Mitigation of challenges in automotive power module packaging by dual sided cooling

Abstract

Packaging of power semiconductor modules is facing huge challenges from automotive customers in terms of performance, temperature, reliability, weight, volume and cost etc. It is believed that choice of the power module structure, material and assembly technology are key factors for mitigating the challenges. Among them, the cooling structure and of the module is of most importance to address these issues. In this paper, the dual sided cooling module for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (HEV/EV) is proposed as an effective methodology for addressing these automotive level challenges. It is found that the thermal performance is improved significantly by cooling the module on both sides, which enhances the electrical performance at high power, high switching speed and improves thermal stability. The electrical performance and reliability are further improved by wire bondless interconnection and ultrasonic welding of power terminals. By eliminating the baseplate in the module, the weight, volume and cost are reduced accordingly.