second portion 123b of the second conductive coating 123 and the second lateral portion 1213 of the first conductive coating 121 have a substantially perpendicular shape and extend laterally between the two lateral ends of the electrical module 100.
(28) Advantageously, the second portion 123b of the second conductive coating 123 and the second lateral portion 1213 of the first conductive coating 121 extend vertically in line with the second thermal bridge 130 of the electronic module 100.
(29) Advantageously, the first substrate 120 is planar. As a result, the first conductive coating 121, the second conductive coating 123 and the electrical insulator 122 are each advantageously planar.
(30) As can be seen in
(31) In order to facilitate the electrical connection of the electronic module 100 to an electrical grid (not shown), the middle portion 123b of the second conductive coating 123 of the first substrate 120 comprises an electrical-connection lug 1235 projecting laterally out from the first substrate 120. In the example shown in the drawings, the electrical-connection lug 1235 of the middle portion 123b of the second conductive coating 123 of the first substrate 120 has a rectangular shape and comprises a through-opening 1236 in order to facilitate the connection of an electrical-connection wire, for example by brazing. The through-opening 1236 is advantageously circular and is positioned at a center of the electrical-connection lug 1235.
(32) Unlike the first substrate 120, the second substrate 140 of the electronic module 100 comprises an electrically conductive coating 145, preferably a metal coating, made for example of copper. As a result, a first face of the second substrate 140 positioned on the side of the electronic-device 180 is at the same electrical potential as a second face of the second substrate 140 positioned on the opposite side from the electronic device 180 in relation to the second substrate 140. This advantageous configuration makes it possible to facilitate the electrical interconnection of the electronic module 100 to the third substrate 200 when the electronic module 100 is assembled in an electrical system 10 as described above.
(33) On the side of the second face of the second substrate 140 of the electronic module 100 according to the first aspect of the invention, the electrically conductive coating 145 comprises a first portion 1411 and a second portion 1413 each positioned at a longitudinal end of the second substrate 140. Each first and second portion 1411, 1413 is electrically coupled to the other, the electrically conductive coating 145 of the second substrate 140 extending in a continuous manner between the two longitudinal ends of the second substrate 140. Additionally, the electrically conductive coating 145 also comprises, on the side of the second face of the second substrate 140 of the electronic module 100 according to the first aspect of the invention, a middle portion 1412 positioned between the first and second portions 1411, 1413. The middle portion 1412 is of course electrically coupled to the first and second portions 1411, 1413 due to the continuous nature of the electrically conductive coating 145 of the second substrate 140 between the two longitudinal ends thereof.
(34) The electrically conductive coating 145 of the second substrate 140 comprises an electrical-connection lug 1405 projecting laterally out from the second substrate 140. The electrical-connection lug 1405 of the electrically conductive coating 145 of the second substrate 140 has a rectangular shape and comprises a through-opening 1406 in order to facilitate the connection of an electrical-connection wire.
(35) As can be seen in
(36) As described above, each electronic module 100 comprises at least one thermal bridge 130 in order to optimize the cooling of the electronic module 100 during the operation thereof. Advantageously, and as shown in the various figures, each electronic module 100 comprises: a first thermal bridge 130 positioned between the first portion 123a of the second conductive coating 123 of the first substrate 120 and a portion positioned facing the conductive coating 145 of the second substrate 140; and a second thermal bridge 130 positioned between the second portion 123c of the second conductive coating 123 of the first substrate 120 and another portion positioned facing the conductive coating 145 of the second substrate 140.
(37) Each thermal bridge 130 of the electronic module 100 according to the first aspect of the invention is rigidly attached to the first substrate 120 and to the second substrate 140 by means of a brazed joint 150 or any other electrically conductive and/or heat-conducting material, the material being designed to make it possible to interconnect each thermal bridge 130 to the first substrate 120 and second substrate 140, respectively. This advantageous configuration makes it possible in particular to facilitate the assembly of the electronic module 100 by adjusting a thickness of an electrically conductive material or of a brazed joint, the thickness being viewed in a direction that is simultaneously perpendicular to the above-described longitudinal and transverse directions.
(38) Each thermal bridge 130 is made of or comprises a heat-conducting material, so as to be able to establish effective heat conduction between the first substrate 120 and the second substrate 140. To do so, the heat-conducting material is preferably selected from among those having a thermal conductivity coefficient greater than or equal to 20 W/m/K at 20° C., such as copper or aluminum.
(39) At the substrate positioned at a distance from the third substrate 200 of the electronic system 10, each electronic module 100 also comprises a heat sink 110 thermally coupled to the corresponding substrate. In other words, independently of the electronic system 10 according to the second aspect of the invention, the electronic module according to the first aspect of the invention comprises a heat sink 110 thermally coupled to the first substrate 120.
(40) The thermal coupling between the heat sink 110 and the corresponding substrate is of the direct or indirect thermal coupling type, in particular by means of an intermediate material positioned between the first heat sink and the first substrate, the intermediate material being of the heat-conducting type, for example a thermal paste or a thermal glue.
(41) In order to favor exchange of heat with the ambient air, and thus to optimize the cooling of the electronic module 100 and/or of the electronic system 10, the heat sink 110 is made of a heat-conducting material selected from among those having a thermal conductivity coefficient greater than or equal to 20 W/m/K at 20° C., such as metal materials, for example aluminum.
(42) The electronic module 100 according to the first aspect of the invention thus forms a three-dimensional electronic module as described above. As a result, the electronic module 100 comprises the electronic device 180 between the first substrate 120 and second substrate 140.
(43) Advantageously, and in particular in the field of power electronics, the electronic module 100 is arranged so as to function like a switch having two conduction states.
(44) The electronic device 180 comprises a plurality of power components 181a-181d, such as at least one power transistor, in particular of the MOSFET, IGBT or GTO types as described above.
(45) Together, the power components 181a-181d advantageously form, at least in part, an inverter and/or, at least in part, a bridge rectifier so as to be able to convert an AC voltage into a DC voltage or vice versa. In addition, the power components 181a-181d may together form a DC-DC converter.
(46) In particular, in the electronic system 10 shown in the drawings, the electronic device 180 of each electronic module 100 forms a half-bridge of an inverter arm, the half-bridge of the first electronic module 100 being electrically connected to the corresponding half-bridge of the second electronic module 100 at an intermediate point that connects a first terminal of a power component 181a-181d of the first electronic module 100 to a second terminal of a second power component 181a-181d of the second electronic module 100. Even more particularly, in the case where the power component 181a-181d takes the form of a transistor, the first terminal of the power component 181a-181d is advantageously a source terminal and the second terminal of the power component 181a-181d is a drain terminal.
(47) The power components 181a-181d of the electronic device 180 are thus interfaced by the substrates 120, 140 of the electronic module 100.
(48) In particular, each electronic module 100 comprises an electrical-connection member 170 for supplying electricity to the terminals of at least some of the power components 181a-181d of the electronic device 180, the electrical-connection member 170 comprising a first electrical track 171 and a second electrical track 172.
(49) The electrical-connection member 170 is rigidly attached to the first substrate 120, and in particular to the second conductive coating 123. Even more particularly, the electrical-connection member 170 is rigidly attached to the middle portion 123b of the second conductive coating 123.
(50) The electronic power system 10 according to the second aspect of the invention is thus assembled by means of the various following steps: for each electronic module 100: producing the electronic device 180 on the first substrate 120 of the first electronic module 100; placing and attaching the at least one thermal bridge 130 onto the first substrate 120 of the electronic module 100; placing and attaching the second substrate 140 onto the at least one thermal bridge 130 and the electronic device 180; inserting the third substrate 200 in an intermediate position between two electronic modules 100 positioned on either side of the third substrate 200, the third substrate 200 being sandwiched between the two electronic modules 100; rigidly connecting the third substrate 200 to the electronic modules 100.
(51) In order to rigidly connect the third substrate 200 to each electronic module 100, the third substrate 200 comprises complementary attachment means 2007 that interact with attachment means 1407 of the second substrate 140 of each electronic module 100.
(52) The complementary attachment means 2007 of the third substrate 200 take the form of an attachment lug 2017 that projects laterally with respect to the third substrate 200. In the example shown in
(53) Advantageously, each attachment lug 2017 of the third substrate 200 comprises a through-opening 2008.
(54) Similarly, the attachment means 1407 of the second substrate 140 of each electronic module 100 according to the first aspect of the invention preferably comprises at least one attachment lug 1417 projecting laterally with respect to the second substrate 140. In particular, each attachment lug 1417 is formed by a protuberance of the electrically conductive coating 145 of the second substrate 140.
(55) In the example shown in
(56) Advantageously, each attachment lug 1417 comprises a through-opening 1418.
(57) In order to facilitate the electrical interconnection of the electronic device 180, the electronic module 100 according to the first aspect of the invention comprises at least one connection stud 160 designed to establish an electrical connection between at least one connection terminal of the electronic device 180 and the second substrate 140.
(58) The connection stud 160 is metal so as to favor electricity conduction.
(59) An example embodiment of a connection stud 160 of this kind is shown in
(60) The connection stud 160 has a general prismatic shape and comprises a rectangular base 168 in the example shown in
(61) The base 168 of the connection stud 160 comprises two contact terminals 161, 162, each contact terminal 161, 162 making it possible to establish an electrical connection with a corresponding connection terminal of the electronic device 180 with which the connection stud 160 interacts.
(62) At their free end, the contact terminals 161, 162 form a connection surface in order to be rigidly connected, possibly by means of a bonding material, to a corresponding terminal of the electronic device 180.
(63) In the example shown in
(64) The connection stud 160 shown in
(65) In summary, the invention relates in particular to a three-dimensional electronic module 100 comprising an electronic device 180 housed between a first substrate 120 and a second substrate 140, the first substrate 120 and second substrate 140 being electrically and/or thermally connected to one another by at least one, and preferably two, thermal bridges 130 mounted on and rigidly connected to the first substrate 120 and second substrate 140. The invention also relates to an electronic system 10 comprising at least two electronic modules 100 mounted facing one another so as to sandwich a third substrate 200 in contact with the second substrate 140 thereof, respectively. The third substrate 200 is configured to provide thermal and electrical coupling between the two electronic modules 100 by means of the second substrate 140 thereof.
(66) It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the examples that have just been described, and that numerous variations may be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the different features, forms, variants and embodiments of the invention may be combined with one another in various combinations, unless they are incompatible with one another or mutually exclusive. In particular, all the variants and embodiments described above may be combined.