METHOD FOR PRODUCING A COOLING DEVICE, A COOLING DEVICE AND A COOLING ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A method for producing a cooling device for cooling a power electronics may include an application step, a preparatory step, and a joining step. The application step may include applying a thin copper layer at least area by area onto a joining side of at least one ceramic plate. The preparatory step may include arranging the at least one ceramic plate with the thin copper layer on at least one of a first upper side of a substantially flat aluminum body and a second upper side of the aluminum body disposed opposite the first upper side. The joining step may include forming a substance-to-sub stance bond between the joining side of the at least one ceramic plate and the aluminum body via supplying heat.

Claims

1. A method for producing a cooling device for cooling a power electronics, comprising: a) applying a thin copper layer at least area by area onto a joining side of at least one ceramic plate; b) arranging the at least one ceramic plate with the thin copper layer on at least one of a first upper side of a substantially flat aluminum body and a second upper side of the aluminum body disposed opposite the first upper side; and c) forming a substance-to-substance bond between the joining side of the at least one ceramic plate and the aluminum body via supplying heat.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: step b) includes applying a solder coating onto at least one of the first upper side, the second upper side, and joining side at least area by area; and forming the substance-to-substance bond a via heat in step c) includes soldering.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein step b) further includes arranging a flux on at least one of the first upper side, the second upper side, and the joining side at least area by area.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: step b) includes applying at least one of an aluminum sinter coating, a silicon sinter coating, a copper sinter coating and a nickel sinter coating onto at least one of the first upper side, the second upper side, and the joining side at least area by area; forming the substance-to-sub stance bond via heat in step c) includes sintering.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: step b) includes arranging an exothermic joining coating on at least one of the first upper side, the second upper side, and joining side at least area by area; and forming the substance-to-substance bond via heat in step c) includes exothermic soldering.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the substance-to-substance bond via heat in step c) includes forming the bond at a temperature from 200 C. to 600 C.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein step c) includes clamping the aluminum body to the at least one ceramic plate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the aluminum body is a substantially flat aluminum tube; step b) includes applying a solder coating onto a plurality of inner sides of the aluminum tube; and step c) includes arranging a rib structure within the aluminum tube and coupling the rib structure and the aluminum tube together via forming a sub stance-to-sub stance bond.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one ceramic plate includes at least two ceramic plates; step a) includes applying a thin copper layer at least area by area onto a respective joining side of each of the at least two ceramic plates; step b) includes arranging the at least two ceramic plates on a respective one of the first upper side and the second upper side such that the at least two ceramic plates are arranged opposite one another on the aluminum body; and step c) includes forming a substance-to-substance bond between the respective joining side of each of the at least two ceramic plates and the aluminum body.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein step b) further includes arranging the at least two ceramic plates offset relative to one another and step c) further includes forming the substance-to-substance bond when the at least two ceramic plates are arranged offset relative to one another.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: d) arranging a power electronics on an electronics side of the at least one ceramic plate disposed opposite the joining side, the electronics side including a copper structure, and coupling the power electronics to the electronics side via a substance-to-substance bond; wherein step d) occurs after step c).

12. A cooling device for cooling a power electronics, comprising at least one ceramic plate including a joining side arranged on at least one of a first upper side and the second upper side of an aluminum tube, the first upper side and the second upper side disposed opposite one another, the joining side including a thin copper layer, the at least one ceramic plate coupled to the aluminum body via a substance-to-substance bond.

13. A cooling arrangement for cooling a power electronics, comprising: at least one cooling device including an aluminum tube and at least one ceramic plate, the aluminum tube having a first upper side and a second upper side disposed opposite one another, the at least one ceramic plate including a thin copper layer on a joining side and coupled to at least one of the first upper side and second upper side via a substance-to-substance bond; at least two coolant collectors for collecting a coolant flowable through the aluminum tubes; and wherein the aluminum tube extends between and is fludicially coupled to the at least two coolant collectors.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the solder coating is at least one of an aluminum solder coating, a silicon solder coating, a copper solder coating, and a nickel solder coating.

15. The method according to claim 5, wherein the exothermic joining coating is a joining film.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein step d) includes forming the substance-to-substance bond via soft soldering.

17. The method according to claim 6, wherein step c) further includes clamping the aluminum body to the at least one ceramic plate.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: the aluminum body is a substantially flat aluminum tube; step b) includes applying a solder coating onto a plurality of inner sides of the aluminum tube; and step c) further includes arranging a rib structure within the aluminum tube and coupling the rib structure and the aluminum tube together via forming a substance-to-substance bond.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: d) arranging a power electronics on an electronics side of the at least one ceramic plate disposed opposite the joining side, the electronics side including a copper structure, and coupling the power electronics to the electronics side via a substance-to-substance bond; wherein step d) occurs after step c).

20. The method according to claim 9, further comprising: d) arranging a power electronics on an electronics side of the at least one ceramic plate disposed opposite the joining side, the electronics side including a copper structure, and coupling the power electronics to the electronics side via a substance-to-substance bond; wherein step d) occurs after step c).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In each case schematically,

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a cooling device comprising an aluminum tube and comprising ceramic plates located opposite one another;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a cooling device comprising a plurality of ceramic plates, which are arranged offset relative to one another;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a cooling device comprising a plurality of ceramic plates located opposite one another;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a cooling arrangement comprising three cooling devices located opposite one another;

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a top view onto the cooling arrangement shown in FIG. 4 comprising three cooling devices arranged next to one another;

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a side view of a cooling arrangement, which is embodied in an alternative manner, comprising three cooling devices;

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a course of a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a cooling device 1. The cooling device 1 has an aluminum body 2 in the form of an aluminum tube 3 comprising a rib structure 4. The aluminum tube 3 as well as the rib structure 4 can be made of aluminum or of an aluminum alloy. The rib structure 4 can be arranged in the aluminum tube 3 for example by means of a hard soldering, or, in the alternative, the aluminum tube 3 can be made in one piece with the rib structure 4, for example in an extrusion process. The flat aluminum tube 3 has a flat cross section and a coolant such as water, for example can flow through it in its longitudinal direction along the rib structure 4.

[0041] The cooling device 1 furthermore has a ceramic plate 7, which is arranged on a first upper side 5a of the aluminum tube 3 with a joining side 6 by means of a substance-to-substance bond by means of a method according to the invention, and which is equipped with a power electronics 8 on an electronics side 9 located opposite the joining side 6. The ceramic plate 7 is electrically insulating and can consist for example of Al.sub.2O.sub.3. A heat transfer occurs between the coolant in the aluminum tube 3 and the ceramic plate 7, which is arranged on the aluminum tube 3, and the power electronics 8 can be cooled more efficiently. The cooling is additionally supported by the rib structure 4 of the aluminum tube 3.

[0042] On a second upper side 5b of the aluminum tube 3, the cooling device 1 has a further ceramic plate 7. The ceramic plates 7 are arranged on the aluminum tube 3 on the first upper side 5a and on the second upper side 5b so as to be located opposite one another, so that thermal expansions and tensions in the aluminum tube 3 and in the ceramic plates 7, which are caused by the thermal expansions, balance each other. The service life of the ceramic plates 7 and in particular of the power electronics 8 is thus increased.

[0043] A direct arranging of the ceramic plates 7 on the aluminum tube 3 by means of a substance-to-substance bond is possible by means of a thin copper layer 10, which has a layer thickness of between 20 m and 200 m, preferably of between 35 m and 100 m. On the electronics side 9, the ceramic plates 7 additionally have a copper structure 11 for contacting individual components of the power electronics 8. The layer thicknesses of the thin copper layer 10 and of the copper structure 11 can differ in order to provide for a direct arranging of the ceramic plate 7 on the aluminum tube 3 by means of a substance-to-substance bond on the one hand and in order to provide for a safe contacting of the individual components of the power electronics 8 on the other hand.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the cooling device 1 comprising the ceramic plates 7, which are arranged offset relative to one another and FIG. 3 shows a side view of the cooling device 1 comprising the ceramic plates 7 located opposite one another. By arranging the ceramic plates 7 on the aluminum body 2 in this way, thermal expansions and tensions in the aluminum body 3 and in the ceramic plates 7, which are caused by the thermal expansions, can balance each other and the service life of the ceramic plates 7 and in particular of the power electronics 8 can be increased. If the ceramic plates 7 are also arranged on the aluminum body 2 at the same time, expansions, which occur as a result of the heat supply during the arranging, can also be compensated in an advantageous manner.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a side view and FIG. 5 shows a top view onto a cooling arrangement 12 comprising three cooling devices 1. The cooling devices 1 are arranged next to one another and the aluminum tubes 3 of the respective cooling devices 1 discharge into coolant collectors 13 on both sides. Due to the coolant collectors 13, the coolant can flow through the respective aluminum tubes 3, so that a cooling of the power electronics 8 can be carried out particularly efficiently. FIG. 6 shows a side view of an alternatively embodied cooling arrangement 12 comprising three cooling devices 1, which are arranged spaced apart from one another. The aluminum tubes 3 also lead into the coolant collector 13 on both sides here.

[0046] FIG. 7 shows a schematic course of a method 14 according to the invention. In the method 14, the thin copper layer 10 is first applied onto the joining side 6 of the ceramic plate 7 at least area by area in an application step 15. The thin copper layer 10 thereby has a layer thickness of between 20 m and 200 m, preferably of between 35 m and 100 m. In a preparatory step 16, the ceramic plate 7 comprising the thin copper layer 10 is subsequently arranged on the first upper side 5a of the flat aluminum body 2. In the alternative, at least one ceramic plate 7 can in each case be arranged on the first upper side 5a and on the second upper side 5b of the flat aluminum body 2. In a joining step 17, the joining side 6 of the respective ceramic plate 7 is then connected to the respective upper side 5a and/or 5b of the aluminum body 2 by means of a substance-to-substance bond by supplying heat. After the joining step 17, the power electronics 8 can subsequently be arranged on the electrics side 9 of the ceramic plate 7, for example by means of a soft soldering thus by means of a soldering at a temperature of below 450 C. in a production step 18.

[0047] In the preparatory step 16, a solder coating for example an aluminum solder coating and/or a silicon solder coating and/or a copper solder coating and/or a nickel solder coating and/or a flux can be applied onto the respective upper side 5a or 5b of the aluminum body 2 and/or onto the respective joining side 6 of the ceramic plate 7. In the joining step, the ceramic plate 7 can then be connected to the aluminum body 2 by means of a substance-to-substance bond by means of a direct soldering.

[0048] In the alternative, a sinter coating can be applied onto the respective upper side 5a or 5b of the aluminum body 2 and/or onto the respective joining side 6 of the ceramic plate 7 at least area by area in the preparatory step 16. The sinter coating is preferably an aluminum sinter coating and/or a silicon sinter coating and/or a copper sinter coating and/or a nickel sinter coating. In the joining step 17, the ceramic plate 7 can subsequently be arranged on the aluminum body 2 by means of a substance-to-substance bond by means of a sintering.

[0049] The joining step 17 can be performed at a temperature of between 200 C. and 600 C. The heat supply can also occur by means of an exothermic joining coating for example a joining film. If the joining step 17 is performed at a temperature of above 450 C. and if the aluminum body 2 is embodied in the form of an aluminum tube 3, the rib structure 4 can also be arranged in the aluminum tube 3 by means of a hard soldering in the joining step 17. For this purpose, a solder coating can be applied in the aluminum tube 3 in the preparatory step 16, so that a direct soldering of the rib structure 4 to the aluminum tube 3 becomes possible.

[0050] The ceramic plate 7 can be arranged on the aluminum body 2 in a time-saving and effort-reduced manner by means of a substance-to-substance bond by means of the method 14 according to the invention. The production costs of the cooling device 1 as well as of the cooling arrangement 12 can thus be reduced significantly.