CA1142262A - Semiconductor contact shim and attachment method - Google Patents

Semiconductor contact shim and attachment method

Info

Publication number
CA1142262A
CA1142262A CA000356669A CA356669A CA1142262A CA 1142262 A CA1142262 A CA 1142262A CA 000356669 A CA000356669 A CA 000356669A CA 356669 A CA356669 A CA 356669A CA 1142262 A CA1142262 A CA 1142262A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
shim
contact
apertures
lands
semiconductor element
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000356669A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Nicholas R. Oley
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens Mobility Ltd
Original Assignee
Westinghouse Brake and Signal Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Westinghouse Brake and Signal Co Ltd filed Critical Westinghouse Brake and Signal Co Ltd
Priority to CA000356669A priority Critical patent/CA1142262A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1142262A publication Critical patent/CA1142262A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Abstract

ABSTRACT
"Semiconductor Contact Shim and Attachment Method"
A contact shim for insertion between an electrode internal contact member and a contact surface of a semiconductor element in a semiconductor device assembly. The shim has a generally continuous body provided with a number of apertures having a land or finger extending at least partially thereacross, preferably a land comprises a bar which bisects an aperture. The apertures and bisecting lands may be used as visual guides in aligning the shim with reference marks on the contact surface of the semiconductor element and, the means of attaching the shim to the element may be applied to the lands in order that any distortion consequent upon attachment is confined to the lands leaving the body of the shim undistorted.

Description

The invention relates to the configuration and arrangement of contact shims in semiconductor devices.
Contact shims are used in a variety of semiconductor devices inserted between an electrode internal contact member and the respective surface contact area of the semiconductor element itself. Such arrangements are associated with but not necessarily restricted to the mounting of high current and physically large semiconductor elements. A contact shim is particularly useful where the surface of one semiconductor region is not a contiguous area but is, for example, inter-digitated with a surface of a different semiconductor region. In such instances there arise the problems of accurate alignment of the shim and its secure attachment, preferably to the semiconductor element, with minimum loss of contact surface due to e.g. distortion caused by attachment means.
According to the present invention there is provided a semicon-ductor device including a contact shim inserted between an internal contact member of an electrode and a contact surface of a semiconductor element, thé shim comprising a body wherein are formed a plurality of apertures having lands extending at least partly thereacross, to which attachment means are applied to attach the shim to the semiconductor element.
According to the invention there is also provided a method of assembling a semiconductor device having inserted between an internal - contact member of an electrode and a contact surface of a semiconductor element a contact shim comprising a body wherein are formed a plurality of apertures having lands extending at least partly thereacross includes the step of aligning the contact shim with respect to the semiconductor element by means of observing, through an aperture, the relative position of a land and an alignment mark on the semiconductor element.

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According to the invention there is further provided a method of assembling a semiconductor device having inserted between an internal contact member of an electrode and a contact surface of a semiconductor element a contact shim comprising a body wherein are formed a plurality of apertures having lands extending at least partly thereacross includes the step of attaching the shim to the semiconductor element at the lands within the periphery of the apertures.
In order to illustrate how the invention may be readily carried into practice an embodiment will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- -Figure 1 shows a plan view of a preferred shim member viewed from the raised region side, Figure 2 shows a detailed view of one of the alignment holes of the shim of Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a view on section Y-Y in Figure 2, and Figures 4 and 5 show cross sections through transistor assemblies.
The embodiment to be described is a high current transistor comprising a relatively physically large semiconductor element in the form of a diffused circular silicon slice of approximately thirty millimetres diameter on one face of which emitter and base contacts are formed, separated by a channel of insulating semiconductor oxide and corresponding to the inter-fitting emitter and base region patterns.
The particular emitter pattern in this embodiment is in the form of a set of parallel linear ribs divided into two approximately semi-circular halves by an unribbed diametrical channel.
The contact shim referred to above is shown in plan view in Figure 1 of the drawings. A set of parallel linear raised ribs 1 are -` 1142262 formed on the face of a circular ganerally plane aluminium shim base 2.
The set of ribs is divided in two substantially semi-circular halves by an unribbed channel 3 formed along a diameter perpendicular to the ribs and in the plane of the shim.
The spacing of the ribs formed on the shim on the semiconductor element emitter contact member are identical ~within manufacturing tolerances) and mirror-imaged and the shim ribs are slightly narrower so that exact register of the patterns can be obtained with no overlap when the shim is positioned against the , -. .: . .

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emitter ancl correctly, aligned therewith.

In order -to assist in the task of alignment of the two rib patterns, a plurality of circular alignment apertures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are formed in the generally plane body or base layer 2 of the shim overlapping parts of respective ribs 1. Two further alignment apertures . . .
8 and 9 are also formed in the unribbed channel 3.
The diame~er of the apertures 4, 5? 6 and 7 is greater than the width of the ribs 1 so that the raised rib which remains after the holes forms a land extending across the aperture which in this particular example blsects the hole and forms two D-shaped viewing apertures 10 and 11 in Figs. 2 and 3, on opposite sides of a rib ]. The apertures 8 and 9 have diameters slightly less than the `width of channel 3. During assembly -the alignment apertures 4, 5, 6 and 7 are used to align the shim ribs angularly and transversely with respect to the rib pattern on the emitter contact member, and the apertures 9 and 10 are used for alignment in the direction of the ribs by matching the ends of the ribs adjoining the channel .
3. ~en accurately ali~ned, the shim is then anchored to the emitter contact member of the semiconductor - element by spot-welds made ultrasonically at points on the ribs 1 within the Perimeter of the alignment ~ apertures 4, 5, 6 and 7. The sub-assembly thus produced I is then ready for assembly into the device housing ; capsule as described above. Attachment means other than ultrasonic welding which may be used includes laser welding, soldering and the use of adhesive bonding.
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. , ~ . ,. ~ ~ , , i In the example being described, the dimensions of the shim are as follows, shim diameter 30 mm, rib width and spacing 0.5mm, alignment apertures 4, 5, 6 and 7 have diameters 1.37mm and are positioned at the corners of a square lying on a pitch circle diameter 13.125mm.
The shim base is 0.125mm thickness and total thickness including rib is 0.25mm. The alignment apertures and the ribs are formed by chemical etchinp; and as can be seen in the sectional vie~y of ~ig. ~, only the base layer is removed to form the alignment apertures leaving full or partial rib thickness.

The diameter of the alignment holes bisected by the ribs was carefully determined to allow the ribs thus exposed to be ul-trasonically welded without causing distortion to the main body of the shim. :The process of ultrasonic welding tends to cause metal to flow from undernea-th the welding tip into the surrounding body of metal thus causing local distortions. The extent of such distortions is determined by several factors principally, métal ductility, ultrasonic vibration characteristics and welding tip dimensions and shape. If the distortions are not fully absorbed by the rib within the perimeter of an aperture the contact surface of the ma~or portion ` of the body of the shim may be permanently dis-torted i such that in the final assembly there is clearance between part of the ribbed shim surface and the emitter contact.
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In the pre<ient example being~ described, rib-like base and emitter region~s in the tr~nsistor are interdigi-tated, it is necessary -therefore for the shim rib height (or depth) to be sufficient such -that should the shirn 5 base be distorted by clamping forces in the final assembly that no part of the emitter shim can make contact with a base contact surface end thus short the base-emit-ter junction.

10 The above-described example possess paraIlel linear ribs in the pattern of the raised portion. It is kno~m in the semiconductor field to employ other ralsed patterns, for example, patterns corresponding to the shape of a distributed gate in the thy~istor field. Thus it is to 15 be understood that the in~ention may be a~plied to `devices other than transistors and in conjunction with patterns other than the linear ribbed pattern illustrated.
In this connection the emitter contact need not be ribbed, having instead a plane surface, similarly the shim 20 need not have a ribbed raised surface pattern. It is, ~ however, preferred to retain a rib or bar across each l~ of the alignment apertures to which spot~ elds or I

other attachment means for anchoring the shim are made and to dispose the alignment apertures symmetrically 25 with respect to the configuration of semiconductor element.

.
Instead of the shim being formed with raised regrions, e.g. ribs, these could be formed on the emitter contact ` 30 of the transistor and a planar shim employed. Such an .

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arrangement could retain the align~nen-t; aper-tures and ultrasonic ~ielding or any other method of attachment as described. Alternatively, both shim and semiconduc-tor element con-tact could be formed with raised regions, and joined in similar manner.

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Figs. 4 and 5 show in cross sectio.n two kno~n transistor constructions in which a shim of the present invention may be included and which may be assembled according to a method hereinbefore des~ribed. In the Fig. 4 arrange-ment the transistor semiconductor element is in~icated by reference 20, and the electrodes 21, 22, 23 connected to the three regions of the transistor are correspondingly labelled, emitter, base and collector. In this particular arrangement an emitter shim 24 is attached to the emitter surface region of element 20 but the inner contac-t surface 25 of the emitter electrode is:no-t permanently in contact therewith. Element 20 is clamped in position against the inner ~ace of collector elec-trode 23 by a base connector member 26. The shim 24 is attached by,welding or adhesive to the emitter region but is only contacted by emitter electrode face 25 when a clamping force is ~¦~ applied in the direction of the arrow in the drawing to compress the spring 27 which normally acts against the underside 28 of an annular shoulder formed around , ~ the periphery of electrode 21 to urge the electrode away from the semiconductor element. ~Yhen installed for use the transistor is clamped in place with the outer exposed face of emitter electrode 21 against the recei~ing face `
30, of a heat sink (not sho~), .
.

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The Fig. 5 arrangement is commonly referr~d to as a "top-hat" encapsulation after the outline of a side view of the device. Here a semiconductor transistor element 30 is permanently clamped between a col~ector pole piece 31 and an emit-ter rod 32,formed wi-th an inner flanged head 33. A base electrode 34 is also connected to the element 30 b~ means of a base connector member 35. The housing is formed by a generally cylindrical body 36 ~ithin which the electrode-element ; assembly is mounted. A series of springs 37, retained in the housing body 36 by tabs 38, exerted a downward force on the flan~ed head 33 the lower face of which is thereby urged into contact ~,~ith an emitter shim 39 attached to the urper face of element 30. The base connector 35 is also urged into contact ~ith an upper surface of the base region of element 30 by further springs 40.
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~ ~ 20 In both of these transistors, as foreshadowed above .
the emitter surfaces to ~hich shims are attached are not necessarily continuous areas. Indeed to achieve adequate control of device conduction it is normal to employ interleaved base-emitter surface contact : ~ :
~ 25 configuration5.

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Claims (8)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A semiconductor device including a contact shim inserted between an internal contact member of an electrode and a contact surface of a semiconductor element, the shim comprising a body wherein are formed a plurality of apertures having lands extending at least partly thereacross, to which attachment means are applied to attach the shim to the semiconductor element.
2. A semiconductor device according to Claim 1 wherein the apertures in the shim are of generally circular configuration.
3. A semiconductor device according to Claim 2 wherein on the shim each land bisects a circular aperture to form two opposing D-shaped apertures.
4. A semiconductor device according to any preceding Claim wherein the shim has at least one face formed with a raised pattern corresponding to a surface contact pattern of the semiconductor element and said lands comprise part of the raised pattern.
5. A method of assembling a semiconductor device having inserted between an internal contact member of an electrode and a contact surface of a semiconductor element a contact shim comprising a body wherein are formed a plurality of apertures having lands extending at least partly thereacross includes the step of aligning the contact shim with respect to the semi-conductor element by means of observing, through an aperture, the relative position of a land and an alignment mark on the semiconductor element.
6. A method of assembling a semiconductor device having inserted between an internal contact member of an electrode and a contact surface of a semiconductor element a contact shim comprising a body wherein are formed a plurality of apertures having lands extending at least partly thereacross includes the step of attaching the shim to the semiconductor element at the lands within the periphery of the apertures.
7. A method according to Claim 6 wherein the step of attaching comprises welding the lands within the periphery of the apertures.
8. A method according to Claim 6 wherein the step of attaching comprises applying an adhesive to the lands within the periphery of the apertures.
CA000356669A 1980-07-21 1980-07-21 Semiconductor contact shim and attachment method Expired CA1142262A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000356669A CA1142262A (en) 1980-07-21 1980-07-21 Semiconductor contact shim and attachment method

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000356669A CA1142262A (en) 1980-07-21 1980-07-21 Semiconductor contact shim and attachment method

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1142262A true CA1142262A (en) 1983-03-01

Family

ID=4117477

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000356669A Expired CA1142262A (en) 1980-07-21 1980-07-21 Semiconductor contact shim and attachment method

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1142262A (en)

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