Granted Patent B2

US 8,054,660 · App. 12/123,300 · Granted Nov 8, 2011

Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC

Abstract

Claims (52)

1. An inverter module for use in a vehicle, the inverter module comprising:

a first electrical base having an electrically conductive mounting surface;

a first semiconductor switch having a surface terminal, wherein the first semiconductor switch is affixed to the first electrical base such that the surface terminal of the first semiconductor switch is coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the first electrical base; and

a second semiconductor switch having a surface terminal, wherein the second semiconductor switch is affixed to the first electrical base such that the surface terminal of the second semiconductor switch is coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the first electrical base;

a second electrical base having an electrically conductive mounting surface, the second electrical base being electrically coupled to the first electrical base, wherein the second electrical base and the first electrical base are physically distinct;

a first semiconductor diode having a surface terminal, wherein the first semiconductor diode is affixed to the second electrical base such that the surface terminal of the first semiconductor diode is coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the second electrical base; and

a second semiconductor diode having a surface terminal, wherein the second semiconductor diode is affixed to the second electrical base such that the surface terminal of the second semiconductor diode is coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the second electrical base.

2. The inverter module of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical base and the second electrical base are formed from a copper material.

3. The inverter module of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor diode and the second semiconductor diode are formed from silicon-carbide material.

4. The inverter module of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor switch and the first semiconductor diode are antiparallel, and the second semiconductor switch and the second semiconductor diode are antiparallel.

5. The inverter module of claim 4 , the first semiconductor switch having a second surface terminal, and the first semiconductor diode having a second surface terminal, wherein the second surface terminal of the first semiconductor switch and the second surface terminal of the first semiconductor diode are coupled to receive a positive voltage potential.

6. The inverter module of claim 5 , the second semiconductor switch having a second surface terminal, and the second semiconductor diode having a second surface terminal, wherein the second surface terminal of the second semiconductor switch and the second surface terminal of the second semiconductor diode are coupled to receive a negative voltage potential.

7. The inverter module of claim 6 , further comprising:

a third semiconductor switch affixed to the first electrical base, the third semiconductor switch having a first surface terminal coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the first electrical base, and a second surface terminal coupled to the second surface terminal of the first semiconductor switch to receive a positive voltage potential, wherein the third semiconductor switch is parallel to the first semiconductor switch and antiparallel to the first semiconductor diode; and

a fourth semiconductor switch affixed to the first electrical base, the fourth semiconductor switch having a first surface terminal coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the first electrical base, and a second surface terminal coupled to the second surface terminal of the second semiconductor switch to receive a negative voltage potential, wherein the fourth semiconductor switch is parallel to the second semiconductor switch and antiparallel to the second semiconductor diode.

8. The inverter module of claim 6 , further comprising:

a third semiconductor diode affixed to the second electrical base, the third semiconductor diode having a first surface terminal coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the second electrical base, and a second surface terminal coupled to the second surface terminal of the first semiconductor diode to receive a positive voltage potential, wherein the third semiconductor diode is parallel to the first semiconductor diode and antiparallel to the first semiconductor switch; and

a fourth semiconductor diode affixed to the second electrical base, the fourth semiconductor diode having a first surface terminal coupled to the electrically conductive mounting surface of the second electrical base, and a second surface terminal coupled to the second surface terminal of the second semiconductor diode to receive a negative voltage potential, wherein the fourth semiconductor diode is parallel to the second semiconductor diode and antiparallel to the second semiconductor switch.

9. The inverter module of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical base and the second electrical base are independently sized for different operating temperatures.

10. An inverter phase leg module comprising:

a positive bus bar configured to establish a positive voltage potential for the inverter phase leg module;

a negative bus bar configured to establish a negative voltage potential for the inverter phase leg module;

an output node;

a first electrically conductive base coupled to the output node;

a first switch package having a first surface terminal coupled to the first electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the positive bus bar;

a second switch package having a first surface terminal coupled to the first electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the negative bus bar;

a second electrically conductive base coupled to the output node, wherein the second electrically conductive base and the first electrically conductive base are physically distinct;

a first diode package having a first surface terminal coupled to the second electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the positive bus bar; and

a second diode package having a first surface terminal coupled to the second electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the negative bus bar.

11. The inverter phase leg module of claim 10 , wherein the first electrically conductive base and the second electrically conductive base are formed from a copper material.

12. The inverter phase leg module of claim 10 , wherein the first diode package and the second diode package comprise silicon-carbide semiconductor material.

13. The inverter phase leg module of claim 10 , wherein the first switch package and the second switch package are semiconductor transistor devices.

14. The inverter phase leg module of claim 10 , wherein the first switch package and the first diode package are antiparallel, and the second switch package and the second diode package are antiparallel.

15. The inverter phase leg module of claim 10 , wherein the output node is coupled to a winding of an electric motor.

16. The inverter phase leg module of claim 10 , further comprising:

a second output node;

a third electrically conductive base coupled to the second output node;

a third switch package having a first surface terminal coupled to the third electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the positive bus bar;

a fourth switch package having a first surface terminal coupled to the third electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the negative bus bar;

a fourth electrically conductive base coupled to the second output node, wherein the fourth electrically conductive base and the third electrically conductive base are thermally decoupled;

a third diode package having a first surface terminal coupled to the fourth electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the positive bus bar; and

a fourth diode package having a first surface terminal coupled to the fourth electrically conductive base, and having a second surface terminal coupled to the negative bus bar.

17. A power inverter module comprising:

a first electrical base, the first electrical base being electrically conductive;

a first transistor switch device having a surface terminal, wherein the surface terminal of the first transistor switch device is coupled to the first electrical base;

a second transistor switch device having a surface terminal, wherein the surface terminal of the second transistor switch device is coupled to the first electrical base;

a second electrical base electrically coupled to, and thermally decoupled from, the first electrical base, the second electrical base being electrically conductive;

a first diode device having a surface terminal, wherein the surface terminal of the first diode device is coupled to the second electrical base; and

a second diode device having a surface terminal, wherein the surface terminal of the second diode device is coupled to the second electrical base.

18. The power inverter module of claim 17 , wherein the first transistor switch device and the second transistor switch device are affixed to the first electrical base, and the first diode device and the second diode device are affixed to the second electrical base.

19. The power inverter module of claim 17 , wherein the first diode device and the second diode device are silicon-carbide semiconductor diodes.

20. The power inverter module of claim 17 , wherein the first transistor switch device and the first diode device are antiparallel, and the second transistor switch device and the second diode device are antiparallel.

Assignments (12)

Continuity (1)