SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH A GROOVE COLLECTIVELY SURROUNDING SOLDER BONDS TO PREVENT SOLDER SPREADING

摘要

A semiconductor device (20) includes: opposed first (36, 56) and second (34, 54) metal plates; a plurality of semiconductor elements (26, 28, 30, 32, 206, 208, 210, 212, 306, 308, 310, 312) each interposed between the first metal plate (36, 56) and the second metal plate (34, 54); a metal block (44, 50, 314, 316) interposed between the first metal plate (36, 56) and each of the semiconductor elements (26, 28, 30, 32, 206, 208, 210, 212, 306, 308, 310, 312); a solder member (46, 52) interposed between the first metal plate (36, 56) and the metal block (44, 50, 314, 316) and connecting the first metal plate (36, 56) to the metal block (44, 50, 314, 316); and a resin moulding (74) sealing the semiconductor elements (26, 28, 30, 32, 206, 208, 210, 212, 306, 308, 310, 312) and the metal block (44, 50, 314, 316). A face of the first metal plate (36, 56), which is on an opposite side of a face of the first metal plate (36, 56) to which the metal block (44, 50, 314, 316) is connected via the solder member (46, 52), is exposed from the resin moulding (74). The first metal plate (36, 56) has a groove (70, 72) formed along an outer periphery of a region in which the solder member(s) (46, 52) is(are) provided, the groove (70, 72) collectively surrounding the solder member(s) (46, 52) so as to prevent spreading of the solder members (46, 52) on a bonding face of the first metal plate (36, 56). Each of the semiconductor elements (26, 30, 206, 210, 306, 310) may be a power semiconductor switching element, such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), that undergoes switching operation at the time of converting electric power and each of the semiconductor elements (28, 32, 208, 212, 308, 312) may be a reflux diode that is required in order to circulate current at the time of interrupting a corresponding one of the semiconductor elements (26, 30, 206, 210, 306, 310).