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US5317176A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Power transistor having multifinger contacts

Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
•
Filing: 1993-03-03
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Granted: 1994-05-31
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Expires: 2013-03-03
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Abstract

Abstract A power transistor has a plurality of contacted, individual transistors. The contacts of these individual transistors are arranged at such intervals from one another that a temperature distribution results during operation that is substantially uniform for an intended power range of the transistor.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ulrich Schaper
  • 👤 Birgit Holzapfl

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 18:00
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/13; H10D62/149; H10D10/00; H10D62/124; H10D62/126; H10D62/133

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 73 words
A power transistor comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane; the transistors having finger-shaped contacts, said finger-shaped contacts being arranged along a stripshaped contact surface to which a power feed is provided at only a first end of the strip-shaped contact surface; and spacings of successive contacts from said first end of said contact surface decreasing strictly monotonously to a second end of the contact surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 73 words
A power transistor comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane; the transistors having finger-shaped contacts, said finger-shaped contacts being arranged along a stripshaped contact surface to which a power feed is provided at only a first end of the strip-shaped contact surface; and spacings of successive contacts from said first end of said contact surface decreasing strictly monotonously to a second end of the contact surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 145 words
The power transistor according to claim 1, wherein the individual transistors are arranged on a first surface of a semiconductor member and wherein a second surface of the semiconductor member lying opposite the first surface of the individual transistors is connected to a heat sink and remaining surfaces of the semiconductor member are at least approximately thermally insulated, and wherein the finger-shaped contacts are arranged such that a temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform, said temperature distribution being determined by a numerical solution of a static thermal conduction equation, ΔT (x, y, z) =0, by means of fast Fourier analysis, where an equation - K (T) ∇T (x, y, 0) = Q (x, y, 0) having a material-dependent and temperaturedependent thermal conduction coefficient K and at least one locusdependent heat source Q functions as boundary condition in the region of the contacts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 52 words
The power transistor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of power transistors forms an array, and wherein the plurality of power transistors are integrated in common, provided with electrical terminals and arranged at such intervals relative to one another that a temperature distribution during operation of the array is substantially uniform.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 99 words
A power transistor, comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane, each of said transistors having finger shaped contacts; at least one common strip-shaped contact along which said individual transistors are arranged, respective finger shaped contacts thereby defining a position of a respective individual transistor on said strip-shaped contact, spacings being provided between said individual transistors; at least some of said spacings being different in terms of size such that, during operation of the power transistor in a predetermined range of electrical nominal power, temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 99 words
A power transistor, comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane, each of said transistors having finger shaped contacts; at least one common strip-shaped contact along which said individual transistors are arranged, respective finger shaped contacts thereby defining a position of a respective individual transistor on said strip-shaped contact, spacings being provided between said individual transistors; at least some of said spacings being different in terms of size such that, during operation of the power transistor in a predetermined range of electrical nominal power, temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 142 words
The power transistor according to claim 4, wherein the individual transistors are arranged on a first surface of a semiconductor member and wherein a second surface of the semiconductor element lying opposite the individual transistors is connected to a heat sink and remaining surfaces of the semiconductor element are at least approximately thermally insulated, and wherein the finger-shaped contacts are arranged such that a temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform, said temperature distribution being determined by a numerical solution of a static thermal conduction equation, ΔT (x, y, z) = 0, by means of fast Fourier analysis, where an equation - K (T) ∇T (x, y, 0) = Q (x, y, 0) having a material-dependent and temperaturedependent thermal conduction coefficient K and at least one locusdependent heat source Q functions as boundary condition in the region of the contacts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 55 words
The power transistor according to claim 4, wherein finger-shaped contacts are arranged laterally along a stripshaped contact surface to which a power supply is connected at only one end thereof, and wherein spacings of successive contacts from the end of the contact surface connected to the power supply to the other end decrease strictly monotonously.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 73 words
The power transistor according to claim 4, wherein finger-shaped contacts are arranged laterally along a strip-shaped contact surface to which a power supply is connected at both ends thereof, and wherein spacings of contacts following one another in a longitudinal direction of the contact surface vary relative to one another and are mirror-symmetrical relative to a straight line proceeding perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped contact surface through a middle thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 82 words
The power transistor according to claim 7, wherein the spacings of the finger-shaped contacts following one another in the longitudinal direction in a respective row are approximately identical with the exception of spacings present in a middle and at the ends, two middle contacts adjacent one another having a smaller spacing compared to spacing of the contacts extending in both directions from the two middle contacts, and respective contacts situated at the ends having a smaller spacing compared to respectively following contacts.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 52 words
The power transistor according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of power transistors forms an array, and wherein the plurality of power transistors are integrated in common, provided with electrical terminals and arranged at such intervals relative to one another that a temperature distribution during operation of the array is substantially uniform.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 239 words
A power transistor comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane on a first surface of a semiconductor member, each of said transistors having finger shaped contacts; at least one common strip-shaped contact along which said individual transistors are arranged, respective finger shaped contacts thereby defining a position of a respective individual transistor on said strip-shaped contact, spacings being provided between said individual transistors; at least some of said spacings being different in terms of size such that, during operation of the power transistor in a predetermined range of electrical nominal power, temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform; and a second surface of the semiconductor member lying opposite the first surface having the individual transistors connected to a heat sink and remaining surfaces of the semiconductor member being at least approximately thermally insulated, wherein the finger-shaped contacts are arranged such that a temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform, said temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform, said temperature distribution being determined by a numerical solution of a static thermal conduction equation, ΔT (x, y, z) = 0, by means of fast Fourier analysis, where an equation - K (T) ∇T (x, y, 0) = Q (x, y, 0) having a material-dependent and temperature-dependent thermal conduction coefficient K and at least one locus-dependent heat source Q functions as boundary condition in the region of the contacts.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 239 words
A power transistor comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane on a first surface of a semiconductor member, each of said transistors having finger shaped contacts; at least one common strip-shaped contact along which said individual transistors are arranged, respective finger shaped contacts thereby defining a position of a respective individual transistor on said strip-shaped contact, spacings being provided between said individual transistors; at least some of said spacings being different in terms of size such that, during operation of the power transistor in a predetermined range of electrical nominal power, temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform; and a second surface of the semiconductor member lying opposite the first surface having the individual transistors connected to a heat sink and remaining surfaces of the semiconductor member being at least approximately thermally insulated, wherein the finger-shaped contacts are arranged such that a temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform, said temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform, said temperature distribution being determined by a numerical solution of a static thermal conduction equation, ΔT (x, y, z) = 0, by means of fast Fourier analysis, where an equation - K (T) ∇T (x, y, 0) = Q (x, y, 0) having a material-dependent and temperature-dependent thermal conduction coefficient K and at least one locus-dependent heat source Q functions as boundary condition in the region of the contacts.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 55 words
The power transistor according to claim 10, wherein finger-shaped contacts are arranged laterally along a stripshaped contact surface to which a power supply is connected at only one end thereof, and wherein spacings of successive contacts from the end of the contact surface connected to the power supply to the other end decrease strictly monotonously.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 73 words
The power transistor according to claim 10, wherein finger-shaped contacts are arranged laterally along a stripshaped contact surface to which a power supply is connected at both ends thereof, and wherein spacings of contacts following one another in a longitudinal direction of the contact surface vary relative to one another and are mirror-symmetrical relative to a straight line proceeding perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped contact surface through a middle thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 75 words
The power transistor according to claim 12, wherein spacings of the finger-shaped contacts following one another in the longitudinal direction in a respective row are approximately identical with the exception of spacings present in a middle and at the ends, two middle contacts adjacent one another having a smaller spacing compared to spacing of contacts following in both directions, and respective contacts situated at the ends having a smaller spacing compared to respectively following contacts.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 52 words
The power transistor according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of power transistors forms an array, and wherein the plurality of power transistors are integrated in common, provided with electrical terminals and arranged at such intervals relative to one another that a temperature distribution during operation of the array is substantially uniform.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 153 words
A power transistor comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane, the transistors having finger-shaped contacts; the finger-shaped contacts arranged laterally along a stripshaped contact surface to which a power supply is connected at both ends thereof; spacings of contacts following one another in a longitudinal direction of the contact surface varying relative to one another and mirror-symmetrical relative to a straight line proceeding perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped contact surface through a middle thereof; and the spacings of the finger-shaped contacts following one another in the longitudinal direction in a respective row being approximately identical with the exception of spacings present in a middle and at the ends, two middle contacts adjacent one another having a smaller spacing compared to spacing of contacts following in both directions, and respective contacts situated at the ends having a smaller spacing compared to respectively following contacts.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 153 words
A power transistor comprising: a plurality of monolithically integrated, contacted individual transistors arranged in a single plane, the transistors having finger-shaped contacts; the finger-shaped contacts arranged laterally along a stripshaped contact surface to which a power supply is connected at both ends thereof; spacings of contacts following one another in a longitudinal direction of the contact surface varying relative to one another and mirror-symmetrical relative to a straight line proceeding perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped contact surface through a middle thereof; and the spacings of the finger-shaped contacts following one another in the longitudinal direction in a respective row being approximately identical with the exception of spacings present in a middle and at the ends, two middle contacts adjacent one another having a smaller spacing compared to spacing of contacts following in both directions, and respective contacts situated at the ends having a smaller spacing compared to respectively following contacts.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 146 words
The power transistor according to claim 15, wherein the individual transistors are arranged on a first surface of a semiconductor member and wherein a second surface of the semiconductor member lying opposite the first surface of the individual transistors is connected to a heat sink and remaining surfaces of the semiconductor member are at least approximately thermally insulated, and wherein the finger-shaped contacts are arranged such that a temperature distribution of the power transistor is substantially uniform, said temperature distribution being determined by a numerical solution of a static theraml conduction equation, ΔT (x, y, 0) = 0, by means of fast Fourier analysis, where an equation - K (T) ∇T (x, y, 0) = Q (x, y, 0) having a material-dependent and temperature-dependent thermal conduction coefficient K and at least one locus-dependent heat source Q functions as boundary condition in the region of the contacts.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 52 words
The power transistor according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of power transistors forms an array, and wherein the plurality of power transistors are integrated in common, provided with electrical terminals and arranged at such intervals relative to one another that a temperature distribution during operation of the array is substantially uniform.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3943546A Cited
US3704398A Cited
US4642668A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-05-30 1997-11-29 1998-05-31 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-05-30 2001-11-29 2002-05-31 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-05-30 2005-11-29 2006-05-31 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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