Abstract: An arrangement includes a housing and a printed circuit board (PCB) arranged vertically above the housing. The housing includes: at least one protrusion attached to sidewalls and arranged on an outside of the housing at a lower end with at least one first through hole provided in the protrusion; holding devices each arranged inside a first through hole and/or between the PCB and the first through hole; and fastening elements configured to attach the housing to a heat sink or base plate. Each holding device is configured to clamp a corresponding fastening element such that the fastening elements are secured in defined positions, and to align each fastening element with a different first through hole. The PCB includes second through holes each arranged vertically above and aligned with a different fastening element. A diameter of each second through hole is less than the largest diameter of the respective fastening element.

Abstract: A power semiconductor module arrangement includes: a housing; a substrate having a substrate layer and a first metallization layer on a first side of the substrate layer, inside the housing or forming a bottom of the housing; a printed circuit board inside the housing, vertically above and in parallel to the substrate; electrically conducting components on the printed circuit board and substrate; an encapsulant at least partly filling the interior of the housing; and a magnetic field sensor either on the substrate within range of a magnetic field caused by a current flowing through one of the electrically conducting components arranged on the printed circuit board, or on the printed circuit board within range of a magnetic field caused by a current flowing through one of the electrically conducting components arranged on the substrate. The magnetic field sensor is electrically insulated from the respective electrically conducting component.

Abstract: A power semiconductor module arrangement includes a housing that includes sidewalls, a lid, protrusions, a substrate, a plurality of components arranged on the substrate, and an encapsulant partly filling the interior of the housing, thereby covering the substrate, wherein each of the protrusions extends from the lid of the housing, a lower end of the protrusions is arranged directly on one of the components, or within a defined radius around one of the components, and wherein the lower end of a protrusion is the end facing away from the lid and towards the substrate, and the encapsulant has a generally flat surface and forms one or more elevations, wherein each of the elevations encloses an upper end of a different one of the components, and encloses the lower end of a respective one of the protrusions.

Abstract: A semiconductor module includes a first circuit carrier including one or more heat generating elements mounted on an upper surface of the first circuit carrier, a second circuit carrier mounted over the first circuit carrier and being vertically spaced apart from the upper surface of the first circuit carrier, and a temperature sensor that is fixedly attached to the second circuit carrier and is arranged in a vertical space between the lower surface of the second circuit carrier and the upper surface of the first circuit carrier, wherein the temperature sensor is arranged in sufficient proximity to a first one of the heat generating elements to obtain a direct temperature measurement from the first one of the heat generating elements.

Abstract: A power semiconductor module arrangement includes a housing, a substrate arranged inside the housing, a printed circuit board arranged inside the housing distant from and in parallel to the substrate, an encapsulant at least partly filling the interior of the housing and covering the substrate and the printed circuit board, and a heat protective layer arranged inside the housing between the substrate and the printed circuit board, and extending in a plane that is parallel to the substrate and the printed circuit board. A thermal resistance of the heat protective layer is greater than a thermal resistance of the encapsulant.

Abstract: An arrangement includes a housing and a printed circuit board (PCB) arranged vertically above the housing. The housing includes: at least one protrusion attached to sidewalls and arranged on an outside of the housing at a lower end with at least one first through hole provided in the protrusion; holding devices each arranged inside a first through hole and/or between the PCB and the first through hole; and fastening elements configured to attach the housing to a heat sink or base plate. Each holding device is configured to clamp a corresponding fastening element such that the fastening elements are secured in defined positions, and to align each fastening element with a different first through hole. The PCB includes second through holes each arranged vertically above and aligned with a different fastening element. A diameter of each second through hole is less than the largest diameter of the respective fastening element.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a power module housing. The power module housing includes a conductive substrate and a circuit board positioned overlying the conductive substrate. A gate driver is mounted to the circuit board. A power device is mounted to the conductive substrate and is controlled by the gate driver. The power module housing includes an insulation material electrically insulating the conductive substrate from the circuit board. A monitoring component is mounted to at least the conductive substrate and is operatively coupled to the gate driver and the power device.

Abstract: A method for producing a power semiconductor module arrangement includes: arranging at least one semiconductor substrate in a housing, each semiconductor substrate including a first metallization layer attached to a dielectric insulation layer, the housing including a through hole extending through a component of the housing; inserting a fastener into the through hole such that an upper portion of the fastener is not inserted into the through hole; arranging a printed circuit board on the housing; arranging the housing on a mounting surface, the mounting surface comprising a hole, wherein the housing is arranged on the mounting surface such that the through hole is aligned with the hole in the mounting surface; and exerting a force on the printed circuit board such that the force causes the fastener to be pressed into the hole in the mounting surface so as to secure the housing to the mounting surface.

Abstract: A method for producing a power semiconductor module arrangement includes: arranging a semiconductor substrate in a housing, the housing including a through hole extending through a component of the housing; inserting a pin or bolt into the through hole such that an upper end of the pin/bolt is not inserted into the through hole; arranging a printed circuit board on the housing; arranging the housing on a heat sink having a hole, the housing being arranged on the heat sink such that the through hole is aligned with the hole in the heat sink; and by way of a first pressing tool, exerting a force on a defined contact area of the printed circuit board and pressing the pin/bolt into the hole in the heat sink, wherein the defined contact area is arranged directly above the pin/bolt.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to circuits and techniques for detecting or responding to temperature of a power switch. A driver circuit for the power switch may be configured to deliver a modulation signal to a control node of the power switch to control on/off switching of the power switch, wherein the driver circuit is further configured to modulate an output impedance of the driver circuit at the control node, perform one or more voltage measurements while modulating the output impedance of the driver circuit, and control the power switch based at least in part on the one or more voltage measurements.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to circuits and techniques for detecting or responding to temperature of a power switch. A driver circuit for the power switch may be configured to deliver a modulation signal to a control node of the power switch to control on/off switching of the power switch, wherein the driver circuit is further configured to modulate an output impedance of the driver circuit at the control node, perform one or more voltage measurements while modulating the output impedance of the driver circuit, and control the power switch based at least in part on the one or more voltage measurements.

Abstract: A method for producing a power semiconductor module arrangement includes: arranging a semiconductor substrate in a housing, the housing including a through hole extending through a component of the housing; inserting a pin or bolt into the through hole such that an upper end of the pin/bolt is not inserted into the through hole; arranging a printed circuit board on the housing; arranging the housing on a heat sink having a hole, the housing being arranged on the heat sink such that the through hole is aligned with the hole in the heat sink; and by way of a first pressing tool, exerting a force on a defined contact area of the printed circuit board and pressing the pin/bolt into the hole in the heat sink, wherein the defined contact area is arranged directly above the pin/bolt.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to circuits and techniques for detecting or responding to temperature of a power switch based on paired measurements of current and voltage. A driver circuit for a power switch may be configured to perform a current measurement and a voltage measurement associated with a temperature-dependent circuit element and control the power switch based at least in part on the current measurement and the voltage measurement. In some examples, the current and voltage measurements may be used to determine the temperature of the power switch.

Abstract: A semiconductor module is disclosed. In one example, the module includes a carrier, at least one semiconductor transistor disposed on the carrier, at least one semiconductor diode disposed on the carrier, at least one semiconductor driver chip disposed on the carrier, a plurality of external connectors, and an encapsulation layer covering the carrier, the semiconductor transistor, the semiconductor diode, and the semiconductor driver chip. The semiconductor transistor, the semiconductor diode, and the semiconductor driver chip are arranged laterally side by side on the carrier.

Abstract: A power semiconductor circuit includes: a power semiconductor element having a gate electrode configured to actuate the power semiconductor element, a collector electrode, and an emitter electrode electrically connected to a first emitter terminal; and a temperature sensor having a first measurement point with a measurement terminal and a second measurement point electrically connected to the emitter electrode, so that a voltage which drops over the temperature sensor is measurable between the measurement terminal and the first emitter terminal for the temperature measurement. Corresponding methods for determining a temperature of a power semiconductor element and for determining a sign of a load current in a bridge circuit are also described.

Abstract: A semiconductor module is disclosed. In one example, the module includes a carrier, at least one semiconductor transistor disposed on the carrier, at least one semiconductor diode disposed on the carrier, at least one semiconductor driver chip disposed on the carrier, a plurality of external connectors, and an encapsulation layer covering the carrier, the semiconductor transistor, the semiconductor diode, and the semiconductor driver chip. The semiconductor transistor, the semiconductor diode, and the semiconductor driver chip are arranged laterally side by side on the carrier.

Abstract: A printed circuit board (PCB) has a first, structured metalization arranged on its top side and at least one second metalization arranged below the first metalization in a vertical direction, parallel to the first metalization and insulated therefrom. Also on the PCB top side is a bare semiconductor chip having contact electrodes connected by bonding wires to corresponding contact pads of the first metalization on the PCB top side. A first portion of the contact electrodes and corresponding contact pads carry high voltage during operation. All high-voltage-carrying contact pads are conductively connected to the second metalization via plated-through holes. An insulation layer completely covers the chip and a delimited region of the PCB around the chip, and all high-voltage-carrying contact pads and the plated-through holes are completely covered by the insulation layer. A second portion of the contact electrodes and corresponding contact pads are under low voltages during operation.

Abstract: An electronics assembly includes a plurality of first semiconductor chips each having a first load terminal and a second load terminal, a conductor structure having a first conductor strip, a second conductor strip and a third conductor strip, a plurality of first interference-suppression capacitors arranged on the conductor structure and each having a first capacitor terminal and a second capacitor terminal, and a heat sink. The first load terminal of each first semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the first conductor strip, the second load terminal of each first semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the third conductor strip, the first capacitor terminal of each first interference-suppression capacitor is electrically connected to the first conductor strip, the second capacitor terminal of each first interference-suppression capacitor is electrically connected to the second conductor strip, and the heat sink is electrically connected to the second conductor strip.

Abstract: A semiconductor module includes a printed circuit board, and first and second embedded semiconductor chips. The first and second semiconductor chips each have a first load connection and a second load connection. The printed circuit board further includes a structured first metalization layer, which has a first section and a second section, and a structured second metalization layer, which has a first section, a second section and a third section. The first section of the second metalization layer and the second section of the first metalization layer have comb shaped structures having first and second protrusions. These first and second sections are electrically conductively connected to one another by a number of first plated-through holes each of which is permanently electrically conductively connected both at first protrusions to the first section of the second metalization layer and at second protrusions to the second section of the first metalization layer.

Abstract: An electronics assembly includes a plurality of first semiconductor chips each having a first load terminal and a second load terminal, a conductor structure having a first conductor strip, a second conductor strip and a third conductor strip, a plurality of first interference-suppression capacitors arranged on the conductor structure and each having a first capacitor terminal and a second capacitor terminal, and a heat sink. The first load terminal of each first semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the first conductor strip, the second load terminal of each first semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the third conductor strip, the first capacitor terminal of each first interference-suppression capacitor is electrically connected to the first conductor strip, the second capacitor terminal of each first interference-suppression capacitor is electrically connected to the second conductor strip, and the heat sink is electrically connected to the second conductor strip.