Cooling techniques for semiconductor package

Abstract

In some examples, a device includes a high-side switch, a first high-side conductive element electrically connected to a first load terminal of the high-side switch, and a second high-side conductive element electrically connected to a second load terminal of the high-side switch. The device also includes a layer of cooling material encapsulating the high-side switch, the first high-side conductive element, and the second high-side conductive element. The device further includes a low-side switch, a first low-side conductive element electrically connected to a first load terminal of the low-side switch, and a second low-side conductive element electrically connected to a second load terminal of the low-side switch. The layer of cooling material encapsulates the low-side switch, the first low-side conductive element, and the second low-side conductive element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a high-side switch including a first surface;   a low-side switch including a first surface;   a first high-side conductive element electrically connected to a first load terminal on the first surface of the high-side switch; and   a first low-side conductive element electrically connected to a first load terminal on the first surface of the low-side switch,   wherein the first high-side conductive element is electrically connected to the first low-side conductive element to form a C-shaped interconnect element.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a cooling element positioned between the high-side switch and the low-side switch. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising a first fluid interface and a second fluid interface, wherein the cooling element is configured to carry fluid from the first fluid interface through the device to the second fluid interface, wherein the cooling element is configured to carry liquid from the first fluid interface through the device to the second fluid interface. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the high-side switch includes a second surface opposite the first surface of the high-side switch,   wherein the low-side switch includes a second surface opposite the first surface of the low-side switch, and   wherein the device further comprises:
 a second high-side conductive element positioned on the second surface of the high-side switch; and 
 a second low-side conductive element positioned on the second surface of the low-side switch. 
   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the second high-side conductive element is electrically connected to a high-side power supply and a second load terminal of the high-side switch, and   wherein the second low-side conductive element is electrically connected to a low-side power supply and a second load terminal of the low-side switch.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the high-side switch, the low-side switch, and the C-shaped interconnect element comprise a first phase segment,   wherein the device further comprises a second phase segment comprising:
 a second high-side switch including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface of the second high-side switch; 
 a second low-side switch including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface of the second low-side switch; 
 a second C-shaped interconnect element including:
 a third high-side conductive element electrically connected to a first load terminal of the second high-side switch and positioned on the first surface of the second high-side switch; and 
 a third low-side conductive element electrically connected to a first load terminal of the second low-side switch and positioned on the first surface of the second low-side switch; 
 
 a fourth high-side conductive element electrically connected to the high-side power supply and to a second load terminal of the second high-side switch and positioned on the second surface of the second high-side switch; and 
 a fourth low-side conductive element electrically connected to the low-side power supply and to a second load terminal of the second low-side switch and positioned on the second surface of the second low-side switch. 
   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising a cooling element positioned between the first high-side switch and the first low-side switch and positioned between the second high-side switch and the second low-side switch. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 4 , further comprising a thermoplastic material encapsulating the first high-side conductive element and the first low-side conductive element, wherein the thermoplastic material at least partially encapsulates the device. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising a cooling element positioned between the high-side switch and the low-side switch,
 wherein the cooling element is separated from the first and second high-side conductive elements by the thermoplastic material such that the cooling element is not in direct contact with the first and second high-side conductive elements, and   wherein the cooling element is separated from the first and second low-side conductive elements by the thermoplastic material such that the cooling element is not in direct contact with the first and second low-side conductive elements.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 ,
 wherein a distance through the thermoplastic material between the cooling element and the first or second high-side conductive element is in a range from two hundred micrometers to one millimeter, and   wherein a distance through the thermoplastic material between the cooling element and the first or second low-side conductive element is in a range from two hundred micrometers to one millimeter.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) including an electrical interface,
 wherein the PCB is configured to:
 deliver control signals to the high-side switch; and 
 deliver control signals to the low-side switch, and 
   wherein the thermoplastic material partially encapsulates the PCB such that the thermoplastic material does not cover the electrical interface.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the high-side switch is encapsulated in a first layer of thermosetting polymer material, and   wherein the low-side switch is encapsulated in a second layer of the thermosetting polymer material.   
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 electrically connecting a first high-side conductive element to a first load terminal on a first surface of a high-side switch;   electrically connecting a first low-side conductive element to a first load terminal on a first surface of a low-side switch; and   electrically connecting the first high-side conductive element to the first low-side conductive element to form a C-shaped interconnect element.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising positioning a cooling element between the first high-side conductive element and the first low-side conductive element. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising encapsulating the first high-side conductive element and the first low-side conductive element in a thermoplastic material, wherein the thermoplastic material at least partially encapsulates the device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising electrically connecting a printed circuit board (PCB) to the high-side switch and to the low-side switch such that the PCB can deliver control signals to the high-side switch and the low-side switch. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 encapsulating the high-side switch in a first layer of thermosetting polymer material; and   encapsulating the low-side switch in a second layer of the thermosetting polymer material.   
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 delivering fluid to a cooling element via a first fluid interface on a device to remove heat from a high-side conductive element coupled to a high-side switch in the device and from a low-side conductive element coupled to a low-side switch in the device; and   receiving the fluid from the cooling element via a second fluid interface on the device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein delivering the fluid to the cooling element comprises delivering fluid to the cooling element via the first fluid interface to remove heat from:
 the high-side conductive element via thermoplastic material separating the cooling element from the high-side conductive element; and   the low-side conductive element via thermoplastic material separating the cooling element from the low-side conductive element.   
     
     
         20 . The method  claim 18 ,
 wherein the cooling element is a first cooling element,   wherein the high-side conductive element is a first high-side conductive element coupled to a first surface of the high-side switch,   wherein the low-side conductive element is a first low-side conductive element coupled to a first surface of the low-side switch,   wherein delivering the fluid to the first cooling element comprises:
 delivering fluid to a second cooling element via the first fluid interface to remove heat from a second high-side conductive element coupled to a second surface of the high-side switch opposite the first surface of the high-side switch; and 
 delivering fluid to a third cooling element via the first fluid interface to remove heat from a second low-side conductive element coupled to a second surface of the low-side switch opposite the first surface of the low-side switch, and 
   wherein receiving the fluid from the first cooling element comprises:
 receiving fluid from the second cooling element via the second fluid interface; and 
 receiving fluid from the third cooling element via the second fluid interface.