IP Library Granted Patent US 12,672,569
Granted Patent B2
US 12,672,569 · App. 18/005,748 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Power semiconductor module and power conversion device

Inventors: Toru Masuda (Tokyo, JP); Seiichi Hayakawa (Hitachi, JP); Yuji Takayanagi (Hitachi, JP)
Assignee: MINEBEA POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INC.
H10W70/658H02M7/003H10W70/611H10W70/65H10W90/00H10W90/401H10W90/701H10W72/865H10W72/884H10W90/734H10W90/736H10W90/754
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,672,569
App. No.
18/005,748
Filed
Jan 17, 2023
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Examiner
FAN, SU JYA
Art Unit
2818
USPC
257/678
Abstract

The provided power semiconductor module is configured to reduce the wiring inductance and save space on the substrate by establishing a multi-parallel connection between multiple power semiconductor chips. It consists of a first and second insulated substrates with a plurality of semiconductor switching elements positioned on one and facing the other. There are also first and second spacer conductors positioned between the plurality of semiconductor switching elements and the second insulated substrate. Inter-spacer-conductor wiring parts are connected with the plurality of second spacer conductors. Each of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements has a first electrode connected to a conductor layer on the first substrate, a second electrode connected to a conductor on the second substrate via the first spacer conductors, and a control electrode connected to each other through the second spacer conductors and the inter-spacer-conductor wiring parts which are positioned a prescribed distance from the second conductor layer.

Claims (26)

1 . A power semiconductor module comprising:

a first insulation substrate;

a plurality of semiconductor switching elements arranged on the first insulation substrate;

a second insulation substrate arranged opposite the first insulation substrate across the plurality of semiconductor switching elements;

a plurality of first conductors with spacer functions and a plurality of second conductors with spacer functions arranged between the plurality of semiconductor switching elements and the second insulation substrate, each of the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors serving as a spacer between a corresponding one of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements and the second insulation substrate; and

an inter-conductor wiring portion formed integrally with each of the plurality of second conductors and configured to electrically connect the plurality of second conductors to each other,

wherein

each of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements includes a first electrode, a second electrode arranged opposite the first electrode, and a control electrode arranged opposite the first electrode,

the first electrode is electrically connected to a first conductive layer of the first insulation substrate,

the second electrode is electrically connected to a second conductive layer of the second insulation substrate through a corresponding one of the plurality of first conductors,

the control electrodes are electrically connected to each other through the plurality of second conductors and the inter-conductor wiring portions, and

each of the inter-conductor wiring portions is arranged opposite at a predetermined distance from the second conductive layer in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the second insulation substrate.

2 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the control electrodes are electrically connected to each other through the plurality of second conductors and the inter-conductor wiring portions, and each of the control electrodes is electrically connected to a third conductive layer of the second insulation substrate through a corresponding one of the plurality of second conductors.

3 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 1 , further comprising an insulation layer between the plurality of second conductors and the second conductive layer, the insulation layer serving, together with each of the plurality of second conductors, as a spacer between the plurality of semiconductor switching elements and the second insulation substrate.

4 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance corresponds to an insulation distance where the inter-conductor wiring portion is electrically insulated from the second conductive layer.

5 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the control electrodes is electrically connected to the corresponding one of the plurality of second conductors through a bonding wire.

6 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein the inter-conductor wiring portion forms a mutual inductance between the inter-conductor wiring portion and the second conductive layer, the mutual inductance determined based on a negative coupling coefficient between the inter-conductor wiring portion and the second conductive layer.

7 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 6 , wherein the coupling coefficient between the inter-conductor wiring portion and the second conductive layer is equal to or greater than −1.0 and equal to or smaller than −0.8.

8 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements is a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) element, and

the first electrode corresponds to a drain electrode, the second electrode corresponds to a source electrode, and the control electrode corresponds to a gate electrode.

9 . The power semiconductor module according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements is a silicon carbide (SiC)-MOSFET element.

10 . A power conversion device comprising:

a main circuit including one or more pairs of upper and lower arms; and

a drive circuit configured to drive the one or more pairs of upper and lower arms,

wherein each of the one or more pairs of upper and lower arms includes the power semiconductor module according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 30, 2025
From: HITACHI POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE LTD.
To: MINEBEA POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INC.
Reel/Frame 071142/0232 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2023
From: MASUDA, TORU; HAYAKAWA, SEIICHI; TAKAYANAGI, YUJI
To: HITACHI POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 062396/0851 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-138037 · Aug 18, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230282561A1 · Sep 7, 2023
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