JP7809181B2 - Semiconductor Module - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a semiconductor module in which a semiconductor element is mounted on a bus bar .

Busbar assemblies comprising multiple busbars that are electrically insulated from one another but mechanically connected have been proposed and are used in a variety of fields.

For example, a stacked busbar assembly has been proposed in which one flat busbar and another flat busbar are stacked one on top of the other in a parallel relationship (see Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

In the laminated bus bar assembly, the opposing flat surfaces of one flat bus bar and the opposing flat surfaces of another flat bus bar are arranged to face each other across an insulating resin layer, which makes it difficult to ensure sufficient reliability in terms of insulation.
In particular, if the thickness of the insulating resin layer between the one flat bus bar and the other flat bus bar is reduced in order to reduce the size in the vertical direction, there is a risk of leakage current flowing between the two bus bars.

To solve the problems with the laminated busbar assembly, the applicant filed an application for and received a patent for a planar busbar assembly in which first and second busbars made of conductive metal flat plates are arranged side by side on the same plane (see Patent Documents 3 and 4 below).

FIG. 17 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor module in which semiconductor elements (LEDs) are mounted on the planar bus bar assembly 500.
As shown in FIG. 17 , the planar bus bar assembly 500 includes a first bus bar 510(1) made of a conductive flat metal plate, a second bus bar 510(2) made of a conductive flat metal plate that is arranged in the same plane as the first bus bar 510(1) with a gap 515 between them, and an insulating resin layer 520 that electrically insulates and mechanically connects the first and second bus bars 510(1), 510(2).

The insulating resin layer 520 has a gap filling portion 525 that fills the gap 515, and a surface lamination portion 527 that is laminated on the surface of the busbar connection body formed by connecting the first and second busbars 510(1), 510(2) by the gap filling portion 525.

The surface laminated portion 527 includes a first surface laminated portion 530 and a second surface laminated portion 540 that respectively cover the first surface on one thickness side of the busbar connector and the second surface on the other thickness side, and a side surface laminated portion 550 that covers the outer surface of the busbar connector and connects the first and second surface laminated portions 530, 540.

The first-surface-side laminated portion 530 has first and second openings 531(1) and 531(2) that expose predetermined portions of the upper surfaces of the first and second bus bars 510(1) and 510(2), respectively, to form first and second element connection regions 511(1) and 511(2).

The semiconductor element 110 has an element body 115 and an upper electrode layer 111 and a lower electrode layer 112 disposed on one and the other thickness-wise sides of the element body 115, respectively. The lower electrode layer 112 is mechanically and electrically connected to one of the first and second element connection regions 511(1), 511(2) (the first element connection region 511(1) in FIG. 17) via, for example, a plating layer (not shown), and the upper electrode layer 111 is electrically connected to the other of the first and second element connection regions 511(1), 511(2) (the second element connection region 511(2) in FIG. 17) via a wire 120.

In the bus bar assembly 500, one of the first and second bus bars 510(1), 510(2) (e.g., the first bus bar 510(1)) acts as an anode, the other of the first and second bus bars 510(1), 510(2) (e.g., the second bus bar 510(2)) acts as a cathode, and the exposed areas on the undersides of the first and second bus bars 510(1), 510(2) form electrical connections with the outside.

As shown in FIG. 17, the busbar assembly 500 further includes a frame 550 that is fixed to the upper surface of the busbar connection body formed by connecting the first and second busbars 510(1), 510(2) via the insulating resin layer 520, so as to surround, in a plan view, at least the portion including the first and second element connection regions 511(1), 511(2).

The frame 550 is a component of the sealing resin body 130 that surrounds and protects the semiconductor element 110 and the wires 120.

The encapsulating resin body 130 is formed by applying an insulating resin that forms the encapsulating resin body 130 to the upper surface of the busbar assembly 1 so as to surround the semiconductor element 110, the wires 120, and other components, and then allowing it to harden. However, it is necessary to prevent the resin from flowing out after application and before hardening.

The frame 550 blocks the outflow of the resin and prevents the sealing resin body from detaching after hardening.

In the busbar assembly 500 shown in Figure 17, the frame body 550 has an outer shape corresponding to the outer shape of the busbar connector in a plan view, has a predetermined thickness, and is provided with a central hole in the center in a plan view that surrounds at least the first and second element connection regions. The outer peripheral surface of the frame body 550 is covered with an insulating resin layer.

The planar busbar assembly 500 described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 is useful in that it can solve the problems of the stacked busbar assembly, but it has the problem of making it difficult to reduce the size of the first and second busbars 510(1), 510(2) in the planar direction.

Patent No. 4432913 Patent No. 6487769 Patent No. 6637002 Patent No. 6637003

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional technology, and aims to provide a semiconductor module that can be made smaller in both the planar and thickness directions while having bus bars with anodes and cathodes for the semiconductor elements to be mounted and a frame body for a sealing resin body that protects the semiconductor elements.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a semiconductor module comprising: a planar bus bar formed of a conductive material; an insulating resin film provided on an upper surface of the bus bar , the insulating resin film having an opening that exposes at least a portion of the upper surface of the bus bar to form an element mounting area ; a semiconductor element having an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, the lower electrode layer being fixed in an electrically connected state to the element mounting area; a sealing resin frame formed from the same conductive material as the bus bar, the sealing resin frame being mechanically fixed to the upper surface of the bus bar via the insulating resin film in an electrically insulated state so as to define an accommodation space that opens upward at the center of the upper surface of the bus bar; electrical connection members that electrically connect the upper electrode layer and inner surfaces of the sealing resin frame; and a sealing resin body that fills the accommodation space so as to surround the semiconductor element and the electrical connection members and whose outflow is blocked by the sealing resin frame , wherein the entire outer surfaces of the bus bar and the sealing resin frame are exposed.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising: a planar bus bar formed of a conductive member; an insulating resin film provided on an upper surface of the bus bar, the insulating resin film having an opening that exposes at least a portion of the upper surface of the bus bar to form an element mounting area ; a semiconductor element having an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, the lower electrode layer being fixed in an electrically connected state to the element mounting area; and a sealing resin frame formed of the same conductive member as the bus bar, the sealing resin frame being mechanically fixed to the upper surface of the bus bar via the insulating resin film in an electrically insulated state so as to define an accommodation space that opens upward at the center of the upper surface of the bus bar. and an electrical connection member having one end electrically connected to the upper electrode layer, and an encapsulating resin body filled in the accommodating space so as to surround the semiconductor element and the electrical connection member and whose outflow is blocked by the encapsulating resin frame body , wherein the entire outer surface of the bus bar is exposed, and the outer surface of the encapsulating resin frame body except for the lower surface that contacts the insulating resin film is covered with a frame body-side insulating resin layer, and the frame body-side insulating resin layer is provided with an opening that exposes at least a portion of the inner surface of the encapsulating resin frame body and through which the other end of the electronic connection member is electrically connected and an opening that forms a frame body-side external connection part that can be electrically connected to the outside.

A third aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor device comprising: a planar bus bar formed of a conductive material; a semiconductor element having an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, the lower electrode layer being fixed to the upper surface of the bus bar in an electrically connected state; a sealing resin frame formed of the same conductive material as the bus bar, the sealing resin frame being mechanically fixed to the upper surface of the bus bar in an electrically insulated state so as to define an accommodation space that opens upward at the center of the upper surface of the bus bar ; an electrical connection member having one end electrically connected to the upper electrode layer; and a sealing resin frame for sealing the semiconductor element and the electrical connection member. a sealing resin body that is filled in the storage space so as to surround the connection member and whose outflow is blocked by the sealing resin frame body , wherein the entire outer surface of the bus bar is exposed, the entire outer surface of the sealing resin frame body is covered with a frame body-side insulating resin layer, and the frame body-side insulating resin layer is provided with an opening that exposes at least a portion of the inner surface of the sealing resin frame body and forms an element connection portion to which the other end of the electronic connection member is electrically connected, and an opening that forms a frame body-side external connection portion that can be electrically connected to the outside.

The semiconductor module according to the present invention can be made smaller in size in the planar and thickness directions while having a frame for a sealing resin body for protecting a mounted semiconductor element .

FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of a busbar assembly in a semiconductor module according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line I(b)-I(b) in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the semiconductor module according to the first embodiment. 3(a) to 3(d) are respectively a plan view of a busbar assembly in a semiconductor module according to a first modified example of the first embodiment, a cross-sectional view taken along line III(b)-III(b) in FIG. 3(a), a side view of a busbar assembly in a semiconductor module according to the first modified example, and a cross-sectional view taken along line III(d)-III(d) in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the semiconductor module according to the first modification. 5(a) to 5(d) are respectively a plan view of a busbar assembly in a semiconductor module according to a second modified example of the first embodiment, a cross-sectional view taken along line V(a)-V(a) in FIG. 5(a), a side view of a busbar assembly in a semiconductor module according to the second modified example, and a cross-sectional view taken along line V(d)-V(d) in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor module according to the second modification. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a bus bar plate used in the method for manufacturing bus bars in the semiconductor module according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the bus bar forming plate after the bus bar side insulating resin layer forming step in the manufacturing method. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a frame plate used in the frame forming process in the manufacturing method. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the bus bar forming plate and the frame forming plate after the plate fixing step in the manufacturing method. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the bus bar forming plate and the frame forming plate after the opening forming step in the manufacturing method. 12A to 12C are vertical cross-sectional views of busbar assemblies in semiconductor modules according to third to fifth modifications of the first embodiment, respectively. FIG. 13(a) is a plan view of the busbar plate with an insulating resin coating film provided on the outer peripheral surface, and FIG. 13(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII(b)-XIII(b) in FIG. 13(a), showing the state after openings have been formed in the insulating resin coating film to expose the element mounting area and the busbar-side external connection portions. Fig. 14(a) is a plan view of the frame body flat plate after the frame body-side insulating resin layer forming step in the manufacturing method, and Fig. 14(b) and (c) are cross-sectional views taken along line XIV-XIV in Fig. 14(a). Fig. 14(b) and (c) respectively show a state in which a frame body-side insulating resin layer with an exposed lower surface has been provided, and a state in which a frame body-side insulating resin layer covering the lower surface has been provided. Figures 15(a) to (d) are respectively a plan view of a busbar assembly in a semiconductor module according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, a cross-sectional view along line XV(a)-XV(a) in Figure 15(a), a side view of the busbar assembly in the semiconductor module according to embodiment 2, and a cross-sectional view along line XV(d)-XV(d) in Figure 15(a). FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the semiconductor module according to the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor module in which semiconductor elements are mounted on a conventional planar bus bar assembly.

First Embodiment
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A semiconductor module according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1A shows a plan view of a busbar assembly 1 in a semiconductor module according to this embodiment.
FIG. 1(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along line I(b)-I(b) in FIG. 1(a).

The busbar assembly 1 comprises a busbar 10 formed from a conductive material and a frame body 30 formed from a conductive material.

As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the busbar 10 has an upper surface 11, a lower surface 12 opposite the upper surface 11, and a side surface 13 connecting the peripheries of the upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12.
The bus bar 10 is formed of a conductive metal plate such as Cu.

The busbar 10 has an element mounting area 15 on at least a portion of the upper surface 11, where an electrical element such as a semiconductor element can be electrically and mechanically mounted, and a busbar-side external connection portion 16 on at least a portion of the lower surface 12, which can be electrically connected to the outside.

As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the busbar assembly 1 in the semiconductor module according to this embodiment has a busbar-side insulating resin layer 20 provided on the upper surface 11 of the busbar 10.

The frame body 30 is fixed to the upper surface 11 of the busbar 10 via the busbar-side insulating resin layer 20, and is thereby mechanically fixed to the upper surface 11 of the busbar 10 in an electrically insulated state.

In this embodiment, the bus bar side insulating resin layer 20 is formed of an insulating resin film 25 .
The insulating resin film 25 is made of various insulating materials, and preferably polyamideimide is used.

The busbar-side insulating resin layer 20 has an opening 21 that exposes the element mounting area 15.

As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the frame 30 is mechanically and electrically insulated from the upper surface 11 of the busbar 10 via the busbar-side insulating resin layer 20 so as to define an accommodation space S that opens upward in at least the central portion of the upper surface 11 of the busbar 10, including the element mounting area 15.

The frame body 30 is a protective member for the sealing resin body 130 (see Figure 2 below) that protects the electrical elements mounted in the element mounting area 15 and electrical connection members such as wires 120 connected to the electronic elements (see Figure 2 below).
Preferably, the frame 30 is formed from the same conductive material as the bus bar 10 .

Figure 2 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor module 101 in which a semiconductor element 110 such as an LED is mounted as the electrical element on the busbar assembly 1.

The semiconductor element 110 has an upper electrode layer 111 and a lower electrode layer 112 on the upper surface on one side in the thickness direction and a lower surface on the other side in the thickness direction, respectively, and has an element body 115 between the upper electrode layer 111 and the lower electrode layer 112.

The semiconductor element 110 is fixed by adhesive or the like so that the lower electrode layer 112 is electrically connected to the element mounting area 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor module 101 is provided with the sealing resin body 130 that covers components such as the semiconductor element 110 and the wires 120 that are mounted on the busbar assembly 1.

The sealing resin body 130 is formed by applying a resin that forms the sealing resin body 130 to the upper surface of the storage space S of the busbar assembly 1 so as to surround components such as the semiconductor element 110 and the wire 120, and then hardening the resin. However, it is necessary to prevent the resin from flowing out after application and before hardening.
The frame 30 blocks the outflow of the uncured resin and prevents the sealing resin body 130 from coming off after curing.

In this embodiment, the frame body 130 is configured to fit along the peripheral region of the busbar 10 in a plan view.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the frame body 30 is formed from a conductive material, and is configured to have an element connection portion 36 that can be electrically connected to the semiconductor element 110 mounted in the element mounting area 15, and a frame-side external connection portion 38 that can be electrically connected to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 2, the element connection portion 36 is electrically connected to the upper electrode layer 111 of the semiconductor element 110 via the wire 120.

In other words, in this embodiment, the bus bar 10 is electrically connected to the lower electrode layer 112 of the semiconductor element 110 and acts as one of the anode and cathode (e.g., the anode) for the semiconductor element 110, and the frame body 30 provided for the sealing resin body 130 is electrically connected to the upper electrode layer 111 of the semiconductor element 110 and also acts as the other of the anode and cathode (e.g., the cathode) for the semiconductor element 110.

The busbar assembly 1 having such a configuration offers the following advantages over a stacked busbar assembly (hereinafter referred to as conventional configuration 1) in which a first flat busbar and a second flat busbar are stacked one above the other in a parallel relationship with an insulating resin layer sandwiched therebetween, and a planar busbar assembly 500 (see FIG. 17 , referred to as conventional configuration 2) in which first and second busbars 510(1), 510(2) are arranged in parallel in the same plane with a gap 515 therebetween, insulating resin layers 520 are provided in the gap 515 and on the upper surfaces of the first and second busbars 510(1), 510(2), and a frame 550 is fixed via the insulating resin layer 520 to the upper surface of the busbar connection body of the first and second busbars 510(1), 510(2) connected by the insulating resin layer 520.

In other words, in the conventional configuration 1, the first and second bus bars are arranged facing each other across the entire surface, which makes it difficult to ensure sufficient reliability in terms of insulation between the first and second bus bars.

Furthermore, if a frame body is provided in the conventional configuration 1, the first bus bar, the second bus bar, and the frame body are stacked in the thickness direction, which makes it difficult to achieve miniaturization in the thickness direction.

In contrast, in the busbar assembly 1 in the semiconductor module according to this embodiment, the frame body 30, which acts as the other of the anode and cathode, faces only a portion of the plane of the busbar 10 (the peripheral region in the illustrated embodiment), which acts as one of the anode and cathode. Therefore, sufficient insulation between the busbar 10 and the frame body 30 can be ensured without increasing the thickness of the insulating resin layer 20 between the busbar 10 and the frame body 30.

In addition, since the frame body 30 for the sealing resin body 130 serves as both the anode and cathode, the busbar assembly 1 can be made smaller in thickness direction.

Compared to conventional configuration 1, conventional configuration 2 is able to achieve a smaller thickness while still ensuring sufficient reliability in terms of insulation between the first and second bus bars 510(1), 510(2). However, because the first and second bus bars 510(1), 510(2), which act as one and the other of the anode and cathode, are arranged in the same plane, it is difficult to achieve a smaller size in the planar direction.

In contrast, in the bus bar assembly 1 in the semiconductor module according to this embodiment, the frame body 30 for the sealing resin body 130 is used as both an anode and a cathode, and therefore, the same effect as that of the conventional configuration 2 can be obtained, that is, the effect of being able to sufficiently ensure the reliability of the insulation between the pair of bus bars that act as an anode and a cathode while achieving miniaturization in the thickness direction, and further, it is possible to achieve miniaturization in the planar direction as well.

As shown in Figures 1(b) and 2, in this embodiment, the entire outer peripheral surface of the frame body 30 is exposed to the outside, and any position on the outer peripheral surface can be used as the element connection portion 36 and the frame body side external connection portion 38.

3(a) to 3(d) respectively show a plan view of a busbar assembly 1A in a semiconductor module according to a first modified example of this embodiment, a cross-sectional view taken along line III(b)-III(b) in FIG. 3(a), a side view of the busbar assembly 1A, and a cross-sectional view taken along line III(d)-III(d) in FIG. 3(a).
FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor module 101A according to the first modified example.

In the busbar assembly 1A, a frame body side insulating resin layer 31A is provided to cover the upper surface, inner surface (side surface facing the storage space S), and outer surface (side surface facing the opposite side from the storage space S) of the frame body 30.

The frame-side insulating resin layer 31A has an opening that exposes a portion of the inner surface to form the element connection portion 36, and an opening that exposes a portion of the outer surface to form the frame-side external connection portion 38.

5(a) to 5(d) respectively show a plan view of a busbar assembly 1B in a semiconductor module according to a second modified example of this embodiment, a cross-sectional view taken along line V(a)-V(a) in FIG. 5(a), a side view of the busbar assembly 1B, and a cross-sectional view taken along line V(d)-V(d) in FIG. 5(a).
FIG. 6 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor module 101B according to the second modified example.

In the bus bar assembly 1B in the semiconductor module according to the second modification, a frame-side insulating resin layer 31B is provided to cover the upper, inner, outer and lower surfaces of the frame 30.

The frame-side insulating resin layer 31B has an opening that exposes a portion of the inner surface to form the element connection portion 36, and an opening that exposes a portion of the outer surface to form the frame-side external connection portion 38.

The frame-side insulating resin layers 31A, 31B having the openings can be formed, for example, by applying an insulating resin paint to the frame 30 while the area where the openings are to be formed is covered with a mask, and then allowing it to harden.

An example of a method for manufacturing the busbar assembly 1 will now be described.
FIG. 7 shows a plan view of a bus bar flat plate 200 made of conductive metal and used in the manufacturing method.

The manufacturing method includes the step of preparing a busbar flat plate 200 having a busbar forming region 210 with the same thickness as the busbar 10.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the busbar formation plate 200 has a busbar row 205 including a plurality of busbar formation regions 210 arranged in series along the Y direction in the X-Y plane on which the busbar formation plate 200 is located, and a connecting region 230 connecting adjacent busbar formation regions 210 in the Y direction.

In this embodiment, the busbar plate 200 has a pair of gripping pieces 207 connected to one side and the other side of the busbar row 205 in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), and alignment holes 208 are formed in the pair of gripping pieces 207.

It is also possible to arrange multiple bus bar rows 205 in parallel in the X direction, and hold the multiple bus bar rows 205 arranged in parallel in the X direction together using the pair of gripping pieces 207, 207.

The manufacturing method includes a busbar-side insulating resin layer formation process in which the busbar-side insulating resin layer 20 is formed on the first surface 211 (the upper surface on which the semiconductor element 110 is mounted) on one side in the thickness direction of the busbar forming region 210.

In this embodiment, the bus bar side insulating resin layer forming step is configured to adhere the insulating resin film 25 to the first surface of the bus bar forming region 210 .
FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the bus bar forming plate 200 after the bus bar side insulating resin layer forming step.

The insulating resin film 25 has the same external shape as the busbar forming area 210 in a plan view.

The insulating resin film 20 is formed from an insulating resin material that has heat resistance and insulating properties, such as polyamideimide, polyimide, polyamide, or epoxy.

The manufacturing method is configured to perform a frame formation process to form the frame 30 in parallel with, or before or after, the processes from preparing the busbar flat plate 200 to forming the busbar-side insulating resin layer.

FIG. 9 shows a plan view of a frame plate 300 made of conductive metal and used in the frame forming process.
The frame body forming process includes a step of preparing a frame body flat plate 300 including a frame body forming region 310 having the same thickness as the frame body 30 and an outer shape corresponding to the busbar forming region 210 in a planar view, and a punching step of punching out the center of the frame body forming region 310 so that a frame body forming portion corresponding to the frame body 30 remains.
FIG. 9 shows the state after the punching step.

The frame plate 300 is made of various conductive materials.
Preferably, the frame plate 300 is made of the same material as the bus bar plate 200 .

The frame body flat plate 300 is configured so that when it is superimposed on the bus bar flat plate 200, the frame body forming region 310 is aligned with the bus bar forming region 210.

In more detail, as described above, the busbar plate 200 has a busbar row 205 including a plurality of busbar forming regions 210 arranged in series along the Y direction and a connecting region 230 connecting adjacent busbar forming regions 210 in the Y direction.

As shown in Figure 9, the frame body flat plate 300 therefore has a frame body row 305 including a plurality of frame body forming regions 310 arranged in series in the Y direction at the same pitch as the plurality of busbar forming regions 210, and connecting regions 330 connecting adjacent frame body forming regions 310 in the Y direction.

As mentioned above, the busbar plate 200 has a pair of gripping pieces 207 connected to one side and the other side of the busbar row 205 in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), and alignment holes 208 are formed in the pair of gripping pieces 207.

Accordingly, as shown in Figure 9, the frame body flat plate 300 is also provided with a pair of gripping pieces 307 connected to one side and the other side of the frame body row 305 in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), and the pair of gripping pieces 307 are provided with alignment holes 308 corresponding to the alignment holes 208.

The manufacturing method includes a plate fixing step of laminating the busbar forming plate 200 and the frame forming plate 300 together, and fixing the frame forming region 310 to the first surface 211 of the corresponding busbar forming region 210 via the insulating resin layer 20 (the insulating resin film 25 in this embodiment).
FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the bus bar forming plate 200 and the frame forming plate 300 after the plate fixing step.

The flat plate fixing process is performed, for example, by adhering the frame body forming region 310 to the insulating resin layer 20 (the insulating resin film 25 in this embodiment) on the first surface 211 of the corresponding busbar forming region 210 using an adhesive.

The manufacturing method further includes an opening formation step of forming the opening 21 in the busbar-side insulating resin layer 20 to expose the element mounting area 15.

In this embodiment, the opening forming step is configured to form the opening 21 by irradiating the insulating resin film 25 with laser light after the flat plate fixing step.
FIG. 11 shows a plan view of the bus bar forming plate 200 and the frame forming plate 300 after the opening forming step.

The manufacturing method further includes a cutting step in which the busbar forming region 210 and the frame body forming region 310, which are in a fixed state, are cut from the busbar forming plate 200 and the frame body forming plate 300.

As shown in Figure 11, the cutting process is configured to cut along cutting lines C1 and C2 that respectively follow the edges of the busbar forming region 210 and the frame forming region on one and the other side in the Y direction.

In this embodiment, the opening formation process is performed after the flat plate fixing process and before the cutting process, but instead, it is also possible to form the openings 21 in advance in the insulating resin film 25 before it is adhered to the bus bar forming region 210.
In this case, the bus bar side insulating resin layer forming step is configured to adhere the insulating resin film 25 in which the openings 21 are formed to the bus bar forming region 210 .

Alternatively, the insulating resin film 25 can be irradiated with laser light after the busbar-side insulating resin layer forming process and before the flat plate fixing process (the state shown in Figure 8), or after the cutting process.

In addition, in this embodiment, the openings 21 are formed by irradiating with laser light, but instead, the openings 21 can also be formed by etching.
In this case, the openings 21 are formed by etching the bus bar side insulating resin layer 20 while masking the areas other than the areas where the openings 21 are to be formed.

Furthermore, if the openings 21 are formed before the insulating resin film 25 is adhered to the busbar forming region 210, the openings 21 can also be formed by punching the insulating resin film 25.

In this embodiment, as described above, the busbar-side insulating resin layer 20 is formed from the insulating resin film 25. However, instead, the busbar-side insulating resin layer 20 can also be formed from an insulating resin coating film 27.

12(a) to 12(c) show longitudinal cross-sectional views of busbar assemblies 1C to 1E in semiconductor modules according to third to fifth modified examples in which the busbar side insulating resin layer 20 is formed of an insulating resin coating film 27 instead of the insulating resin film 25 in the busbar assemblies 1, 1A, and 1B in the semiconductor modules according to the present embodiment, the first modified example, and the second modified example, respectively.

In the manufacturing method of the busbar assemblies 1C to 1E in the semiconductor modules according to the third to fifth modified examples, the busbar side insulating resin layer forming process is configured to apply an insulating resin paint to the outer peripheral surface of the busbar flat plate 200 and then harden it.

Figure 13(a) shows a plan view of the busbar plate 200 with an insulating resin coating 27 applied to its outer peripheral surface.

In this case, the opening formation process is configured to form, by laser light irradiation or etching, openings 21 that expose the element mounting area 15, as well as openings 22 that expose the busbar-side external connection portions 16.

Figure 13(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII(b)-XIII(b) in Figure 13(a), showing the state after the openings 21 and 22 have been formed.

As shown in Figure 13(b), the opening formation process can be performed after the busbar-side insulating resin layer formation process and before the plate fixing process, or alternatively, after the plate fixing process and before the cutting process, or after the cutting process.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing method for the configuration in which the frame-side insulating resin layers 31A, 31B are provided (the first, second, fourth, and fifth variants), the frame-forming process includes, after the punching step, a frame-side insulating resin layer forming step in which, while masking the areas of the outer surface of the frame-forming portion where the element connection portion 36 and the frame-side external connection portion 38 are to be formed, an insulating resin paint is applied and cured.

FIG. 14(a) shows a plan view of the frame body flat plate 300 after the frame body side insulating resin layer forming step.
14(b) and 14(c) are cross-sectional views taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 14(a).
Figures 14(b) and (c) respectively show a configuration in which the frame body side insulating resin layer 31A is provided (the first and fourth modified examples) and a configuration in which the frame body side insulating resin layer 31B is provided (the second and fifth modified examples).

In addition, in configurations (the second to fifth variants) in which an insulating resin coating is provided on at least one of the contact areas of the frame body 30 and the busbar 10 (i.e., at least one of the areas of the lower surface of the frame body 30 and the upper surface of the busbar 10 that contacts the frame body 30), the flat plate fixing process can be performed when the insulating resin coating is in a semi-cured state.

With this configuration, the busbar plate 200 and the frame plate 300 can be fixed together by utilizing the curing action of the insulating resin coating instead of, or in addition to, the action of an adhesive.

Embodiment 2
Hereinafter, other embodiments of the semiconductor module according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figures 15(a) to (d) respectively show a plan view of the busbar assembly 2 in the semiconductor module of this embodiment, a cross-sectional view taken along line XV(a)-XV(a) in Figure 15(a), a side view of the busbar assembly 2, and a cross-sectional view taken along line XV(d)-XV(d) in Figure 15(a).
FIG. 16 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor module 102 in which the semiconductor element 110 is mounted on the bus bar assembly 2.
In the drawings, the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

The busbar assembly 2 in the semiconductor module of this embodiment differs from the busbar assembly 1 in the semiconductor module of embodiment 1 in that the busbar side insulating resin layer 20 is omitted, and the frame body 30 and the busbar 10 are insulated only by the frame body side insulating resin layer 30B.

In other words, in this embodiment, a frame-side insulating resin layer 30B is provided to cover at least the lower surface of the frame 30 (the surface facing the upper surface 11 of the bus bar 10), and the frame 30, which is formed from a conductive material, is mechanically fixed to the upper surface 11 of the bus bar 10 in an electrically insulated state via the frame-side insulating resin layer 30B.

The busbar assembly 2 having such a configuration can also obtain the same effects as the busbar assembly 1 in the semiconductor module according to the first embodiment, compared to the conventional configurations 1 and 2.

In this embodiment, the frame-side insulating resin layer 30B is configured to cover the entire outer peripheral surface of the frame 30, and the frame-side insulating resin layer 30B is provided with an opening for forming the element connection portion 36 and an opening for forming the frame-side external connection portion 38.

The bus bar assembly 2 in the semiconductor module according to this embodiment is efficiently manufactured by the following manufacturing method.

That is, the manufacturing method includes a step of preparing the busbar flat plate 200, and a frame-forming process that is performed before or after the step of preparing the busbar flat plate 200, or in parallel with the step of preparing the busbar flat plate 200.

The frame body forming process includes a step of preparing the frame body flat plate 300, a punching step of punching out the central portion of the frame body forming region 310 to form a frame body forming portion, and a frame body side insulating resin layer forming step of applying an insulating resin paint to at least the surface of the outer surface of the frame body forming portion that faces the first surface 11 of the bus bar 10 and curing the paint to form the frame body side insulating resin layer 30B.

The manufacturing method further includes a plate fixing process in which the busbar forming plate 200 and the frame body forming plate 300 are laminated together and the frame body forming region 310 is fixed to the first surface 211 of the corresponding busbar forming region 210, and a cutting process in which the fixed busbar forming region 210 and the frame body forming region 310 are cut from the busbar forming plate 200 and the frame body forming plate 300.

The fixing of the frame body forming region 310 and the busbar forming region 210 in the flat plate fixing process can be performed by adhesive bonding, or instead of or in addition to adhesive bonding, the fixing can be performed by polymerizing the frame body forming region 310 and the busbar forming region 210 while the insulating resin coating on the opposing surface of the frame body 30 is in a semi-cured state, thereby utilizing the curing effect of the coating.

1, 1A to 1E, 2 Bus bar assembly 10 Bus bar 15 Element mounting area 16 Bus bar side external connection portion 20 Bus bar side insulating resin layer 25 Insulating resin film 27 Insulating resin coating film 30 Frame body 31A, 31B Frame body side insulating resin layer 36 Element connection portion 38 Element side external connection portion
101 to 101B semiconductor modules
S. Storage space

Claims (3)

a planar bus bar formed of a conductive member; an insulating resin film provided on an upper surface of the bus bar , the insulating resin film having an opening that exposes at least a portion of the upper surface of the bus bar and forms an element mounting area; a semiconductor element having an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, the lower electrode layer being fixed in an electrically connected state to the element mounting area; a sealing resin frame formed of the same conductive member as the bus bar, the sealing resin frame being mechanically fixed to the upper surface of the bus bar via the insulating resin film in an electrically insulated state so as to define an accommodation space that opens upward at the center of the upper surface of the bus bar ; electrical connection members that electrically connect the upper electrode layer and an inner surface of the sealing resin frame; and a sealing resin body that is filled in the accommodation space so as to surround the semiconductor element and the electrical connection members, the outflow of which is blocked by the sealing resin frame ,
The semiconductor module is characterized in that the entire outer surfaces of the bus bar and the sealing resin frame are exposed. a planar bus bar formed of a conductive material; an insulating resin film provided on an upper surface of the bus bar , the insulating resin film having an opening that exposes at least a portion of the upper surface of the bus bar and forms an element mounting area; a semiconductor element having an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, the lower electrode layer being fixed in an electrically connected state to the element mounting area; a sealing resin frame formed of the same conductive material as the bus bar, the sealing resin frame being mechanically fixed to the upper surface of the bus bar via the insulating resin film in an electrically insulated state so as to define an accommodation space that opens upward at the center of the upper surface of the bus bar; electrical connection members having one end electrically connected to the upper electrode layer; and a sealing resin body that fills the accommodation space so as to surround the semiconductor element and the electrical connection members, the outflow of which is blocked by the sealing resin frame ;
The entire outer surface of the bus bar is exposed,
the sealing resin frame has an outer surface covered with a frame-side insulating resin layer except for a lower surface that contacts the insulating resin film,
A semiconductor module characterized in that the frame-side insulating resin layer is provided with an opening that exposes at least a portion of the inner surface of the sealing resin frame, forming an element connection portion to which the other end of the electronic connection member is electrically connected, and an opening that forms a frame-side external connection portion that can be electrically connected to the outside. a planar bus bar formed of a conductive member; a semiconductor element having an upper electrode layer and a lower electrode layer, the lower electrode layer being fixed to an upper surface of the bus bar in an electrically connected state; a sealing resin frame formed of the same conductive member as the bus bar, the sealing resin frame being mechanically fixed to the upper surface of the bus bar in an electrically insulated state so as to define an accommodation space that opens upward at the center of the upper surface of the bus bar ; electrical connection members having one end electrically connected to the upper electrode layer; and a sealing resin body that is filled in the accommodation space so as to surround the semiconductor element and the electrical connection members, the outflow of which is blocked by the sealing resin frame ;
The entire outer surface of the bus bar is exposed,
the entire outer surface of the sealing resin frame is covered with a frame-side insulating resin layer,
A semiconductor module characterized in that the frame-side insulating resin layer is provided with an opening that exposes at least a portion of the inner surface of the sealing resin frame, forming an element connection portion to which the other end of the electronic connection member is electrically connected, and an opening that forms a frame-side external connection portion that can be electrically connected to the outside.