POWER MODULE LAYOUT FOR AUTOMOTIVE POWER CONVERTERS

• Main Authors: YANKOSKI EDWARD P, WARD TERENCE G
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.11.2009
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORSOR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; GENERATION; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

An automotive power converter is provided. The automotive power converter includes a substrate, first and second electronic devices on the substrate, at least one conductive member coupled to the substrate and having a first device portion electrically coupled to the first electronic device and a second device portion electrically coupled to the second electronic device, and first and second terminals electrically coupled to the at least one conductive member. When a power supply is coupled to the first and second terminals, current flows from the first terminal to the first device portion substantially in a first direction and from the second terminal to the second device portion substantially in a second direction. The first direction has a first component and the second direction has a second component opposing the first component.