Patent Application
20060202324
The present invention relates to a semiconductor power module structure suitable for mounting of a semiconductor power switching device such as IGBT, MOS-FET, or SIT.
A semiconductor power module used, for example, for motor control and power conversion uses solder with a high melting point and solder with a low melting point therein as disclosed in FIG. 9 of Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-110985. That is, a semiconductor power switching device and a metal wiring pattern formed on one surface of an insulative substrate are joined by solder with a high melting point first, and a metal conductor formed on the other surface of an insulative substrate and a metal base are joined by solder with a low melting point. Further, the metal base is pressed in good contact with a heat sink as a heat dissipation member, by way of grease with good thermal conductivity.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 7-7027 discloses, in
In recent years, it has been desired to decrease the use of substances that significantly affect the environment, such as Pb (lead), Cd (cadmium), and Cr (chromium). Since the solder used for mounting electronic parts contains much Pb, it has been gradually replaced with the so-called Pb-free solder which is substantially free of Pb. Various types of solder with a relatively low melting point have been put to practical use, including, for example, Pb-free solder comprising 3.5% by weight of Ag (silver), 1.5% by weight of Cu (copper) and the balance of Sn (Tin). However, Pb-free solder with a high melting point now available for practical use comprises 80% by weight of Au (gold) with the balance being Sn, and is extremely expensive due to its high Au content. Accordingly, there has been a delay in attaining Pb-free construction of a semiconductor power module, due to concern regarding the resulting cost increase.
The technique disclosed in FIG. 9 of JP 2001-110985 requires two different soldering steps, conducted at a high melting point respectively, and at a low melting point, and cannot provide Pb-free constitution. Further complication of the manufacturing step also creates an additional economic problem.
On the other hand, the technique disclosed in FIG. 2 or 4 of JP Laid-open patent document 7-7027 is sensitive to heat cycle-induced stress creating reliability problems, and cannot provide a semiconductor power module with a high current capacity of 100 [A] or more.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor power module having excellent economical efficiency due to the simplification of manufacturing steps and high reliability relative to heat cycles.
It is another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor power module of a high current capacity capable of providing Pb-free constitution.
According to the invention, an electrically insulative substrate is used in which a metal wiring pattern is formed on one surface (referred to herein, solely for identification, as the “upper surface”) of an insulative layer and a metal conductor is provided on the other surface (referred to herein, for identification as the “rear face”) of the insulative layer. The metal wiring pattern adapted to mount a semiconductor chip is patterned by etching in accordance with the requirement of wiring after being formed substantially over the entire surface of the insulative substrate. In order to suppress warping due to heat expansion between the upper surface and the rear face, and to suppress distortion caused in the semiconductor chip and in the solder below the it due to thermal effects, the metal conductor provided on the rear face of the insulative layer must be formed over substantially the entirel surface of the rear face. Also, the thickness of the metal conductor should be no greater than the thickness of the metal wiring pattern formed on one surface of the insulative layer. For example, the strength is balanced between the upper surface and the rearface by making the thickness of the metal wiring pattern formed on the upper surface 0.3 (mm) and the thickness of the metal conductor provided on the rear face 0.2 (mm), thereby providing a high resistance to the heat cycle-induced stress.
Further, the metal wiring pattern and the metal conductor sandwiching the insulative layer of the insulative substrate therebetween is preferably Ag, Cu, Al or a metal containing them.
According to the invention, the metal wiring pattern and the semiconductor chip are joined together on the upper surface of the insulative substrate, and the metal conductor provided on the rear face is thermally connected to a heat sink by way of a highly heat conductive adhesive.
In the insulative substrate, it is preferred that the metal conductor provided on the rear face of the insulative layer be formed over substantially the entirety of the rear face and that the thickness of the metal conductor be no greater than the thickness of the metal wiring pattern formed on the upper surface of the insulative layer.
The solder used for joining the metal wiring pattern provided on the upper surface of the insulative substrate and the semiconductor chip is preferably solder with a low melting point of 240° C. or lower and, particularly, PbFe solder.
Further, the metal conductor provided on the rear face of the insulative substrate can be bonded to a metal base containing copper, by a highly heat conductive adhesive, connected thermally by way of heat conductive grease to a heat sink.
According to the invention, the metal wiring pattern of the insulative substrate and the semiconductor chip are joined by solder with a low melting point on the rear face of the insulative substrate, and the metal conductor of the insulative substrate and the heat sink are directly bonded together using a highly heat conductive adhesive. In this case, the solder with a low melting point is preferably Pb-free solder.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the heat conductive adhesive used to join the metal conductor provided on the rear face of the insulative substrate to the metal base or heat sink (heat dissipation member) is defined as 2 W/(mk) or more.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the heat cycle-induced stress to the solder below the semiconductor chip can be decreased to ensure high reliability, by the combination of an insulative substrate having metal conductor on both the surfaces thereof and the highly conducting adhesive. Further, it is possible to provide an economically highly efficient semiconductor power module having a high current capacity, by simplifying the manufacturing step using a single solder.
Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a single type of solder may be used for the semiconductor power module between the metal wiring pattern of the insulative substrate and the power semiconductor chip; that is, it is not necessary to use two different kinds of solder, with a high melting point and with a low melting point. This enables the use of solder with a low melting point and, particularly, Pb-free solder which was otherwise difficult to apply to the existing power module, thereby attaining the Pb-free constitution in the semiconductor power module having a high current capacity.
Further, according to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the metal base can be saved to decrease the thickness and weight of the semiconductor power module having a high current capacity, by joining the metal conductor of the insulative substrate and the heat sink (heat dissipation member) directly by a heat conductive adhesive. Further, the heat dissipation from the semiconductor chip to the heat sink can be improved the production cost can be decreased further, while simplifying the structure.
Furthermore, according to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the thermal resistance from the semiconductor chip to the heat sink (heat dissipation member) can be suppressed to a level less than that in the existing power module structure by using a highly heat conductive adhesive with a thermal conductivity of 2 W/(mK) or more.
Other objects and the features of the invention will become apparent in the embodiments to be described below.
A MOS-FET chip 1 as a semiconductor power switching device is mounted on an insulative substrate 2, by means of solder 3. The insulative substrate 2 has a metal wiring pattern 22 formed on the upper surface of an insulative layer 21 made of silicon nitride, and a metal conductor 23 formed on the opposite surface (rear face) thereof so that the insulative layer is between the metal wiring pattern 22 and the metal conductor 23. The semiconductor chip 1 is bonded on the metal wiring pattern 22, using Pb-free solder 3 with a low melting point of 250° C. or lower. The insulative substrate 2 mounted with the semiconductor chip 1, is mounted on a sheet sink 4 made of aluminum (Al). That is, the insulative substrate 2 is bonded to the heat sing 4, via the metal conductor 23 on the rear face thereof, using a highly heat conductive adhesive 5 that has a thermal conductivity of 2 W/(mK) or more.
A resin case 6 is attached to the heat sink 4 by silicon adhesives 111 and 112, and copper bus bars 71 to 73 are insert molded to the resin case 6. The metal wiring pattern 22 joined with the semiconductor chip 1 is connected via bonding wires 81, 82 to the copper bus bars 72 and 73, respectively. The upper end of the case 6 is covered with a control substrate 9 of the power module and a silicon gel is filled as a sealant in the case 6.
As described above, the insulative substrate 2 includes the insulative layer 21 made of silicon nitride, the metal wiring pattern 22 formed on the upper surface thereof, and a metal conductor 23 formed on the rear face, such that the insulative layer 21 is between the insulative layer 21 and the metal conductor 23. The metal wiring pattern 22 and the metal conductor 23 are each formed of a metal of Ag, Cu or Al, or a metal containing them. The metal wiring 22 on which the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted is formed substantially over the entire surface of the insulative layer 21 and then patterned by etching in accordance with the requirement of the wiring.
The insulative substrate 2 is formed into a structure that is resistant to heat cycles in actual use, and that suppresses strain in the solder 3 by balancing heat expansion between the upper surface and the rear face. For this purpose, the metal conductor 23 on the rear face of the insulative substrate 2 is formed substantially over the entire surface of the insulative layer 21, to a thickness less than the metal wiring pattern 22 on the upper surface of the insulative substrate 2. That is, because the metal wiring pattern 22 is patterned by etching in accordance with the required wiring, it is assumed that it has a strength about ⅔ that of the metal conductor formed over the entire rear face. According, if the thickness of the metal wiring pattern 22 is 0.3 mm, the thickness of the metal conductor 23 is made to about 0.2 mm, or ⅔ of the thickness of the metal wiring pattern 22, thereby making it possible to balance the strength of the upper surface and the rear face and to provide a structure resistant to heat cycles. This can reduce the heat cycle-induced stress applied to the solder 3, improving reliability. For the reason described above, the thickness of the metal conductor 23 on the rear face of the heat insulative substrate 2 should be less than the thickness of the metal wiring pattern on one surface.
According to the first embodiment, the heat cycle-induced stress applied to the solder 3 can be decreased to ensure a high reliability by the combination of the insulative substrate 2 having the metal conductors 22 and 23 well balanced between both surfaces, and the highly conductive adhesive 5.
Further, it may suffice to use only one kind of the solder 3, and it is not necessary to use different kinds of solders that have different melting points. It is thus possible to simplify the manufacturing steps to provide a semiconductor power module with large current capacity and excellent economic efficiency. Accordingly, the Pb-free solder 3, which would otherwise be difficult to apply in the existing power module, can be used.
Further, by directly joining the metal conductor 23 of the insulative substrate 2 to the heat sink 4 using a highly heat conductive adhesive 5, the existing metal base can be used. Moreover, both the thickness and the weight of the semiconductor power module of high current capacity can be decreased, and the production cost can be reduced, while simplifying the structure. In addition, the heat dissipation from the semiconductor chip to the heat sink 4 can be improved. In particular, by the use of the highly heat conductive adhesive 5 having a thermal conductivity of 2 W/(mK) or more, the thermal resistance from the semiconductor chip 1 to the heat sink 4 can be lowered compared with the existing structure using the metal base.
In the first embodiment, while silicon nitride is used for the insulative layer 21 in the insulative substrate 2, other insulative material may also be used. Further, while each of the bonding wires (aluminum wiring) 81 and 82 is illustrated as a single wire, the actual number of wires can differ depending on the specification of the power module and the wire diameter. Further, while a structure is shown for the case of a MOS-FET as the semiconductor power switching device, it will be apparent that the invention is applicable also to any semiconductor switching devices, including IGBT, SIT or a combination of them with diodes in inversed-parallel arrangement.
In
The copper base 12 mounted with the semiconductor chip 1 is secured by way of a casing 6 to the heat sink 4 with the grease 13 being put therebetween.
Like the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the heat cycle-induced stress applied to the solder 3 can be decreased to ensure high reliability by the combination of the insulative substrate 2 having the metal conductors 22 and 23 that are well balanced between both surfaces, and the highly conductive adhesive 5.
Further, it may suffice to use only one kind of the solder 3, and it is not necessary to use different kinds of solders that have different melting points. It is thus possible to simplify the manufacturing steps, and to provide a semiconductor power module of large current capacity and excellent economic efficiency. Accordingly, the Pb-free solder 3, which is difficult to apply in the existing power module, can be used.
Further, since the insulative substrate 2 and the semiconductor chip 1 can be fabricated on the copper base 12, the manufacturing steps can be simplified to provide a semiconductor power module having a high current capacity and excellent economic efficiency.
The thermal resistance from the lower surface of the semiconductor chip 1 to the base of the fin of the heat sink 4 can be calculated. Heat generation of the semiconductor chip 1 is calculated assuming that the heat is conducted from the lower surface at an angle of 45°.
It is assumed that the size of the semiconductor chip 1 is 7.7 mm×7.7 mm×0.2 mm, the thickness of the Pb-free solder 3 is 0.11 mm, and the thermal conductivity thereof is 30 W/(mK). Further, it is also assumed that the material of the metal wiring pattern 22 on one surface of the insulative substrate 2 is Cu, the thickness is 0.4 mm, and the thermal conductivity is 380 W/(mK) . It is further assumed that the material of the insulative layer 21 of the insulative substrate 2 is silicon nitride, its thickness is 0.32 mm, its thermal conductivity is 62 W/(mK); and on the other hand that the material of the metal conductor 23 on the other surface of the insulative substrate 2 is Cu, its thickness is 0.4 mm and its thermal conductivity is 380 W/(mK). It is further assumed that the thickness of the highly heat conductive adhesive 5 is 0.1 mm, the distance from the bonded surface of the heat sink 4 to the base of the fin is 8 mm, and the thermal conductivity is 151 W/(mK).
Based on the values described above, the thermal resistance of each member is calculated. Assuming the thermal conductivity of the ith member as Ci, the thickness as ti, and the average cross sectional area as Si, the thermal resistance Rthi of the ith member is given by the following equation.
Rthi=ti/(Si·Ci)
Since the thermal resistance Rth from the lower surface of the semiconductor chip 1 to the base of the fin of the heat sink 4 is the sum of the thermal resistance Rthi of the members, it is determined according to the following formula.
Rth=ΣRthi
Thermal resistance from the lower surface of the semiconductor chip 1 to the base of the fin of a heat sink 4 in the structure of the comparative embodiment is calculated. In the same manner as in the first example, the heat generation of the semiconductor chip 1 is calculated such that heat is conducted from the lower surface thereof at an angle of 45°.
It is assumed that the size of the semiconductor chip 1 is 7.7 mm×7.7 mm×0.2 mm, the thickness of each of the Pb-incorporated solder 31 and 32 is 0.11 mm, and the thermal conductivity thereof is 30 W/(mK) . Further, it is assumed that the thickness of the copper base 12 is 3 mm and the thermal conductivity is 380 W/(mK) . It is further assumed that the thickness of the heat conductive grease 13 is 0.1 mm and the thermal conductivity is 1 W/(mK). It is further assumed that the material, value, and thermal conductivity of each of the other members are the same as those of the first example.
Based on the values described above, the thermal resistance Rth from the lower surface of the semiconductor chip 1 to the base of the fin of the heat sink can be calculated in the same manner as for the first example.
It can be seen from
In the power module of the first embodiment according to the invention in
In the power module of the comparative example in
It can be seen from
In the power module of the structure of the first embodiment according to the invention shown in
In the power module of the structure of the comparative example in
It can be seen from
As described above, according to the first to third examples, the thermal resistance from the semiconductor chip 1 to the heat dissipation surface of the heat sink 4 can be reduced by using the highly heat conductive adhesive 5 for connection between the insulative substrate 2 (having the metal conductor layers 22 and 23 on both of its surfaces) and the heat sink 4. Further, Pb-free constitution of the semiconductor power module with the continuous rated current of 100 Ω thus becomes possible.
While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-063638 | Mar 2005 | JP | national |
