Patent ID: 7876006
Filing Date: 2011-01-25
Classification: H01L,H02K

Abstract:
1. An alternator, which generates an alternating current, converts the alternating current to a direct current in a rectifier and outputs the direct current, the rectifier comprising: a heat sink having a plurality of holes, the heat sink having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other along a depth direction of the rectifier, each of the holes extending from the first surface along the depth direction; and a plurality of rectifying elements, respectively, having a plurality of disks disposed in the holes of the heat sink and a plurality of semiconductor pellets attached to the disks, the semiconductor pellets being electrically connected with one another so as to produce the direct current from the alternating current, each of the disks having an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite to each other along the depth direction, each of the semiconductor pellets being disposed on the upper surface of the corresponding disk, a contact of each of the disks with the heat sink being limited to a contact surface of the disk, wherein a position of the upper surface of each disk in the depth direction is set to place the upper surface between the first and second surfaces of the heat sink, a range of the contact surface of each disk in the depth direction is set to be within a range from the bottom surface of the disk to the upper surface of the disk, the heat sink has a stepped wall surrounding each hole such that the wall is stepped along the depth direction so as to change an area of the hole on a plane perpendicular to the depth direction and to form an opening between the corresponding disk and the stepped wall of the heat sink, each disk has a non-contact surface spaced from the heat sink through the opening such that both the contact surface and the non-contact surface of the disk serve as a side surface facing the heat sink, and the side surface of the disk is formed in a flat shape along the depth direction.