Semiconductor device with stacked terminals

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes: a housing; a substrate inside the housing; first and second semiconductor circuits on the substrate; and first and second planar terminals electrically connected to the first and second semiconductor circuits, respectively, the first and second planar terminals stacked on top of each other, wherein each of the first and second planar terminals extends away from the housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconductor device comprising:
 a housing;   a substrate inside the housing;   a semiconductor circuit on the substrate; and   first and second planar busbars electrically connected to the semiconductor circuit, the first and second planar busbars being parallel to each other and extending away from the semiconductor circuit in opposite directions through respective openings in the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the second planar busbar is in a different plane than the first planar busbar such that there is an offset between the first and second planar busbars. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor device of  claim 2 , wherein the semiconductor circuit is positioned between the second planar busbar and the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor device of  claim 2 , wherein the offset accommodates attachment of a distal end of the second planar busbar to a corresponding first planar busbar from an adjacent semiconductor device. 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the first planar busbar is configured to have a planar terminal attached to it such that the planar terminal is on a same side of the first planar busbar as the semiconductor circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the second planar busbar is configured to have an attachment to a planar terminal such that the planar terminal is positioned on an opposite side of the second planar busbar than the semiconductor circuit. 
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor device of  claim 6 , wherein the housing is configured so that the planar terminal extends across the housing toward the attachment. 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor device of  claim 7 , wherein the planar terminal contains a contact portion offset from a main portion thereof by an offsetting portion, and wherein the contact portion abuts the second planar busbar at the attachment, and wherein the main portion extends along the housing. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes a direct bonded copper structure. 
     
     
         10 . A semiconductor assembly comprising:
 a first semiconductor device comprising:
 a first housing; 
 a first substrate inside the first housing; 
 a first semiconductor circuit on the first substrate; and 
 first and second planar busbars electrically connected to the first semiconductor circuit, the first and second planar busbars being parallel to each other and extending away from the first semiconductor circuit in opposite directions through respective openings in the first housing; 
   a second semiconductor device comprising:
 a second housing; 
 a second substrate inside the second housing; 
 a second semiconductor circuit on the second substrate; and 
 third and fourth planar busbars electrically connected to the second semiconductor circuit, the third and fourth planar busbars being parallel to each other and extending away from the second semiconductor circuit in opposite directions through respective openings in the second housing, wherein the second planar busbar of the first semiconductor device is attached to the third planar busbar of the second semiconductor device; 
   a first planar terminal attached to the first planar busbar of the first semiconductor device; and   a second planar terminal attached to the fourth planar busbar of the second semiconductor device.   
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein each of the second and fourth planar busbars is in a different plane than a corresponding one of the first and third planar busbars such that their offsets exists between respective planar busbars. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor device of  claim 11 , wherein the offsets accommodate attachment of the second planar busbar to the third planar busbar. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein the first planar busbar is configured to have the first planar terminal attached to it such that the first planar terminal is on a same side of the first planar busbar as the first semiconductor circuit. 
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , wherein the fourth planar busbar is configured to have an attachment to the second planar terminal such that the second planar terminal is positioned on an opposite side of the fourth planar busbar than the second semiconductor circuit. 
     
     
         15 . The semiconductor device of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second housings are configured so that the second planar terminal extends across the first and second housings toward the attachment. 
     
     
         16 . The semiconductor device of  claim 15 , wherein the second planar terminal contains a contact portion offset from a main portion thereof by an offsetting portion, and wherein the contact portion abuts the fourth planar busbar at the attachment, and wherein the main portion extends along the first and second housings. 
     
     
         17 . The semiconductor device of  claim 10 , further comprising a capacitor, wherein the first and second planar terminals connect the capacitor to the first and second semiconductor devices. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 positioning a first semiconductor device near a second semiconductor device, the first semiconductor device having first and second planar busbars parallel to each other and extending in opposite directions through respective openings in a first housing, the second semiconductor device having third and fourth planar busbars parallel to each other and extending in opposite directions through respective openings in a second housing;   attaching the second planar busbar of the first semiconductor device to the third planar busbar of the second semiconductor device;   positioning a first planar terminal adjacent the first planar busbar of the first semiconductor device, and positioning a second planar terminal adjacent the fourth planar busbar of the second semiconductor device; and   attaching the first planar terminal to the first planar busbar, and attaching the second planar terminal to the fourth planar busbar.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein attaching the first planar terminal to the first planar busbar comprises accessing the first planar terminal from a same side of the first planar busbar as where a semiconductor circuit of the first semiconductor device is located. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein attaching the second planar terminal to the fourth planar busbar comprises accessing the second planar terminal from an opposite side of the fourth planar busbar than where a semiconductor circuit of the second semiconductor device is located.