SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC COMPONENTS

Abstract

A support for at least one electrical component includes a heat sink having a heat sink surface and two opposing lateral walls protruding from the heat sink surface. The heat sink includes a base body made of aluminum and a copper layer as a heat spreading layer which forms the heat sink surface. The copper layer is produced together with the base body through continuous casting, or with the copper layer being applied additively through cold gas spraying to a surface of the base body. Two spaced-apart sealing blocks lie on the heat sink surface, with each of the two sealing blocks extending between the two lateral walls and contacting the two lateral walls. A support structure is arranged on the heat sink surface between the two sealing blocks.

Claims

1.-17. (canceled)

18. A support for at least one electrical component, said support comprising: a heat sink including a heat sink surface and two opposing lateral walls protruding from the heat sink surface, said heat sink including a base body made of aluminum and a copper layer as a heat spreading layer which forms the heat sink surface, with the copper layer being produced together with the base body through continuous casting, or with the copper layer being applied additively through cold gas spraying to a surface of the base body; two spaced-apart sealing blocks lying on the heat sink surface, each of the two sealing blocks extending between the two lateral walls and contacting the two lateral walls; and a support structure arranged on the heat sink surface between the two sealing blocks.

19. The support of claim 18, wherein each of the two sealing blocks is connected non-positively to the heat sink by a screw connection.

20. The support of claim 18, wherein each of the two sealing blocks is positively connected to the heat sink by a tongue-and-groove connection.

21. The support of claim 18, further comprising an electrically conductive connection lug arranged on at least one of the two sealing blocks for an electrical power connection.

22. The support of claim 18, wherein the two sealing blocks are manufactured from plastic.

23. The support of claim 18, wherein at least one of the two sealing blocks includes a bead on a side facing the heat sink surface, and further comprising a sealing apparatus arranged in the bead.

24. The support of claim 23, wherein the bead extends orthogonal to the lateral walls.

25. The support of claim 23, wherein the sealing apparatus has an adhesive connection with the heat sink surface and/or with the at least one of the two sealing blocks.

26. The support of claim 18, wherein the support structure includes a ceramic substrate coated with a copper structure remote to the heat sink surface.

27. The support of claim 18, further comprising connection contacts arranged on the support structure and protruding from the support structure remote to the heat sink surface.

28. The support of claim 27, further comprising a cover detachably connected to the heat sink and having cover openings for passage of the connection contacts in order to stabilize the connection contacts.

29. The support of claim 28, wherein the cover is connectable to the heat sink via a latching connection and/or a screw connection.

30. A method for producing a support, said method comprising: producing a heat sink through continuous casting or through continuous casting with subsequent additive application of a heat spreading layer which forms a heat sink surface; producing sealing blocks by injection molding; placing the sealing blocks on the heat sink surface between two lateral walls of the heat sink; and applying a support structure to the heat sink surface between the sealing blocks by soldering or sintering.

31. An electronics module, comprising: a support comprising a heat sink including a heat sink surface and two opposing lateral walls protruding from the heat sink surface, said heat sink including a base body made of aluminum and a copper layer as a heat spreading layer which forms the heat sink surface, with the copper layer being produced together with the base body through continuous casting, or with the copper layer being applied additively through cold gas spraying to a surface of the base body, two spaced-apart sealing blocks lying on the heat sink surface, each of the two sealing blocks extending between the two lateral walls and contacting the two lateral walls, and a support structure arranged on the heat sink surface between the two sealing blocks; an electrical component arranged on the support structure of the support; and a casting compound covering the support structure and the electrical component.

32. The electronics module of claim 31, wherein the casting compound is a silicon-based soft casting compound.

33. The electronics module of claim 31, wherein the electrical component is a power semiconductor component.

34. The electronics module of claim 31, wherein the power semiconductor component is a bipolar transistor with an insulated gate electrode.

35. The electronics module of claim 31, further comprising a cooling beam having recesses for receiving cooling fins of the heat sink, with the heat sink connected via the cooling fins to the recesses of the cooling beam.

Description

[0022] The properties, features and advantages of this invention described above and the manner in which they are achieved will become clearer and more clearly understandable in connection with the following description of exemplary embodiments, which are explained in more detail in connection with the drawings, in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of a first exemplary embodiment of an electronics module without a cover,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a perspective representation of the electronics module with a cover shown in FIG. 1,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a sectional representation of the heat sink of the electronics module shown in FIG. 1,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a perspective sectional representation of two electronics modules according to a second exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Corresponding parts are provided with the same reference characters in the figures.

[0028] FIGS. 1 and 2 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) each show a perspective representation of a first exemplary embodiment of an electronics module 1 according to the invention. FIG. 1 shows the electronics module 1 without a cover 2 and FIG. 2 shows the electronics module 1 with a cover 2. The electronics module 1 comprises a support 3 according to the invention, electric components 5 to 7 and a casting compound 9.

[0029] The support 3 comprises the cover 2, a heat sink 11, two sealing blocks 13, a support structure 15, connection lugs 17 and pin-shaped connection contacts 19.

[0030] FIG. 3 (FIG. 3) shows a sectional representation of the heat sink 11. The heat sink 11 has a base body 21 which has a planar base body surface 23 on the upper side and two opposing lateral walls 25 protruding from the base body surface 23, and on the underside a plurality of cooling fins 27. The base body surface 23 is coated with a heat spreading layer 29 which forms a planar heat sink surface 31. For example, the base body 21 is produced from aluminum by means of continuous casting. The heat spreading layer 29 is, for example, a copper layer which is produced, for example, together with the base body 21 by means of continuous casting or is applied additively to the base body surface 23, for example, by means of cold gas spraying. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the lateral walls 25 are perpendicular to the base body surface 23. In other exemplary embodiments, the lateral walls 25 may protrude obliquely from the base body surface 23 and/or the lateral walls 25 may form a rounded profile with the base body surface 23 in the transition areas between the lateral walls 25 and the base body surface 23.

[0031] The two sealing blocks 13 are arranged at a distance from one another on the heat sink surface 31, each extend between the two lateral walls 25 and are in sealing contact with each of the two lateral walls 25 and the heat sink surface 31. Each sealing block 13 is non-positively connected to the heat sink 11 by two screw connections 33. In addition, each sealing block 13 can be positively connected to the heat sink 11 by at least one tongue-and-groove connection (not shown). For example, the sealing blocks 13 are manufactured from plastic by injection molding.

[0032] The support structure 15 is arranged on the heat sink surface 31 between the two sealing blocks 13. The support structure 15 has a ceramic substrate 35 lying on the heat sink surface 31, whose side facing away from the heat sink surface 31 is coated with a copper structure 37 which forms conductor tracks and contact surfaces for electrically connecting, applying and cooling the electrical components 5 to 7 and the connection contacts 19. The support structure 15 is a so-called DCB structure with the ceramic substrate 35 as the DCB substrate. The support structure 15 is applied to the heat sink surface 31 by means of soldering or sintering.

[0033] The connection lugs 17 form power connections of the electronics module 1 for supplying the electrical components 5 to 7 with direct current and/or alternating current. Each connection lug 17 is arranged on a sealing block 13 and is designed in a step-like manner. In alternative exemplary embodiments, the connection lugs 17 can also be omitted and the power connections formed by pin-shaped connection contacts 19, in particular when relatively low currents (for example, with current strengths below 100 A) flow via the power connections.

[0034] The connection contacts 19 comprise, for example, control connections for controlling electrical components 5 to 7. The connection contacts 19 are arranged on a side of the support structure 15 facing away from the heat sink surface 31 and are connected to the copper structure 37 of the support structure 15, for example, by ultrasonic welding or soldering. In other exemplary embodiments, planar connection contacts 19 can be provided instead of pin-shaped connection contacts 19.

[0035] The cover 2 is detachably connected to the heat sink 11, for example, via latching connections 39 (see FIG. 4) and/or via screw connections. The cover 2 has cover openings 41 for the connection contacts 19. Each connection contact 19 is guided through a cover opening 41 which stabilizes the connection contact 19 by preventing lateral bending of the connection contact 19 and thus holding the connection contact 19 in its position. The cover 2 is an optional component of the support 3 and serves only to stabilize the connection contacts 19. The cover 2 can therefore be omitted, in particular in exemplary embodiments with planar instead of pin-shaped connection contacts 19.

[0036] The electrical components 5 to 7 are arranged on the support structure 15. Electrical components 5 to 7 can be, for example, power semiconductor components such as an IGBT or MOSFET.

[0037] The casting compound 9 is, for example, a silicon-based soft casting compound and covers the electrical components 5 to 7 and the support structure 15. The lateral walls 25 and the sealing blocks 13 prevent liquid casting compound 9 from flowing out after application to the electrical components 5 to 7 and the support structure 15 before curing of the casting compound 9.

[0038] FIG. 4 (FIG. 4) shows a perspective sectional representation of two electronics modules 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment. The electronics modules 1 are arranged next to one another over a cooling beam 43 which has recesses 45 for the cooling fins 27 of the heat sinks 11 of the electronics modules 1. The electronics modules 1 differ from the electronics module 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 only in the arrangement of electrical components 5 to 7 and connection contacts 19 and the formation of the copper structure 37. FIG. 4 shows the embodiment of latching connections 39 for connecting the cover 2 to the heat sink 11 of an electronics module 1. Each latching connection 39 is formed by a latching groove 47 in a lateral wall 25 and a latching spring 49 of the cover 2 engaging in the latching groove 47.

[0039] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples and other variations may be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.