Granted Patent B2

US 12,150,258 · App. 17/736,487 · Granted Nov 19, 2024

Inventors: Brice McPherson (Fayetteville, AR); Shashwat Singh (Fayetteville, AR); Roberto M. Schupbach (Raleigh, NC)

Assignee: WOLFSPEED, INC.

H05K5/0069H05K1/111H02M3/003

Abstract

Claims (93)

1. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side comprising a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal extend out of a first side of the housing;

a plurality of signal terminals that provide a plurality of control signals for the power circuit, wherein portions of the plurality of signal terminals extend out of a second side of the housing that is opposite the first side of the housing.

2. The power module of claim 1 wherein the at least one first input power terminal comprises a first V-terminal and a second V-terminal extending out of the first side of the housing and the at least one second input power terminal comprises a first V+ terminal and a second V+ terminal extending out of the first side of the housing.

3. The power module of claim 2 wherein the first V+ terminal and the second V+ terminal are between the first V-terminal and the second V-terminal.

4. The power module of claim 3 wherein the at least one output power terminal is between the first V+ terminal and the second V+ terminal.

5. The power module of claim 4 wherein the at least one output power terminal comprises a first output power terminal providing a first output of the power circuit, a second output power terminal providing a second output of the power circuit, and a third output power terminal providing a third output of the power circuit.

6. The power module of claim 4 further comprising a plurality of signal terminals that provide a plurality of control signals for the power circuit, wherein portions of the plurality of signal terminals extend out of a second side of the housing that is opposite the first side of the housing.

7. The power module of claim 6 wherein the plurality of signal terminals comprises a first plurality of gate signal terminals that provide gate control signals to gates of a first set of the plurality of power devices and a second plurality of gate signal terminals that provide gate control signals to gates of a second set of the plurality of power devices.

8. The power module of claim 7 wherein the plurality of signal terminals further comprises a first plurality of source-Kelvin signal terminals that provide source-Kelvin control signals to sources of the first set of the plurality of power devices and a second plurality of source-Kelvin signal terminals that provide source-Kelvin control signals to sources of the second set of the plurality of power devices.

9. The power module of claim 8 wherein each gate signal terminal of the first plurality of gate signal terminals is adjacent a corresponding source-Kelvin signal terminal of the first plurality of source-Kelvin signal terminals, and each gate signal terminal of the second plurality of gate signal terminals is adjacent a corresponding source-Kelvin signal terminal of the second plurality of source-Kelvin signal terminals.

10. The power module of claim 9 wherein pin heads for adjacent pairs of the first and second plurality of gate signal terminals and the first and second source-Kelvin signal terminals are staggered apart from one another.

11. The power module of claim 10 wherein each of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal has a first pin head and a second pin head that is staggered apart from the first pin head.

12. The power module of claim 6 wherein:

the substrate comprises at least one jumper pad, a first bond wire, and a second bond wire; and

the first bond wire extends from at least one of the plurality of signal terminals to the at least one jumper pad, and the second bond wire extends from the at least one jumper pad to the power circuit.

13. The power module of claim 1 wherein the at least one first input power terminal or the at least one second input power terminal is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate.

14. The power module of claim 1 wherein the at least one first input power terminal and the at least one second input power terminal are directly mechanically coupled to the substrate.

15. The power module of claim 14 wherein the at least one output power terminal is not directly mechanically coupled to the substrate, and bond wires couple the at least one output power terminal to the power circuit.

16. The power module of claim 15 wherein at least one of a plurality of signal terminals is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate, and at least one other of the plurality of signal terminals is coupled to the power circuit with a bond wire.

17. The power module of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of signal terminals is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate, and at least one other of the plurality of signal terminals is coupled to the power circuit with a bond wire.

18. The power module of claim 1 further comprising a thermal pad on a bottom side of the substrate, wherein the thermal pad is exposed through the housing.

19. The power module of claim 1 wherein the power circuit is a three-phase circuit.

20. The power module of claim 1 wherein notches are recessed into one or more sides of the housing for attaching the power module to another apparatus.

21. The power module of claim 1 wherein each of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal is terminated with at least one linear pin configured for solder attachment to another apparatus.

22. The power module of claim 1 wherein creepage extenders are provided on at least one of the top side and the bottom side of the housing.

23. The power module of claim 1 wherein at least one notch is provided in the first side of the housing between adjacent ones of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, or the at least one output power terminal.

24. The power module of claim 1 wherein a temperature circuit is provided on the substrate.

25. The power module of claim 1 wherein each of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal has a first pin head and a second pin head that is staggered apart from the first pin head.

26. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side having a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein the at least one first input power terminal or the at least one second input power terminal is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate.

27. The power module of claim 26 wherein the at least one first input power terminal and the at least one second input power terminal are directly mechanically coupled to the substrate.

28. The power module of claim 27 wherein the at least one output power terminal is not directly mechanically coupled to the substrate and bond wires couple the at least one output power terminal to the power circuit.

29. The power module of claim 28 wherein at least one of a plurality of signal terminals is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate, and at least one other of the plurality of signal terminals is coupled to the power circuit with a bond wire.

30. The power module of claim 26 further comprising a plurality of signal terminals that provide a plurality of control signals for the power circuit, wherein the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal extend out of a first side of the housing and portions of the plurality of signal terminals extend out of a second side of the housing that is opposite the first side of the housing.

31. The power module of claim 30 wherein at least one of the plurality of signal terminals is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate and at least one other of the plurality of signal terminals is coupled to the power circuit with a bond wire.

32. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side having a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein each of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal has a first pin head and a second pin head that is staggered apart from the first pin head.

33. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side comprising a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal extend out of a first side of the housing;

wherein the at least one first input power terminal comprises a first V-terminal and a second V-terminal extending out of the first side of the housing and the at least one second input power terminal comprises a first V+ terminal and a second V+ terminal extending out of the first side of the housing.

34. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side comprising a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal extend out of a first side of the housing;

wherein the at least one first input power terminal or the at least one second input power terminal is directly mechanically coupled to the substrate.

35. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side comprising a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal extend out of a first side of the housing;

wherein each of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal is terminated with at least one linear pin configured for solder attachment to another apparatus.

36. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side comprising a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal extend out of a first side of the housing;

wherein creepage extenders are provided on at least one of the top side and the bottom side of the housing.

37. A power module comprising:

a substrate comprising a bottom side and a top side comprising a plurality of device pads;

a plurality of power devices mounted on the plurality of device pads and arranged to provide a power circuit having a first input, a second input, and at least one output;

at least one first input power terminal providing the first input for the power circuit;

at least one second input power terminal providing the second input for the power circuit;

at least one output power terminal providing the at least one output for the power circuit; and

a housing for the substrate, the plurality of power devices, and portions of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal, wherein the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal extend out of a first side of the housing;

wherein each of the at least one first input power terminal, the at least one second input power terminal, and the at least one output power terminal has a first pin head and a second pin head that is staggered apart from the first pin head.

Assignments (7)