ORGANIC CIRCUIT CARRIER AND APPLICATION THEREOF IN POWER CONVERTERS AND IN VEHICLES

Abstract

An organic circuit carrier including an organic insulation layer and at least one metallization layer arranged on an upper side, a lower side, or the upper side and the lower side of the organic insulation layer is provided. Side surfaces of the at least one metallization layer are embodied in a convexly curved fashion. A circuit arrangement and a power converter including such an organic circuit carrier are also provided. A vehicle such as an aircraft, including such a power converter, is also provided.

Claims

1. An organic circuit carrier comprising: an organic insulation layer; and at least one metallization layer arranged on an upper side, a lower side, or the upper side and the lower side of the organic insulation layer, wherein side surfaces of the at least one metallization layer are configured in a convexly curved fashion.

2. The organic circuit carrier of claim 1, wherein a profile of the convex curvature of the side surfaces corresponds to a circular function.

3. The organic circuit carrier of claim 1, wherein a profile of the convex curvature of the side surfaces corresponds to a Borda and Rogowski function.

4. The organic circuit carrier of claim 1, wherein the at least one metallization layer is surrounded up to a height of a surface of the at least one metallization layer by a potting compound that is formed from a same material as the organic insulation layer.

5. The organic circuit carrier of claim 1, wherein the at least one metallization layer is attached to the upper side, the lower side, or the upper side and the lower side of the organic insulation layer with an adhesive.

6. A circuit arrangement comprising: an organic circuit carrier comprising: an organic insulation layer; and at least one metallization layer arranged on an upper side, a lower side, or the upper side and the lower side of the organic insulation layer, wherein side surfaces of the at least one metallization layer are configured in a convexly curved fashion; at least one semiconductor component arranged on the at least one metallization layer; and a heat sink, on which the organic circuit carrier is arranged.

7. The circuit arrangement of claim 6, wherein a profile of the convex curvature of the side surfaces corresponds to a circular function.

8. The circuit arrangement of claim 7, wherein a profile of the convex curvature of the side surfaces corresponds to a Borda and Rogowski function.

9. The circuit arrangement of claim 7, wherein the at least one metallization layer is surrounded up to a height of a surface of the at least one metallization layer by a potting compound that is formed from a same material as the organic insulation layer.

10. The circuit arrangement of claim 6, wherein the at least one metallization layer is attached to the upper side, the lower side, or the upper side and the lower side of the organic insulation layer with an adhesive.

11. A power converter comprising: a circuit arrangement comprising: an organic circuit carrier comprising: an organic insulation layer; and at least one metallization layer arranged on an upper side, a lower side, or the upper side and the lower side of the organic insulation layer, wherein side surfaces of the at least one metallization layer are configured in a convexly curved fashion; at least one semiconductor component arranged on the at least one metallization layer; and a heat sink, on which the organic circuit carrier is arranged.

12. The power converter of claim 11, wherein the power converter is an inverter.

13. The power converter of claim 11, wherein a profile of the convex curvature of the side surfaces corresponds to a circular function.

14. The power converter of claim 11, wherein a profile of the convex curvature of the side surfaces corresponds to a Borda and Rogowski function.

15. The power converter of claim 11, wherein the at least one metallization layer is surrounded up to a height of a surface of the at least one metallization layer by a potting compound that is formed from a same material as the organic insulation layer.

16. The power converter of claim 11, wherein the at least one metallization layer is attached to the upper side, the lower side, or the upper side and the lower side of the organic insulation layer with an adhesive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view through a power module in accordance with the prior art;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through one embodiment of a circuit carrier;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view through one embodiment of a power module;

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view through a another embodiment of a power module;

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of one embodiment of a power module;

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of a power converter;

[0037] and

[0038] FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of an aircraft including a power converter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through one embodiment of a circuit carrier 1. The circuit carrier 1 includes an insulation layer 1.1. A respective metallization layer 1.2 is adhesively bonded onto a top side and an underside of the insulation layer. The insulation layer 1.1 is a polyimide film, for example; the metallization layer is composed of copper, for example. According to the present embodiments, side surfaces 1.3 (e.g., sidewalls) of the metallization layer 1.2 are embodied in a convexly curved fashion. The metallization layer 1.2 is embodied such that the metallization layer 1.2 is smaller than the insulation layer 1.1 in terms of an areal extent.

[0040] In one embodiment, profile forms may be circular functions or Rogowski and Borda functions. As a result of the convex fashioning of the side surfaces 1.3, an excessive field increase at triple points 6 is reduced by comparison with the prior art.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of one embodiment of a power module including a housing 9 on a heat sink 2. Within the housing 9, the organic circuit carrier 1 is seated on the heat sink 2. A semiconductor component 4 is arranged on the organic circuit carrier with the aid of a connection layer 3. The organic circuit carrier 1 consists of an insulation layer 1.1. and metallization layers 1.2 adhesively bonded on both sides. The side surfaces of the metallization layers are embodied in a convexly curved fashion in accordance with the illustration in FIG. 2.

[0042] In the upper region, the power module is filled with a soft first potting compound 7. The power module is filled with a second potting compound 8 up to the level of the connection layer 3. The second potting compound 8 is composed of the same material as the insulation layer 1.1. The spatial distance between adjacent triple points 6 is increased as a result.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a power module in a modified form by comparison with the circuit arrangement according to FIG. 3. The underside metallization layer 1.2 of the circuit carrier 1 is omitted in this case. The circuit carrier is adhesively bonded directly onto the heat sink 2. As a result, by comparison with the arrangement in FIG. 3, two triple points 6 are omitted, such that only two triple points 6 are still present in this view. Here, too, the second potting compound 8 consists of the same material as the insulation layer 1.1 of the circuit carrier 1.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a power module including four circuit carriers 1 (e.g., “island substrate”), each equipped with a semiconductor component 4. Each of the four circuit carriers 1 exhibits a construction as illustrated in FIG. 3. All the circuit carriers 1 are arranged in a common housing 9 and arranged on a heat sink 2. The electrical connections are effected by the wire bonds 5.

[0045] FIG. 6 shows a block circuit diagram of a DC/AC power converter 10 (e.g., of an inverter) including a circuit arrangement for generating a three-phase AC voltage. Each phase of the circuit arrangement has, in each case, at least one circuit carrier 1 according to the present embodiments.

[0046] FIG. 7 shows an electric or hybrid electric aircraft 11 (e.g., an airplane) including a power converter 10 in accordance with FIG. 6, which supplies an electric motor 12 with electrical energy. The electric motor 12 drives a propeller 13. Both are part of an electrical thrust generating unit. A power converter 10 may also be part of an on-board electrical system.

[0047] Although the invention has been described and illustrated more specifically in detail by the exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples, and other variations may be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

[0048] The elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent. Such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.

[0049] While the present invention has been described above by reference to various embodiments, it should be understood that many changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that all equivalents and/or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description.