JPH1145994A - Semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the inductance of wiring, by arranging first and second terminals for controlling a main current between first and second current electrodes at the places where the terminals are overlapped when viewed in the direction of the main current. SOLUTION: In a gate turn-off thyristor(GTO) 1, a cathode terminal (a first terminal) 3 with a lead wire and a gate electrode 5 are disposed on the side face of the GTO 1 on structure, in which a semiconductor chip is pressure- contacted while being held from the top face and the underside. The cathode terminal 3 with the lead wire and the gate electrode 5 are arranged at places, where the cathode terminal 3 and the gate electrode 5 are overlapped in the direction that a main current I between an anode 20 and a cathode 2 is flowed. Consequently, no opening is formed from the above-mentioned direction. As a result, since the cathode lead wire 4 and a gate lead wire 7 are brought near by a section, in which no opening is formed, magnetic flux is offset. Accordingly, the inductance of wiring can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) and an insulated gate bipolar transistor (Insulated-Gate).
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a bipolar transistor (IGBT).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the concept of GTO. GTO includes cathode 2, anode 20, cathode 2
And a first terminal 30 and a second terminal 60 for controlling a main current I flowing between the anode 20.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional flat package GTO1a.
FIG. 7 is a top view when viewed from the direction in which the main current flows from the anode to the cathode, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view as viewed from a direction perpendicular to this direction. 6 and 7, 2 is a cathode, 3 is a cathode terminal with a lead wire fixed to the cathode 2 by soldering, 4 is integrated with the cathode terminal with a lead wire 3 by caulking or the like, and branches off from the main lead wire 8. 5 is a gate electrode, 6 is a gate terminal with a lead wire fixed to the gate electrode 5 by soldering, 7 is integrated with the gate terminal with a lead wire 6 by caulking or the like, and branches off from the main lead wire 8. This is the gate lead wire.

The cathode terminal 3 with lead and the gate terminal 6 with lead in FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively correspond to the first terminal in FIG.
It corresponds to the terminal 30 and the second terminal 60.

Next, the configuration of the GTO 1a will be described. GTO
In the structure 1a, the cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire and the gate electrode 5 are arranged on the side surface of the GTO 1a because of the structure in which the semiconductor chip is pressed and sandwiched from the upper and lower sides. The cathode terminal 3 with a lead and the gate terminal 6 with a lead need to be separated by a necessary distance so as not to be short-circuited. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, the GTO 1a
Cathode terminal 3 with lead wire at the angle θ in the circumferential direction of
Is arranged. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
00 exists.

The GTO 1a is a cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire.
The gate current flows into the gate electrode 5 from the gate terminal 6 with cathode biased with respect to
O1a is turned on, and the main current I flows from the anode 20 to the cathode 2. Here, in order to turn on the GTO 1a, it is necessary to set the magnitude of the gate current to a value corresponding to the performance of the GTO 1a. For this reason, a gate drive unit for controlling ON / OFF of the GTO 1a and the GT
It is desirable that the inductance of the connection (cathode lead wire 4, gate lead wire 7, main lead wire 8) to O1a be as small as possible.

[0007] The GTO1a is used by a plurality of GTO1s.
a is assembled in a stack in series, and the main lead wire 8 is connected to the drive unit. Normally, the stack is designed to be large with respect to the GTO 1a by supporting columns for holding the press contact force, and the main lead wire 8 used for connecting the drive unit needs at least 20 cm.

When a high-speed pulse gate current for operating the GTO 1a is applied by the above-mentioned usage method, the rate of increase of the gate current (diG /
dt) is suppressed. When this rise rate is suppressed, GT
The spread of the gate current is insufficient for the GTO segment of the semiconductor substrate constituting O1a, and the main current is
GTO1a is concentrated in a part of the O segment, and the destruction of GTO1a occurs.

Conventionally, there are the following methods for reducing the inductance of the connection. (1) Make the connection length as short as possible. (2) In order to reduce the influence of the skin effect, the diameter of the conductor (element wire) forming the connection is reduced. (3) In order to cancel the magnetic flux generated by the connection, the cathode lead wire 4 and the gate lead wire 7 are brought as close as possible.

[0010]

However, since the cathode lead wire 4 and the gate lead wire 7 are arranged via the gap 100, the distance between the cathode lead wire 4 and the gate lead wire 7 is reduced by the gap 100. Located far from each other. Therefore, the cancellation of the magnetic flux due to the above (3) is suppressed. Therefore, there is a problem that the inductance of the connection increases.

Conventionally, in order to prevent destruction, the rate of increase is increased by increasing the power of the drive unit so that all of the GTO segments of the semiconductor substrate constituting the GTO 1a are turned on without receiving the main current concentration. I was However, by increasing the power of the drive unit, the drive unit becomes larger,
The cost increases.

The present invention has been made to solve this problem, and has as its object to obtain a semiconductor device capable of reducing the inductance of connection.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first and second current electrodes, and a first and a second current electrodes for controlling a main current flowing between the first and the second current electrodes. 1
And a second terminal, wherein the first terminal
The second terminal and the second terminal are arranged at overlapping positions when viewed from the direction in which the main current flows.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the tip of the first terminal is recessed from the tip of the second terminal.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the second terminal has one end connected to the second current electrode, and the other end connected to the second current electrode with reference to a direction in which the main current flows. And the first terminal.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the first and second terminals constitute a set of connector pieces, and the connector pieces are provided for connecting to the outside of the semiconductor device. Another connector piece is inserted and removed.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiment 1 FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the GTO. As described in the related art, the GTO includes the cathode 2, the anode 20, the cathode 2, and the anode 20.
A first terminal 30 and a second terminal 60 for controlling a main current flowing therebetween are provided.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the flat package GTO 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the direction in which the main current flows from the anode to the cathode, and FIG. 2 is a direction perpendicular to this direction. It is the expansion side view seen from. 1 and 2, 2 is a cathode, 3 is a cathode terminal with a lead wire fixed to the cathode 2 by soldering, 4 is integrated with the cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire by caulking or the like, and branches off from the main lead wire 8. 5 is a gate electrode as a control electrode, 6 is a gate terminal with a lead wire fixed to the gate electrode 5 by soldering, 7 is integrated with the gate terminal with a lead wire 6 by caulking, etc. A gate lead branched from line 8.

In the first embodiment, one of the anode 20 and the cathode 2 is a first current electrode, and the other is a second current electrode.
One of the cathode terminal 3 with a lead and the gate terminal 6 with a lead is a first terminal, and the other is a second terminal. That is, the cathode terminal 3 with the lead wire and the gate terminal 6 with the lead wire are respectively the first terminal in FIG.
It corresponds to the terminal 30 and the second terminal 60.

The GTO 1 has a structure in which a semiconductor chip is pressed between upper and lower sides and a cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire and a gate electrode 5 are arranged on the side of the GTO 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire and the gate electrode 5 are arranged at overlapping positions when viewed from the direction in which the main current I flows between the anode 20 and the cathode 2. Therefore, when viewed from this direction, there is no gap 100 as shown in FIG.

The tip of the lead terminal 6 with a lead wire is connected to the gate lead wire 7 by caulking or the like. The tip of the cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire is connected to the cathode lead wire 4 by caulking or the like. The cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire is bent because the tip portion is caulked or the like. In addition, the leading ends of the cathode terminal 3 with lead wire and the gate terminal 6 with lead wire are thick because lead wires are connected. Therefore, the tip of the cathode terminal 3 with lead and the gate terminal 6 with lead
May be short-circuited. Therefore, Embodiment 1
In order to prevent the short circuit between the cathode terminal 3 with lead wire and the gate terminal 6 with lead wire, the leading end of the gate terminal 6 with lead wire is configured to recede from the leading end of the cathode terminal 3 with lead wire. As a result, the tip of the gate terminal 6 with the lead and the cathode terminal 3 with the lead are
Approaching or short-circuiting of the tip of the device can be prevented.

The distance L between the tip of the cathode terminal 3 with a lead wire and the gate electrode shown in FIG. 2 is preferably about 2 mm or more when the voltage applied between the cathode 2 and the gate electrode 5 is about 15 to 25 V. What should I do?

Next, the operation of the GTO 1 will be described. GTO1
Means that a gate current is supplied from the gate terminal with cathode biased with respect to the cathode terminal with lead wire 3 to the gate electrode 5.
, The GTO 1 is turned on, and the main current I flows between the anode 20 and the cathode 2. here,
In order to allow the main current I to flow, the magnitude of the gate current must be G
It is necessary to make the size corresponding to the performance of TO1. For this reason, the smaller the inductance of the connection (cathode lead wire 4, gate lead wire 7, main lead wire 8) between the gate drive unit for controlling ON / OFF of GTO 1 and GTO 1, the more desirable.

The GTO 1 has no gap 100 as shown in FIG. 6 when viewed from the direction in which the main current I flows. Therefore, the cathode lead 4 and the gate lead 7 are
Since there is no gap 100, the magnetic flux is approached, so that the magnetic flux can be canceled by (3) described in the related art. Therefore, the inductance of the connection is reduced.

Consider a case in which a plurality of GTOs 1 are assembled in a stack in series by the use method described in the prior art. When a high-speed pulse gate current flows, each GTO1
In the method, the rate of increase (diG / dt) of the gate current is suppressed by the connection inductance. However, since the inductance of the connection according to the present embodiment is reduced, the GTO
1 is large enough to turn on the conventional GTO1a.
Therefore, the main current hardly concentrates on a part of the GTO segment of the semiconductor substrate constituting the GTO 1. Therefore, the destruction of GTO1 is suppressed.

The effects of the present embodiment are as follows. Since the cathode terminal 3 with a lead and the gate terminal 6 with a lead are arranged in an overlapping position when viewed from the direction in which the main current I flows, the inductance of the connection is reduced.

By reducing the inductance of the connection, the required increase rate of the gate current can be obtained even if the power of the drive unit is small, and all the GTO segments of the semiconductor substrate constituting the GTO 1 receive the main current concentration. Turn on without.

Since a drive unit with low power can be used, the size and cost of the drive unit can be reduced.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of GTO 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a direction in which a main current flows. In FIG. 3, 9
Are cathode faston terminals fixed to the cathode 2, 3
a is a cathode terminal with a lead wire that can be inserted into the cathode faston terminal 9, and other reference numerals correspond to the reference numerals in FIG.

In the second embodiment, the anode 20 is the first current electrode, the cathode 2 is the second current electrode, the cathode faston terminal 9 is the second terminal, and the gate terminal 6 with lead wire is the first terminal. It is.

Next, the configuration of the GTO 1 according to the second embodiment will be described. The shape of the cathode faston terminal 9 is such that one end is connected to the cathode 2 and the other end extends outward from the vicinity of the center of the cathode 2 and the leaded gate terminal 6 with reference to the direction in which the main current I flows. The middle of the end is L-shaped passing between the cathode 2 and the gate terminal 6 with lead. The cathode terminal 3a with a lead wire can be inserted into the other end of the cathode faston terminal 9.

Next, the operation will be described. The cathode terminal 3 a with lead wire is inserted into the cathode faston terminal 9 while adjusting the distance L. Cathode terminal 3a with lead wire
Is located near the center of the cathode 2 and the gate terminal 6 with a lead wire, so that the cathode lead wire 4 is connected to the gate lead wire 7.
, The magnetic flux can be canceled by (3) described in the related art. Therefore, the inductance of the connection is reduced. Other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The effects of this embodiment are as follows. Since the cathode faston terminal 9 is located near the center between the cathode 2 and the gate electrode 5, the cathode lead wire 4 can be brought closer to the gate lead wire 7, so that the inductance of the connection can be reduced.

Since the cathode terminal with lead 3a can be fitted into the cathode faston terminal 9, it is easy to change the relative positions of the cathode terminal with lead 3a and the gate terminal 6 with lead. Can be. Therefore, the distance L can be adjusted so that the cathode terminal 3a with a lead and the gate terminal 6 with a lead are not short-circuited.

Embodiment 3 FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of GTO 1 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a direction in which a main current flows. In FIG.
Are cathode faston terminals fixed to the cathode 2, 3
a is a cathode terminal with a lead wire that can be inserted into the cathode faston terminal 9, 10 is a gate faston terminal fixed to the gate electrode 5, 6a is a gate terminal with a lead wire that can be inserted into the gate faston terminal 10, and 11 is a harness connector piece. , 12 are partition plates for partitioning the space in the harness connector piece 11 into two, and other reference numerals correspond to the reference numerals in FIG.

In the third embodiment, one of the anode 20 and the cathode 2 is a first current electrode, and the other is a second current electrode.
One of the cathode faston terminal 9 and the gate faston terminal 10 is a first terminal, and the other is a second terminal.

Next, the configuration of the GTO 1 according to the third embodiment will be described. The shape of the cathode faston terminal 9 is such that one end is connected to the cathode 2 and the other end extends outward from between the cathode 2 and the gate faston terminal 10 with reference to the direction in which the main current I flows. L on the way passes between the cathode 2 and the gate faston terminal 10.
It is character-shaped. The cathode terminal 3a with a lead wire can be inserted into the other end of the cathode faston terminal 9.

The gate faston terminal 10 has one end connected to the gate electrode 5 and the other end extending outward from between the gate electrode 5 and the cathode faston terminal 9 with reference to the direction in which the main current I flows. One end and the other end are L-shaped portions passing between the gate electrode 5 and the cathode faston terminal 9. The other end of the gate faston terminal 10 can be fitted with the gate terminal 6a with a lead wire.

The other ends of the cathode faston terminal 9 and the gate faston terminal 10 are opposed to each other, and constitute one set of connector pieces.

The harness connector piece 11 is another connector piece for connecting the drive unit to the GTO 1, and is connected to the cathode lead wire 4 and the gate lead wire 7. The space inside the harness connector piece 11 is divided into two by a partition plate 12. A cathode terminal 3a with a lead wire is stored in one of the two spaces, and a gate terminal 6a with a lead wire is stored in the other space. The gate terminals 6a are stored facing each other.

Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Next, the operation will be described. The harness connector piece 11 is inserted into and removed from a set of connector pieces composed of the cathode faston terminal 9 and the gate faston terminal 10.
As a result, the connection between the cathode faston terminal 9 and the cathode terminal 3a with lead wire and the gate faston terminal 1
0 and the gate terminal with lead wire 6a can be connected simultaneously. Further, since the cathode terminal with lead 3a and the gate terminal with lead 6a are arranged via the thin partition plate 12, the cathode lead 4 and the gate lead 7 come closer to each other. The magnetic flux can be canceled by 3). Therefore, the inductance of the connection is reduced. Other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The effects of this embodiment are as follows. Conventionally, as shown in FIG.
Is disposed at a position at an angle θ in the circumferential direction of the GTO 1a from the position where the lead wire is disposed, the connector piece having the cathode terminal with lead 3 and the gate terminal 6 with lead as one set Is difficult to form. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the cathode faston terminal 9 and the gate faston terminal 10 are arranged at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the direction in which the main current I flows. It is possible to form a connector piece that performs the following.

By arranging the cathode terminal with lead wire 3a and the gate terminal with lead wire 6a through the thin partition plate 12, the cathode lead wire 4 and the gate lead wire 7 are formed.
, The connection inductance can be reduced.

The GTO 1 can be easily connected to the drive unit by inserting and removing the harness connector piece 11 from a set of connector pieces consisting of the cathode faston terminal 9 and the gate faston terminal 10.

Since the partition plate 12 is interposed between the cathode terminal 3a with a lead and the gate terminal 6a with a lead, safety is improved.

Modified example. In the second embodiment, the example in which the faston terminal is provided only to the cathode 2 of the cathode 2 and the gate electrode 5 is shown, but the faston terminal is provided only to the gate electrode 5 of the cathode 2 and the gate electrode 5. May be.

In the first to third embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to the GTO has been described. However, the present invention may be applied to a semiconductor device which controls a large current such as an IGBT in addition to the GTO.

[0049]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first and the second are provided.
Since the terminals are arranged at overlapping positions when viewed from the direction in which the main current flows, there is an effect that the inductance of the connection for connecting the first and second terminals to the drive unit is reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, if a wire is connected to the tips of the first and second terminals, the approach or short-circuit of these tips can be prevented.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the other end of the second terminal is present between the second current electrode and the first terminal, the second terminal comes closer to the first terminal, thereby reducing the inductance of the connection. The effect that it can achieve is produced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the connection between the semiconductor device and the outside can be easily performed by the connector piece, and the inductance of the connection can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view of a GTO according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the GTO according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a GTO according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a GTO according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the concept of GTO.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a conventional GTO.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a conventional GTO.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 GTO, 2 cathode, 3a cathode terminal with lead wire, 4 cathode lead wire, 5 gate electrode, 6a
Gate terminals with leads, 7 gate leads, 8 main leads.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor device comprising: first and second current electrodes; and first and second terminals for controlling a main current flowing between the first and second current electrodes, wherein: A semiconductor device in which a first terminal and a second terminal are arranged at overlapping positions when viewed from a direction in which the main current flows. 2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a tip of said first terminal is recessed from a tip of said second terminal. 3. The second terminal has one end connected to the second current electrode and the other end present between the second current electrode and the first terminal on the basis of a direction in which the main current flows. Item 2. The semiconductor device according to item 1. 4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second terminals form a set of connector pieces, and another connector piece for connecting to the outside of the semiconductor device is inserted into and removed from the connector pieces. 2. The semiconductor device according to 1.