HEAT DISSIPATION APPARATUS FOR SURFACE-MOUNT POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Abstract

An improved, liquid cooled, power semiconductor heat dissipation apparatus configured to accommodate surface-mount power semiconductor devices mounted on direct bond copper plates which are in thermal communication with a heat transfer surface and electrical communication with a printed circuit board or other surface on which the apparatus is mounted.

Claims

1. An improved power semiconductor heat dissipation apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a manifold comprising: an influent through which coolant fluid may enter the manifold; an effluent through which coolant may exit the manifold; a heat exchange surface located within the manifold; a first plenum defined by the space within the manifold between the influent and the heat exchange surface; a second plenum defined by the space within the manifold between the heat exchange surface and the effluent; at least one direct bond copper plate in thermal communication with the heat exchange surface, said direct bond copper plate featuring at least two leads; at least one power surface-mount semiconductor mounted on the direct bond copper plate. wherein said heat exchange surface is situated within said manifold between said first plenum and said second plenum such that cooling liquid must pass through said heat exchange surface to flow from said first plenum to said second plenum;

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said at least two leads affixed to the direct bond copper plate are short, high current connections;

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said at least two leads affixed to direct bond copper plate are shaped to be connected to a printed circuit board via a surface mount configuration;

4. An apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said at least two leads affixed to direct bond copper plate are shaped to be connected to a printed circuit board via a through hole configuration;

5. An apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said at least two leads affixed to direct bond copper plate are shaped to be connected to a printed circuit board via a screw terminal configuration;

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings illustrate various exemplary implementations and are part of the specification. The illustrated implementations are proffered for purposes of example not for purposes of limitation. Illustrated elements will be designated by numbers. Once designated, an element will be identified by the identical number throughout. Illustrated in the accompanying drawing(s) is at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present disclosure. In such drawing(s):

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed improved heat dissipation apparatus for surface-mount power semiconductor devices.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective diagram of the serpentine fin structure serving as a heat dissipation surface which is in thermal communication with surface-mounted power semiconductor devices (power semiconductor devices not visible from this perspective).

[0028] FIG. 3 is a simplified side plan view diagram of the serpentine fin structure in thermal communication with a plurality of thermally conductive plates (DBC plates), and a plan view diagram of a plurality of surface-mount power semiconductors affixed to thermally conductive plates, each plate featuring at least two short copper or aluminum leads.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a cut-away perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed improved heat dissipation apparatus for surface-mount power semiconductor devices illustrating the serpentine fine structure in thermal communication with the externally affixed surface-mounted power semiconductor devices.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed improved heat dissipation apparatus for surface-mount power semiconductor devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

[0031] The above described drawing figures illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed apparatus and its many features in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiments, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications to what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, it must be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as a limitation in the scope of the present apparatus or its many features.

[0032] Described now in detail is an improved heat dissipation apparatus for power semiconductor devices configured to accommodating surface-mount devices.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed apparatus 100 illustrating an influent 107 through which cooling fluid may enter the apparatus, an effluent through which cooling fluid may exit the apparatus 108, plurality surface mount power semiconductor devices 101 mounted directly on direct bond copper (DBC) substrate plates 102, and short, high-current leads 105 attached to the DBC substrate plate 102. DBC plate 102 may be a single substrate or multiple plates. Furthermore, DBC plate 102 may be etched to form electrical circuits and additional devices such as resistors and capacitors, shown as item 104, may also be mounted on the DBC plate 102. Semiconductor devices 101 are attached via soldering or sintering to the outer surface of the DBC plate 102. The fluid plenum 103 provides the main structure of the assembly as well as the fluid passages.

[0034] The leads 105 are made of aluminum or copper and attached to the DBC substrate plates 102 by ultrasonic welding, high temperature soldering or brazing, or similar process. One advantage such configuration provides over legacy designs is lower resistance and lower stray inductance due to the relative shortness and thickness of the leads 106.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the serpentine fin structure or similar heat exchange surface 106. The diagram illustrates that the serpentine fin structure or similar heat exchange surface 106 is in contact with the DBC plate 102. In some embodiments, such as high pressure applications, a copper or aluminum plate may be used between the fin structure 106 and DBC plate 102.

[0036] FIG. 3 illustrates side and plan views of the same diagram illustrated in FIG. 2. The side view further illustrates that the surface mount semiconductor devices 101 are affixed to the opposing side of the DBC 102 as the serpentine fin structure or similar heat exchange surface 106. The proximity is important as this is the thermal path by which the heat energy is removed. The material chosen for the DBC 102 will affect the efficiency of the heat removal path.

[0037] FIG. 3 also illustrates a plan view diagram of a plurality of surface mount power semiconductor devices 101 mounted directly on the DBC substrate plate 102, featuring short high current leads 105. Different embodiments may include different numbers of power semiconductor devices, the illustration is for exemplar only and is not meant to be limiting.

[0038] FIG. 4 depicts a cut-away embodiment of the presently disclosed apparatus illustrating the serpentine fin structure or similar heat exchange surface 106 in the center of the manifold 103 directly on the opposing side of the DBC substrate plate 102 thereby facilitating the efficient removal of heat energy from the surface mount power semiconductor device 101 which is the source of the heat energy.

[0039] FIG. 4 also illustrates the high current leads 106 shaped for a surface mount configuration which provide electrical communication from a printed circuit board or other surface to the power semiconductor device 101 via the DBC substrate plate 102.

[0040] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplar embodiment of the presently disclosed improved apparatus featuring leads 109 shaped for through-hole configuration coupling with a printed circuit board. Other embodiments such as screw terminal connection are possible as well.

[0041] The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the apparatus and its method of use, and to the achievement of the above-described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material, or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus, if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word(s) describing the element.

[0042] The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structures, materials or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.

[0043] Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, substitutions, now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art, are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas.

[0044] The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that each named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.