JP7444529B2 - power converter - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a power conversion device.

There is a power conversion device using a press-contact type semiconductor module. A press-contact type semiconductor module includes a package portion and a semiconductor chip provided inside the package portion. The package portion includes a pair of electrode plates and an insulating envelope surrounding a space between the pair of electrode plates. A pressure contact type semiconductor module is mounted in a power conversion device with a pair of electrode plates sandwiched between a pair of heat sinks for heat dissipation.

In such press-contact type semiconductor modules, if a short-circuit failure occurs in the semiconductor chip, the internal pressure in the package increases, causing the package to bulge and collide with the heat sink, potentially damaging the package. be. If the package part is damaged as the internal pressure increases in this way, a part of the module may be ejected as scattered objects or an arc may be ejected from the damaged part of the package part.

For this reason, it has been proposed to cover the periphery of the semiconductor module with a cover to protect peripheral components from flying objects such as flying objects and arcs that are generated when the package portion is damaged. At what position on the side surface of the package (side surface of the envelope) in the direction orthogonal to the stacking direction of the semiconductor module and the pair of heat sinks does damage to the package due to a short-circuit failure occur in the semiconductor chip? I don't know. In other words, it is not known in which direction the ejected material generated when the package part is damaged will be ejected from the side surface of the package part. Therefore, the cover needs to be placed so as to surround the entire periphery of the side surface of the package part.

However, the configuration in which the cover is arranged so as to surround the entire periphery of the side surface of the package portion causes factors such as an increase in the size of the power conversion device and an increase in manufacturing cost. For this reason, it is desired that the power conversion device be able to protect the peripheral components from ejected materials generated when the package portion of the press-contact type semiconductor module is damaged, with a simpler configuration.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-47591

Embodiments of the present invention provide a power conversion device that has a simpler configuration and can protect peripheral components from ejected matter generated when a package portion of a press-contact type semiconductor module is damaged.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a power conversion device that converts power, and includes a laminate including two heat sinks and a press-contact type semiconductor module provided between the two heat sinks; a cover provided side by side with the laminate in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the laminate, the semiconductor module having a package part and a semiconductor chip provided inside the package part, In the laminate, the two heat sinks and the semiconductor modules are stacked such that only one region of the semiconductor module is located outside the two heat sinks when viewed from the stacking direction, and the cover is , there is provided a power conversion device that is provided only on one side of the stacked body so as to face the one region of the semiconductor module in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction.

Provided is a power converter device that has a simpler configuration and can protect peripheral components from ejected matter generated when a package portion of a press-contact type semiconductor module is damaged.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically representing a power conversion device according to an embodiment. FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c) are block diagrams schematically showing a part of the power conversion device. FIGS. 3A and 3B are a plan view and a partially cross-sectional side view schematically showing a semiconductor module according to an embodiment. FIGS. 4A and 4B are a plan view and a side view schematically showing a part of the power conversion device. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing a part of a reference power conversion device. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing a modified example of a part of the power conversion device.

Each embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.
Note that the drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each part, the size ratio between parts, etc. are not necessarily the same as those in reality. Further, even when the same part is shown, the dimensions and ratios may be shown differently depending on the drawing.
In the present specification and each figure, the same elements as those described above with respect to the existing figures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations are omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically representing a power conversion device according to an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the power conversion device 10 includes a power converter 20 and a control device 80. The power conversion device 10 is connected to, for example, a DC power source (not shown) via terminals 12a and 12b. Power conversion device 10 is connected to a load (not shown) via terminals 14a to 14c. The load is, for example, an AC load such as an induction motor or a synchronous motor. In other examples, power converter 10 connects to an AC power source via terminals 14a-14c and to a DC load via terminals 12a, 12b. The power conversion device 10 is not limited to one-way DC-AC power conversion, but may be a device that performs bidirectional power conversion. These are all examples, and the power converter 10 is not limited to the above, but may be a power converter including a device that performs AC-to-AC power conversion or DC-to-DC power conversion.

Power converter 20 has a power conversion section 22. The power conversion section 22 includes a pressure-contact type semiconductor module 30. The semiconductor module 30 has, for example, main terminals 30a and 30b and a control terminal 30c. The semiconductor module 30 is a module in which a plurality of semiconductor chips such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) and MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors) are mounted and connected in parallel. In the case of an IGBT, the main terminal 30a is a collector terminal, the main terminal 30b is an emitter terminal, and the control terminal 30c is a gate terminal. The semiconductor module 30 may be a two-terminal module such as a fast recovery diode.

The semiconductor module 30 is not limited to mounting a single semiconductor chip, and may include multiple types of semiconductor chips. The plurality of types of semiconductor chips include, for example, IGBTs and fast recovery diodes.

The control device 80 detects DC voltage, AC voltage, AC current, etc. that are supplied to the power converter 20 and output from the power converter 20, and generates a drive signal for driving the semiconductor module 30 of the power converter 22. generate. The control device 80 supplies the generated drive signal to the power converter 22 and controls the power converter 20 to obtain a desired output or the like. The control device 80 is connected to the control terminal 30c of the semiconductor module 30, for example, and controls the conversion of power by the power converter 20 by controlling switching of the semiconductor module 30.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are block diagrams schematically showing a part of the power conversion device.
FIG. 2(c) is a schematic diagram of some of the components of FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b).
FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematic configurations of different circuit types of the power conversion section 22.

The power converter 22a shown in FIG. 2A is, for example, a chopper cell of an MMC (Modular Multilevel Converter) type. In the MMC method, multiple chopper cells are connected in cascade. The power converter 22a includes two semiconductor modules 30, two diodes D, and a capacitor C. The two semiconductor modules 30 are connected in series. Two semiconductor modules 30 connected in series constitute a stacked body 40. Capacitors C are connected to both ends of the laminate 40. Diode D is connected in antiparallel to semiconductor module 30. The power converter 22a is a chopper cell with a half-bridge configuration. Although not shown, the two diodes D may also constitute a laminate and may be connected to the IGBT laminate 40.

The power converter 22b shown in FIG. 2(b) is a single-phase inverter circuit with two-level output. The power converter 22b includes two laminates 40, four diodes D, and a capacitor C. The two stacked bodies 40 are connected in parallel. The diodes D are each connected in antiparallel to the semiconductor module 30. Capacitor C is connected to the two laminates 40 in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 2(c), in this example, the stacked body 40 includes two semiconductor modules 30 and three heat sinks 41 to 43. One semiconductor module 30 is provided between a pair of heat sinks 41 and 42. The other semiconductor module 30 is provided between a pair of heat sinks 42 and 43. In other words, the semiconductor module 30 and the heat sinks 41 to 43 are alternately stacked. The stacking direction of the stacked body 40 (semiconductor module 30 and heat sinks 41 to 43) is, for example, the vertical direction. The semiconductor module 30 and the heat sinks 41 to 43 are stacked alternately in the vertical direction. However, the stacking direction of the stacked body 40 is not limited to the vertical direction, and may be any direction.

The laminate 40 is fixed by tightening from both sides of the heat sinks 41 and 43, for example, with bolts extending in the stacking direction of the laminate 40 and nuts that engage the bolts. As a result, one semiconductor module 30 is fixed between the pair of heat sinks 41 and 42, and the other semiconductor module 30 is fixed between the pair of heat sinks 42 and 43. Ru. In other words, the two semiconductor modules 30 and the heat sink 42 between the two semiconductor modules 30 are sandwiched and fixed between the heat sink 41 and the heat sink 43.

One semiconductor module 30 contacts the heat sinks 41 and 42 and is electrically connected to the heat sinks 41 and 42. The other semiconductor module 30 contacts the heat sinks 42 and 43 and is electrically connected to the heat sinks 42 and 43. The two semiconductor modules 30 are connected in series via a heat sink 42. In this way, the heat sinks 41 to 43 are used to dissipate heat from the semiconductor module 30, and are also used to electrically connect the semiconductor module 30. For example, a metal material having high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity is used for the heat sinks 41 to 43.

The configuration of the power converter 22 is not limited to the above. The power converter 22 may be a full-bridge type chopper cell for the MMC system. The power conversion unit 22 may be a three-phase inverter circuit, a diode clamp type multilevel conversion circuit, or the like.

The configuration of the laminate 40 is also not limited to the above. The semiconductor module 30 only needs to be attached while being sandwiched between a pair of heat sinks 41 and 42. The number of semiconductor modules 30 included in the stacked body 40 in series may be three or four or more, and the circuit format is not limited. The number of semiconductor modules 30 included in the stacked body 40 may be one, or a single semiconductor module 30 may be sandwiched between heat sinks 41 and 42. The laminate 40 only needs to include at least one semiconductor module 30 and a pair of heat sinks 41 and 42.

In this way, the power conversion device 10 includes the stacked body 40. The laminate 40 includes at least two heat sinks 41 and 42 and one press-contact type semiconductor module 30 provided between the two heat sinks 41 and 42. The stacked body 40 may include a plurality of heat sinks 41 to 43 and a plurality of semiconductor modules 30. In this case, the plurality of semiconductor modules 30 are provided between each of the plurality of heat sinks 41 to 43. Therefore, the number of heat sinks 41 to 43 is one more than the number of semiconductor modules 30.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a plan view and a partially cross-sectional side view schematically showing a semiconductor module according to an embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the pressure contact type semiconductor module 30 includes a package section 31 and a semiconductor chip 32 provided inside the package section 31. The package section 31 includes a pair of electrode plates 33 and 34 and an envelope 35.

The electrode plate 33 is a circular plate-shaped body. The electrode plate 34 is a circular plate-shaped body that is provided substantially parallel to the electrode plate 33 and has substantially the same shape as the electrode plate 33. The electrode plate 34 has a convex portion on the side where the semiconductor chip 32 is provided. The electrode plate 34 is electrically connected to the semiconductor chip 32 via this convex portion. These electrode plates 33 and 34 are made of, for example, a metal material having high electrical conductivity and high thermal conductivity. The metal material is, for example, copper (Cu) or an alloy containing Cu.

The semiconductor chip 32 is provided between electrode plates 33 and 34. The semiconductor chip 32 is, for example, an IGBT. The semiconductor chip 32 has, for example, a pair of main terminals and a control terminal. One main terminal of the semiconductor chip 32 is provided on a surface facing the electrode plate 33. The other main terminal of the semiconductor chip 32 is provided on the surface facing the electrode plate 34. One main terminal of the semiconductor chip 32 is electrically connected to the electrode plate 33 . The other main terminal of the semiconductor chip 32 is electrically connected to the electrode plate 34 via the convex portion of the electrode plate 34. Thereby, the electrode plate 33 becomes one main terminal 30a of the semiconductor module 30, and the electrode plate 34 becomes the other main terminal 30b of the semiconductor module 30.

The semiconductor module 30 includes, for example, a plurality of semiconductor chips 32. The plurality of semiconductor chips 32 are arranged in a grid (matrix) between the electrode plates 33 and 34 in a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction. For example, the plurality of semiconductor chips 32 are arranged side by side on the surface of the electrode plate 33 that faces the electrode plate 34 . The plurality of semiconductor chips 32 are connected in parallel by being connected to electrode plates 33 and 34, respectively.

A control terminal of the semiconductor chip 32 is connected to a wiring board 36. The wiring board 36 is an insulating board having an opening that passes through the convex portion of the electrode plate 34 . The control terminals of the semiconductor chips 32 connected in parallel are connected to terminals (control terminals 30c of the semiconductor module 30) for leading out to the outside via the wiring board 36.

The envelope 35 closes the side of the space between the pair of electrode plates 33 and 34. In other words, the semiconductor chip 32 is provided in a space surrounded by the electrode plates 33 and 34 and the envelope 35. The envelope 35 hermetically seals the semiconductor chip 32 and isolates the semiconductor chip 32 from the external environment. The envelope 35 is formed of an insulating material such as ceramic, and electrically insulates between the electrode plates 33 and 34.

The package part 31 further includes buffer members 37 and 38, for example. The buffer members 37 and 38 are hollow disc-shaped members. The buffer members 37 and 38 are arranged substantially parallel to each other. The buffer members 37 and 38 are hollow openings and are connected to the circumferential outer edges of the electrode plates 33 and 34, respectively. For example, the buffer members 37 and 38 extend in the radial direction of the electrode plates 33 and 34 (direction perpendicular to the lamination direction), are bent in the lamination direction, and then are bent in the radial direction again and stretched.

The buffer members 37 and 38 hold the envelope 35. The envelope 35 is sandwiched and fixed between buffer members 37 and 38. The envelope 35 is sandwiched between the buffer members 37 and 38 to close the side of the space between the electrode plates 33 and 34. For example, the buffer members 37 and 38 are in close contact with the electrode plates 33 and 34, and are also in close contact with the envelope 35. Thereby, the space inside the package part 31 is hermetically sealed.

The buffer members 37 and 38 absorb changes in the shape of the electrode plates 33 and 34 when the electrode plates 33 and 34 expand or contract due to temperature changes during normal operation of the pressure contact type semiconductor module 30. Thereby, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the moisture resistance of the semiconductor module 30 due to the difference in the expansion coefficients of the electrode plates 33, 34 and the envelope 35.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a plan view and a side view schematically showing a part of the power conversion device.
As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), in the stacked body 40, only one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 is located outside the heat sinks 41 to 43 when viewed from the stacking direction of the stacked body 40. The semiconductor module 30 and heat sinks 41 to 43 are stacked so that they are located at . For example, when the stacking direction of the laminate 40 is the vertical direction, the laminate 40 is arranged such that only one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 is located outside the heat sinks 41 to 43 when viewed from above. , the semiconductor module 30 and heat sinks 41 to 43 are stacked.

More specifically, the laminate 40 is constructed by stacking the semiconductor module 30 and the heat sinks 41 to 43 such that only one region 30R of the package portion 31 of the semiconductor module 30 is located outside of the heat sinks 41 to 43 when viewed from the stacking direction. 43 is stacked. In the package part 31, for example, the electrode plates 33, 34, the envelope 35, and part of the buffer members 37, 38 are arranged as one region 30R outside the heat sinks 41 to 43. In other words, the region 30R is a region that does not overlap with the heat sinks 41 to 43 in the stacking direction.

When the stacked body 40 has a plurality of semiconductor modules 30, each of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30 is arranged in a plurality of heat sinks 41 to 43 such that only one region 30R is located outside of the plurality of heat sinks 41 to 43. provided between each. One region 30R of each of the plurality of heat sinks 41 to 43 is arranged so as to overlap when viewed from the stacking direction. In other words, one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 located outside the heat sinks 41 to 43 is arranged at substantially the same position in each of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30. However, the shapes and sizes of the regions 30R of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30 do not necessarily have to be completely the same. The regions 30R of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30 may be arranged so that at least a portion thereof overlaps when viewed from the stacking direction.

The shape of the semiconductor module 30 when viewed from the stacking direction is, for example, circular. The shape of the heat sinks 41 to 43 when viewed from the stacking direction is, for example, rectangular. The heat sinks 41 to 43 are stacked with the semiconductor module 30 with their centers shifted in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction with respect to the center of the semiconductor module 30 when viewed from the stacking direction. Thereby, the heat sinks 41 to 43 are arranged outside only a part of the outer peripheral edge of the semiconductor module 30 as the region 30R. The region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 is stacked with the heat sinks 41 to 43 so as to contact only one side of the rectangular heat sinks 41 to 43 when viewed from the stacking direction. However, the shapes of the semiconductor module 30 and the heat sinks 41 to 43 are not limited to the above.

As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the power conversion device 10 further includes a cover 50.
The cover 50 is provided side by side with the laminate 40 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the laminate 40 is laminated. The cover 50 is provided only on one side of the laminate 40 so as to face one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the laminate 40. The cover 50 faces only one side of the stacked body 40 and does not face another side of the stacked body 40 . In other words, the cover 50 does not surround the stacked body 40 when viewed from the stacking direction.

For example, when viewed from the stacking direction, the cover 50 faces only one of the four sides of the rectangular heat sinks 41 to 43 that contacts the region 30R of the semiconductor module 30, and faces the remaining three sides. They are provided only on some sides of the laminate 40 to prevent the damage from occurring.

FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing a part of a reference power conversion device.
Components that are substantially the same in function and configuration as those in the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5, in the laminate 40a of the reference example, the external dimensions of the heat sinks 41a to 43a are smaller than the external dimensions of the semiconductor module 30, and when viewed from the stacking direction of the laminate 40a, The semiconductor module 30 and the heat sinks 41a to 43a are stacked such that the plurality of regions 30R are located outside the heat sinks 41a to 43a.

In the reference example, the length of each side of the rectangular heat sinks 41a to 43a is shorter than the diameter of the circular semiconductor module 30, for example. As a result, in the laminate 40a of the reference example, when viewed from the stacking direction, the four regions 30R are located outside the heat sinks 41a to 43a so as to touch each of the four sides of the heat sinks 41a to 43a. , a semiconductor module 30, and heat sinks 41a to 43a are stacked.

Further, in the reference example, the cover 50a is provided so as to surround the stacked body 40a when viewed from the stacking direction. In other words, the cover 50a is provided so as to face the entire lateral circumference of the stacked body 40a.

In the pressure contact type semiconductor module 30, when a short-circuit failure occurs in the semiconductor chip 32, the internal pressure of the package part 31 increases and the package part 31 swells, and the package part 31 is damaged due to collision with the heat sinks 41 to 43. There is a possibility that it will happen. If the package part 31 is damaged due to the increase in internal pressure, part of the semiconductor module 30 may be ejected from the damaged part of the package part 31 as scattered objects, or an arc may be ejected. It ends up.

When a portion of the semiconductor module 30 is located outside the heat sinks 41 to 43, when the package portion 31 expands, stress is dispersed in the portion of the semiconductor module 30 that overlaps with the heat sinks 41 to 43. Stress is concentrated at locations that contact the ends of the heat sinks 41 to 43. Damage to the package portion 31 due to expansion of the package portion 31 is likely to occur at locations where such stress is concentrated.

For this reason, as in the reference example shown in FIG. It is not known whether the package portion 31 will be damaged depending on the position. For example, when the semiconductor module 30 has a plurality of semiconductor chips 32, the location where the package portion 31 is damaged changes depending on the location of the semiconductor chip 32 where the short-circuit failure occurs. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, in the reference example, by providing a cover 50a to surround the entire periphery of the laminate 40a, peripheral parts are protected from ejected objects such as flying objects and arcs generated when the package part 31 is damaged. Protecting.

Furthermore, even if the entire semiconductor module 30 overlaps the heat sink when viewed from the stacking direction, there is no place to absorb the expansion of the package part 31, so it is difficult to determine where damage will occur in the package part 31. It disappears. Therefore, also in this case, it is necessary to provide a cover so as to surround the entire periphery of the laminate.

In contrast, in the power conversion device 10 according to the present embodiment, only one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 is located outside the heat sinks 41 to 43 when the stacked body 40 is viewed from the stacking direction of the stacked body 40. The semiconductor module 30 and heat sinks 41 to 43 are stacked in such a manner.

Thereby, in the power conversion device 10 according to the present embodiment, the stress concentration location can be limited to only one region 30R. Therefore, in the power conversion device 10 according to the present embodiment, when a short-circuit failure occurs in the semiconductor chip 32 and the package portion 31 swells, the package portion 31 is easily damaged in one region 30R, and the other portions are easily damaged. Damage to the package part 31 at some parts can be suppressed. In other words, when a short-circuit failure occurs in the semiconductor chip 32 and the package portion 31 swells, the ejecta is made easier to eject in one region 30R, and the ejecta is suppressed from ejecting in other directions. be able to. In the power conversion device 10, the direction in which the ejected material is ejected can be limited.

In the power conversion device 10 according to the present embodiment, only a part of the side of the laminate 40 is provided so as to face one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 in the direction orthogonal to the stacking direction of the laminate 40. A cover 50 is provided. Thereby, peripheral parts can be appropriately protected from the ejected material ejected from one region 30R. Furthermore, the structure of the cover 50 can be simplified compared to the structure in which the cover 50a is arranged so as to surround the entire circumference of the side surface of the package part 31, as in the reference example shown in FIG.

In this manner, the power conversion device 10 according to the present embodiment can protect peripheral components from ejected materials generated when the package portion 31 of the press-contact type semiconductor module 30 is damaged with a simpler configuration. In the power conversion device 10 according to the present embodiment, the structure of the cover 50 is simplified, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the power conversion device 10 and an increase in manufacturing cost.

The cover 50 is, for example, insulating. Thereby, for example, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of an arc between the semiconductor module 30 and the cover 50 during normal operation. Further, it is possible to suppress the arc ejected from the semiconductor module 30 when the package portion 31 is damaged from affecting peripheral components via the cover 50. For the cover 50, a material having insulation properties and high strength, such as FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics), is used. Thereby, for example, it is possible to prevent the ejection portion from penetrating the cover 50 and affecting peripheral components.

The cover 50 has, for example, a flat main body portion 51 that extends in the stacking direction, a first direction in which the stacked body 40 and the cover 50 are lined up, and a second direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. The main body portion 51 has, for example, a substantially rectangular flat plate shape extending along one side with the regions 30R of the rectangular heat sinks 41 to 43 disposed on the outside. For example, when the stacking direction is the up-down direction, the first direction in which the stacked body 40 and the cover 50 are lined up is the front-back direction, and the second direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and the front-back direction is the left-right direction, the main body 51 is It has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape extending in both the left and right directions.

The length of the main body portion 51 in the left-right direction is, for example, greater than or equal to the length of the region 30R in the left-right direction. Thereby, scattering of the ejected material can be suppressed more reliably. Further, it is more preferable that the length of the main body portion 51 in the left-right direction is, for example, equal to or longer than the length of one side of the rectangular heat sinks 41 to 43 in the left-right direction. Thereby, scattering of the ejected material can be suppressed more reliably. Surrounding parts can be more reliably protected from ejected materials.

The cover 50 includes, for example, an extending portion 52 that extends from one end of the main body portion 51 in the left-right direction toward the stacked body 40 and also extends in the vertical direction, and an extension portion 52 that extends from the other end of the main body portion 51 in the left-right direction toward the stacked body 40. It further includes an extending portion 53 that extends in the vertical direction. Thereby, scattering of the ejected material can be suppressed more reliably. For example, it is possible to more reliably suppress the spread of the ejected material in the left-right direction.

As described above, when the stacked body 40 includes a plurality of semiconductor modules 30, the respective regions 30R of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30 are arranged so as to overlap when viewed from the stacking direction. In this case, the cover 50 extends in the stacking direction and faces each region 30R of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30 in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. In other words, the main body portion 51 faces each region 30R of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30. Thereby, peripheral components can be appropriately protected from the ejected materials of the plurality of semiconductor modules 30 with a simple configuration.

The length of the main body portion 51 in the vertical direction is, for example, longer than the length of the stacked body 40 in the vertical direction. Thereby, scattering of the ejected material can be suppressed more reliably. Further, the length of the extending portions 52 and 53 in the vertical direction is, for example, greater than or equal to the length of the stacked body 40 in the vertical direction. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably suppress the spread of the ejected material in the left-right direction.

The cover 50 also includes, for example, an extending portion 54 that extends from one end of the main body portion 51 in the vertical direction toward the laminate 40 and also extends in the left-right direction, and an extension portion 54 that extends from the other end of the main body portion 51 in the vertical direction toward the laminate 40 . It further includes an extending portion 55 extending toward the left and right directions. Thereby, scattering of the ejected material can be suppressed more reliably. For example, it is possible to more reliably suppress the spread of the ejected material in the vertical direction.

The length of the extending portions 54 and 55 in the left-right direction is, for example, longer than the length of the region 30R in the left-right direction. Thereby, scattering of the ejected material can be suppressed more reliably. Further, it is more preferable that the length of the main body portion 51 in the left-right direction is, for example, equal to or longer than the length of one side of the rectangular heat sinks 41 to 43 in the left-right direction.

Note that if the amount of protrusion of one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 from the heat sinks 41 to 43 is too small, there is a possibility that the package portion 31 will be damaged at a location other than the region 30R. On the other hand, if the amount of protrusion of one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 from the heat sinks 41 to 43 is too large, it becomes necessary to make the cover 50 larger. Therefore, the amount of protrusion of one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 from the heat sinks 41 to 43 is appropriately set so that damage to the package portion 31 at locations other than the region 30R can be suppressed and the enlargement of the cover 50 can be suppressed. It is preferable to do so.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when viewed from the stacking direction, the extension line of the virtual line VL1 connecting the center CT of the semiconductor module 30 and one end of the region 30R in the left-right direction, and the center of the semiconductor module 30 An extension of the imaginary line VL2 connecting CT and the other end of the region 30R in the left-right direction intersects the cover 50. Thereby, scattering of the ejected material can be suppressed more reliably.

For example, the angle θ formed by the virtual line VL1 and the virtual line VL2 is set to 10° or more and 90° or less. Thereby, the amount of protrusion of one region 30R of the semiconductor module 30 from the heat sinks 41 to 43 can be appropriately set. It is possible to suppress damage to the package portion 31 at locations other than the region 30R, and it is also possible to suppress the cover 50 from increasing in size.

FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing a modified example of a part of the power conversion device.
As shown in FIG. 6, in this example, the power conversion device 10 further includes a frame 60 for supporting the stacked body 40. The frame 60 has, for example, four pillars 61 to 64 extending in the stacking direction, and supports the stacked body 40 in a rectangular space surrounded by the four pillars 61 to 64. The frame 60 is used to fix the stacked body 40 by tightening the space between the heat sinks 41 and 43 using bolts and nuts, for example.

In this way, when the power conversion device 10 includes the frame 60 for supporting the stacked body 40, the cover 50 may be attached to the frame 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a region 30R may be arranged between the pillars 61 and 62, and a flat cover 50 may be attached to the pillars 61 and 62. Thereby, the cover 50 can be attached to the laminate 40 with a simple configuration.

Note that in this example, the cover 50 is attached to the outside of the frame 60. The cover 50 may be attached to the inside of the frame 60 without being limited to this. However, the method of attaching and installing the cover 50 is not limited to this, and any method that allows the cover 50 to be appropriately arranged with respect to the laminate 40 may be used.

Further, the shape of the cover 50 is not limited to the shapes shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, but may be any shape that can appropriately protect peripheral components from ejected matter generated when the package portion 31 of the pressure-contact type semiconductor module 30 is damaged. The shape is fine.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Power converter, 12a, 12b... Terminal, 14a-14c... Terminal, 20... Power converter, 22... Power converter part, 30... Semiconductor module, 31... Package part, 32... Semiconductor chip, 33, 34... Electrode Plate, 35...Envelope, 36...Wiring board, 37, 38...Buffer member, 40, 40a...Laminated body, 41-43, 41a-43a...Heat sink, 50, 50a...Cover, 51...Main body, 52- 55... Extension part, 60... Frame, 61-64... Support column, 80... Control device, C... Capacitor, D... Diode

Claims (3)

A power conversion device that converts power,
A laminate including two heat sinks and a press-contact type semiconductor module provided between the two heat sinks;
a cover provided side by side with the laminate in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the laminate;
Equipped with
The semiconductor module includes a package part and a semiconductor chip provided inside the package part,
The laminate includes two of the heat sinks and the semiconductor module stacked such that only one region of the semiconductor module is located outside of the two heat sinks when viewed from the stacking direction;
In the power conversion device, the cover is provided only on a side of a part of the stacked body so as to face the one region of the semiconductor module in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. The laminate includes a plurality of the heat sinks and a plurality of the semiconductor modules provided between each of the plurality of heat sinks,
Each of the plurality of semiconductor modules is provided between each of the plurality of heat sinks such that only the one region is located outside of the plurality of heat sinks,
The one region of each of the plurality of semiconductor modules is arranged so as to overlap when viewed from the stacking direction,
The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the cover extends in the stacking direction and faces the one region of each of the plurality of semiconductor modules in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. The shape of the heat sink when viewed from the stacking direction is rectangular,
The one region of the semiconductor module is stacked with the heat sink so as to contact only one side of the rectangular heat sink when viewed from the stacking direction,
When viewed from the stacking direction, the cover faces only one of the four sides of the rectangular heat sink that is in contact with the one region of the semiconductor module, and does not face the remaining three sides. The power conversion device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the power conversion device is provided only on a part of the side of the laminate.

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