Patent Publication Number: US-2023155479-A1

Title: Power semiconductor module, power electronic assembly including one or more power semiconductor modules, and power conversion control circuit for a power semiconductor module

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Power semiconductor modules include one or more power semiconductor devices such as power MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors), HEMTs (high-electron mobility transistors), IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors), power diodes, etc., related gate driver circuitry and possibly even a controller, for implementing a power electronic assembly such as a DC/AC inverter, a DC/DC converter, an AC/DC converter, a DC/AC converter, an AC/AC converter, or the like. Such power electronic assemblies are widely used in various applications, from power supply systems to motor control, to name a few. In some cases, status, control and switching information for gate driver applications may be transferred over an isolation barrier, e.g., in the case of a flyback or forward converter, where the isolation barrier ensures creepage and clearance requirements are satisfied. However, a fully wireless approach for power applications requires much more just a wireless connection for data transfer between primary and secondary parts of a gate driver. For example, power supply for control and measurement units needed to operate a power switch and would also have to be transferred wirelessly. Such a complete wireless solution for power semiconductor modules is lacking. 
     Thus, there is a need for a power semiconductor module having wireless transfer of status, control and switching information and wireless transfer of power. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an embodiment of a module, the module comprises: an electrically insulative housing; a driver circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to drive a control terminal of a power switch; a wireless communication circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, wireless control information transmitted to the module; and a wireless energy receiver enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, energy wirelessly transmitted to the module, and to supply power to the driver circuit, wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive the control terminal of the power switch based on the wireless control information received by the wireless communication circuit. 
     According to an embodiment of a power electronic assembly, the power electronic assembly comprises: a power switch; a primary-side control unit configured to control operation of the power switch; and a secondary-side module wirelessly coupled to the primary-side control unit and comprising: an electrically insulative housing; a driver circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to drive a control terminal of the power switch; a wireless communication circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, wireless control information transmitted from the primary-side control unit to the secondary-side module and associated with operation of the power switch; and a wireless energy receiver enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, energy wirelessly transmitted from the primary-side control unit to the secondary-side module, and to supply power to the power switch and the driver circuit, wherein the driver circuit of the secondary-side module is configured to drive the control terminal of the power switch based on the wireless control information received by the wireless communication circuit. 
     According to an embodiment of a power conversion control circuit, the power conversion control circuit comprises: a wireless communication circuit configured to wirelessly transmit control information to an insulated module that includes a driver circuit for a power switch, wherein the control information is configured to control operation of the power switch via the driver circuit; and a wireless energy transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit energy to the insulated module, for supplying power to the driver circuit. 
     Those skilled in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed description, and upon viewing the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts. The features of the various illustrated embodiments can be combined unless they exclude each other. Embodiments are depicted in the drawings and are detailed in the description which follows. 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a power electronic assembly having a primary side with corresponding control circuitry and a secondary side with a wireless power semiconductor module. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a block diagram of another embodiment of a power electronic assembly having a primary side with corresponding control circuitry and a secondary side with a wireless power semiconductor module. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a top perspective view of the wireless power semiconductor module, according to an embodiment. 
         FIG.  4 A  illustrates a bottom perspective view and  FIG.  4 B  illustrates a top perspective view of the wireless power semiconductor module, according to another embodiment. 
         FIG.  5 A  illustrates a top perspective view of the wireless power semiconductor module and  FIG.  5 B  illustrates a schematic of a half bridge implemented by the module, according to another embodiment. 
         FIGS.  6  through  12    illustrate respective sectional diagrams of different embodiments of a power electronic assembly having a primary side with corresponding control circuitry and a secondary side with a wireless power semiconductor module. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The embodiments described herein provide a power semiconductor module having wireless transfer of status, control and switching information and wireless transfer of power, a power electronic assembly that incorporates one or more of the modules and a corresponding power conversion control circuit. The electrically insulative housing of the module may have a first dedicated area through which wireless control information is transferred to a wireless communication circuit included in the module, and a second dedicated area through which wireless energy is transferred to a wireless energy receiver included in the module. The complete wireless transfer of energy and information offers the possibility to remove electrically conducting connections between the primary and secondary parts of the system. This also implies that the isolation barrier may be built via packaging of the power switch(es) with no requirement that the isolation barrier between the primary and secondary sides be split up into several parts and components. If the load terminals of the power switch(es) are the only electrically conducting connections of the module, the overall mounting effort of the corresponding power electronic assembly is significantly reduced. 
     Described next, with reference to the figures, are exemplary embodiments of the power semiconductor module, power electronic assembly produced from one or more of the power semiconductor modules and a corresponding power conversion control circuit. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a block diagram of a power electronic assembly  100  having a primary side  102  with corresponding control circuitry  104  and a secondary side  106  with a power semiconductor module  108 . The power electronic assembly  100  may be designed for use, e.g., as a DC/AC inverter, a DC/DC converter, an AC/DC converter, a DC/AC converter, an AC/AC converter, or the like. 
     Complete electrical (galvanic) isolation is provided between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  100 . The isolation between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  100  ensures creepage and clearance distance requirements are satisfied, which is of particular importance for high voltage applications in the range of hundreds or even thousands of volts. The isolation between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  100  may be implemented entirely at the secondary side  106 , entirely at the primary side  102 , or partly at the secondary side  106  and partly at the primary side  102 , as described in more detail later herein. 
     In each case, status, control and switching information as well as power are implemented wirelessly between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  100 . Accordingly, load terminals ‘LT+’, ‘LT−’ of the power semiconductor module  108  may be the only electrically conducting (galvanic) connections to the module  108 . 
     The power semiconductor module  108  includes an electrically insulative housing (not shown in the block diagram of  FIG.  1   ) and a driver circuit  110 , a wireless communication circuit  112  and a wireless energy receiver  114  each enclosed in the housing. The driver circuit  110  is configured to drive a control terminal ‘G’ of a power switch  116  based on wireless control information (‘control’) received by the wireless communication circuit  112 . The components  104 ,  134  on the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  100  for a primary-side control unit that controls operation of the power switch  116  on the secondary side  106 . 
     For example, control information wirelessly received from the primary-side control unit may include a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal. The wireless communication circuit  112  on the secondary side  106  receives the wirelessly transmitted PWM information and the driver circuit  110  enhances the voltage and/or current of the PWM control signal to a level sufficient for driving the control terminal G of the power switch  116 . The power switch  116  may be, e.g., a power MOSFET, a HEMT, an IGBT, etc. The power switch  116  may be enclosed in the housing of the power semiconductor module  108 , attached to a surface of the module housing, or provided in another module, package, circuit board, etc. separate from the module  108 . 
     In each case, the wireless communication circuit  112  is configured to receive, through the module housing, the wireless control information transmitted to the power semiconductor module  108  from the primary side  102  and for controlling the driver circuit  110 . The wireless communication circuit  112  is also configured to receive, through the module housing, wireless switching information (‘switching’) transmitted to the module  108  and for determining the state of the signal output by the driver circuit  110  and applied to the control terminal G of the power switch  116 . The wireless communication circuit  112  also may be configured to transmit, through the housing, status information (‘status’) associated with operation of the power switch  116 . For example, the status information may include telemetry data such as voltage, current and/or temperature information, fault information, etc. 
     In one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit  112  includes a mm (millimeter) wave antenna  118  for receiving and transmitting information as mm wave signals, and related receive (‘R’) and transmit (‘T’) circuitry  120 ,  122 . For example, the mm wave antenna  118  may be used for frequencies in the range of tens of GHz, where the antenna dimensions are in the range of a few mm and corresponding antenna structures with these dimensions can be built on a PCB. In another example, wireless transfer of control or status information may be implemented using known techniques for capacitive or inductive coupling between the two sides of the electrically insulated housing, e.g., with or without a magnetic core. In another example, optical transfer also may be implemented, e.g., if the insulating housing contains areas that are transparent for the respective wavelength of the optical transmitters. In another example, electrically insulating but magnetically coupling material (e.g., moulded ferrite cores) may be incorporated in the housing. 
     The control circuitry  104  on the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  100  includes a switching control unit  124  such as a PWM generator for generating the secondary-side switching information and a wireless communication circuit  126  for wirelessly transmitting the secondary-side switching information to the power semiconductor module  108  on the secondary side  106  of the power electronic assembly  100 . The control circuitry  104  on the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  100  also includes one or more communication interfaces  125  for generating the secondary-side control information and for processing the status information received from the secondary side  106 . 
     A wireless communication circuit  126  on the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  100  transmits the wireless control information (‘control’) and the wireless switching information (‘switching’) to the power semiconductor module  108  on the secondary side  106  and receives the wireless status information (‘status’) from the module  108 . In one embodiment, the primary-side wireless communication circuit  126  includes a mm (millimeter) wave antenna  128  for receiving and transmitting information as mm wave signals, and related transmit (‘T’) and receive (‘R’) circuitry  130 ,  132 . The wireless communication channels of the control, switching and status information between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  100  are each labelled ‘WC’ in  FIG.  1   . In one example, each wireless communication channel may be built as an independent unit, whereas in other examples, two or more communication channels may be combined into a wireless communication unit, e.g., by representing each communication channel by a different modulation scheme. In the following, the wording ‘wireless communication channel’ refers to the data flow between a primary side unit and a secondary side unit, regardless of whether implemented as independent units or by sharing a common resource. The wireless communication channel WC, as used in the following figures, also represents a physical dimension or area needed for the wireless transfer of information, e.g., the coupled areas for coupling capacitors or coils of both sides of an insulated housing, or the ‘beam’ of a mm-wave transmitter, or the light of an optical transfer mechanism. 
     Energy is also wirelessly transmitted from the primary side  102  to the secondary side  106  of the power electronic assembly  100 . The primary side  102  includes the wireless communication circuit  126  and a wireless energy transmitter  134  that wirelessly transmits energy to the secondary-side power module  108 , for supplying power to the secondary-side driver circuit  110 . The wireless energy transmitter  134  includes a system control supply  135  for supplying power to the primary-side control circuitry  104 . Energy is also wirelessly transmitted from the system control supply  135  on the primary side  102  to the power semiconductor module  108  on the secondary side  106 . The wireless energy receiver  114  on the secondary side  106  receives, through the module housing, the energy (‘energy’) wirelessly transmitted from the primary side  102  and supplies power to the driver circuit  110  included in the power semiconductor module  108 . In one embodiment, the wireless energy receiver  114  includes a coil  136  configured to receive, through the module housing, the energy wirelessly transmitted from the primary side  102  to the module  108 , a capacitor (not shown) for buffering the energy received by the coil  136 , and an energy conditioning circuit  138  such as a power supply configured to supply power to the driver circuit  110  from the energy received by the coil  136 . The coil  136  may be formed as a molded structure soldered to a printed circuit board (PCB). The coil  136  instead may be formed from a foil that is attached to a carrier. The primary side  102  wireless energy transmitter  134  similarly includes a coil  140  for wirelessly transmitting energy from the primary-side wireless energy transmitter  134  to the power semiconductor module  108  on the secondary side  106 . 
     For example, sets of coils and capacitors may be used to form a resonant circuit for wireless charging of the secondary-side  106 . Depending on the number of turns and amount of energy to be wirelessly transferred, the transmitting and receiving coils  140 ,  136  may be constructed in different ways. For example, the transmitting and receiving coils  140 ,  136  may be produced as molded structures that can be soldered to a PCB, built in a flexible way by using a kind of foil that can be glued to a carrier (e.g., to a part of a package and then connected by soldered wires, or included in a PCB.) A transformer with a magnetic core may be split into independent parts, with independent coils. One part of the transformer with one coil (or one set of coils) is located inside the power module  108 , another part with another coil (or set of coils) outside the module  108 . Another example is to isolate one coil (or set of coils) from the magnetic core and the other coil (or set of coils), e.g., one coil (or set of coils) may be located in a package or module with a hole to pass a part of the magnetic core and another part of the magnetic core with the remaining coil(s) may be mounted closely to the magnetic circuit. Depending on the type of transformer, topologies like flyback, forward, Zeta, SEPIC, CUK, or phase-shifted half-bridge may be used (also other topologies may be used). 
     For these examples, the air gap between the coils or magnetic core parts should be large enough to stand the isolation voltage but not too big to ensure a coupling of the magnetic fields. The wireless energy transmitter  134  located on the primary side  102  generates the AC voltage that is transferred to the secondary side  106 , where it is rectified and adapted by the secondary-side the wireless energy receiver  114  to the needs of the secondary-side components  110 ,  112 . Good efficiency for the transferred power is preferred. The wireless energy transmitter  134  may be located outside the primary-side package or module. Accordingly, a lower efficiency may result for the wireless energy transfer which leads to a higher energy consumption on the primary side  102 . Cooling of the wireless energy transmitter  134  outside the primary-side package or module is simpler than for components inside the package or module. Accordingly, a slightly decreased efficiency on primary side  102  is acceptable. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG.  1    enables the complete wireless transfer of energy and information between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  100 , offering the possibility to remove electrically conducting (galvanic) connections between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the system  100 . For example, this means that the only electrical (galvanic) connections to the power semiconductor module  108  are the load terminals LT+, LT−. Such a configuration significantly simplifies the overall mounting effort needed to secure the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the system  100 , by eliminating the pin connections conventionally used for energy and information transfer. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates a block diagram of another embodiment of a power electronic assembly  200  with complete wireless transfer of energy and information between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  100 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  2    is similar to the embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  1   . Different, however, the power semiconductor module  108  of the power electronic assembly  200  in  FIG.  2    includes a first power switch  116   a  and a second power switch  116   b.    
     The first and second power switches  116   a ,  116   b  are electrically coupled in a half bridge configuration with the first power switch  116   a  being the high-side switch and the second power switch  116   b  being the low-side switch. Each power switch  116   a ,  116   b  may be, e.g., a power MOSFET, a HEMT, an IGBT, etc. Each power switch  116   a ,  116   b  may be enclosed in the housing of the power semiconductor module  108 , attached to a surface of the module housing, or provided in another module, package, circuit board, etc. separate from the module  108 . 
     The switching node between the first and second power switches  116   a ,  116   b  forms a phase node ‘PH’ of the power semiconductor module. In the case of a multi-phase system, more than one half bridge is provided with each half bridge forming one phase of the multi-phase system. 
     The control circuitry  104  on the primary side  102  and the wireless communication circuit  112  on the secondary side  106  are designed to accommodate half bridge operation, which is logically illustrated in  FIG.  2    as a replication of the respective functionalities. The wireless energy transmitter  134  on the primary side  102  and the wireless energy receiver  114  on the secondary side  106  are also designed to accommodate half bridge operation, which is logically illustrated in  FIG.  2    as a replication of the respective functionalities. For example, the wireless energy receiver  114  on the secondary side  106  includes a high-side power supply  138   a  for the high-side driver circuit  110  and a low-side power supply  138   b  for the low-side driver circuit  110 . The same set of coils  136 ,  140  may be used to wirelessly transfer energy from the primary side  102  to the secondary side  106  of the power electronic assembly  200 , for powering both power switches  116   a ,  116   b  of the power semiconductor module  108 . Alternatively, a first set of coils  136 ,  140  may be used to wirelessly transfer energy from the primary side  102  to the secondary side  106  of the power electronic assembly  200  for powering the high-side power switch  116   a  and a second set of coils  136 ,  140  may be used to wirelessly transfer energy from the primary side  102  to the secondary side  106  for powering the low-side power switch  116   b . Again, the duplication shown in  FIG.  2    indicates the functionality for accommodating half bridge operation and does not necessarily mean that duplicate physical circuit components are required. 
     Described next are various embodiments for physically implementing the power semiconductor module  108  shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   . 
       FIG.  3    illustrates a top perspective view of the power semiconductor module  108 . According to this embodiment, the electrically insulative housing of the module  108  includes an electrically insulative base  300  and an electrically insulative lid  302 . The secondary-side driver circuit  110 , wireless communication circuit  112 , wireless energy receiver  114  and each power switch  116  are seated in an open space defined by the base  300  and lid  302  but are not visible in  FIG.  3   . For example, the wireless communication circuit  112 , wireless energy receiver  114  may be attached to an interior surface of the lid  302  or to a substrate (not visible in  FIG.  3   ) attached to the interior surface of the lid  302 . A metal plate  304  may be attached to the exterior surface of the substrate. 
     The power semiconductor module  108  may include alignment posts  306  for aligning the module  108  to a primary-side circuit board (not shown in  FIG.  3   ). Openings  308  may be formed in the housing for receiving fasteners such as screws that fasten the module  108  to the primary-side circuit board. 
     The power semiconductor module  108  is shown as a 3-phase module in  FIG.  3   . However, the module may have more or less than 3 phases PH. 
     Regardless of the number of phases PH, the electrically insulative lid  302  of the power semiconductor module  108  has a first dedicated area  310  through which the wireless control and switching information is transferred from the primary side  102  to the wireless communication circuit  112  included in the secondary-side module  108 . The lid  302  also includes a second dedicated area  312  through which the wireless energy is transferred from the primary side  102  to the wireless energy receiver  114  included in the secondary-side module  108 . ‘Dedicated’ in this context means that the first dedicated area  310  of the lid  302  is devoid of structures that would otherwise interfere with the wireless transfer of control and switching information to the power semiconductor module  108 , and that the second dedicated area  312  of the lid  302  is similarly devoid of structures that would otherwise interfere with the wireless transfer of energy to the module  108 . Accordingly, pins  314  conventionally used for energy and information transfer may be omitted from the power semiconductor module  108 , which significantly simplifies mounting to the module  108 . The first dedicated area  310  and the second dedicated area  312  of the module housing may or may not partly overlap with one another. 
       FIGS.  4 A and  4 B  illustrate the power semiconductor module  108 , according to another embodiment.  FIG.  4 A  shows a bottom perspective view of the module  108  and  FIG.  4 B  shows a top perspective view. 
     According to the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B , the electrically insulative housing of the power semiconductor module  108  comprises a mold compound  400 . The wireless communication circuit  112 , wireless energy receiver  114  and each power switch  116  are embedded in the mold compound  400 . The driver circuit  110  also may be embedded in the mold compound  400 . 
     Similar to the lid  302  shown in  FIG.  3   , the mold compound  400  includes a first dedicated area  402  through which the wireless control information is transferred from the primary side  102  to the wireless communication circuit  112  of the secondary-side power semiconductor module  108 , and a second dedicated area  404  through which the wireless energy is transferred from the primary side  102  to the wireless energy receiver  114  of the secondary-side module  108 . Accordingly, pins  406  conventionally used for energy and information transfer may be omitted from the power semiconductor module  108 , which significantly simplifies mounting to the module  108 . A heat sink  408  may be provided at the top side of the mold compound  400 . The position of the first and second dedicated areas  402 ,  404  is chosen such that the heat sink  408  does not interfere with the wireless transfer of control and switching information and energy to the power semiconductor module  108 . 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  illustrate the power semiconductor module  108 , according to another embodiment.  FIG.  5 A  shows a top perspective view of the module  108  and  FIG.  5 B  shows a schematic of a half bridge implemented by the module  108 . 
     According to the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , the electrically insulative housing of the module  108  includes an electrically insulative base  500  and an electrically insulative lid  502 . The secondary-side driver circuit  110 , wireless communication circuit  112 , wireless energy receiver  114  and each power switch  116  are seated in an open space defined by the base  500  and lid  502  but are not visible in  FIG.  5 A . For example, the wireless communication circuit  112 , wireless energy receiver  114  may be attached to an interior surface of the lid  502  or to a substrate (not visible in  FIG.  5 A ) attached to the interior surface of the lid  502 . A metal plate  504  may be attached to the exterior surface of the substrate. 
     The electrically insulative lid  502  of the power semiconductor module  108  has a first dedicated area  506  through which the wireless control and switching information is transferred from the primary side  102  to the wireless communication circuit  112  included in the secondary-side module  108 . The lid  502  also includes a second dedicated area  508  through which the wireless energy is transferred from the primary side  102  to the wireless energy receiver  114  included in the secondary-side module  108 . Accordingly, pins  510  conventionally used for energy and information transfer may be omitted from the power semiconductor module  108 , which significantly simplifies mounting to the module  108 . 
     Described next are various embodiments for physically implementing a power electronic assembly that includes one or more of the power semiconductor modules  108 . 
       FIG.  6    illustrates a sectional view of a power electronic assembly  600  that includes the power semiconductor module  108 . According to this embodiment, the electrically insulative housing of the power semiconductor module  108  delimits an interior space  602  of the module  108  and includes electrically insulative sidewalls  604  and an electrically insulative cover  606 . The secondary-side driver circuit  110 , wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114  are each disposed in the interior space  602  of the housing. The housing also includes a first dedicated area  608  through which the wireless control and switching information is transferred from the primary side  102  to the secondary-side wireless communication circuit  112 . The housing further includes a second dedicated area  610  through which the wireless energy is transferred from the primary side  102  to the secondary-side wireless energy receiver  114 . A magnetic core may be used for wireless energy coupling of energy. For example, a first half of the core may be located on the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  600  and a second half of the core may be located on the secondary side  106 . A core-less approach instead may be used for wireless energy coupling, but the dedicated area  610  for wireless energy coupling may be larger. 
     The power switch  116  also is included in the module and disposed in the interior space  602 , according to this embodiment. The driver circuit  110  is electrically connected to the control terminal G and to a first load terminal LT 1  of the power switch  116  within the housing. For example, the first load terminal LT 1  of the power switch  116  may be a source terminal and the driver circuit  110  may sense the source current. A sensor  611  enclosed in the module senses the source current, the temperature or another parameter of the power switch  116  and the wireless communication circuit  112  converts the electrical signal generated by the sensor  611  to a wireless signal and transmits the wireless signal to the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  600  through the corresponding dedicated area  608  of the module housing, e.g., via the transmit circuitry  122  shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   . The sensor  611  may be included in or associated with the driver circuit  110 , or may be a separate component included in the module housing. 
     The wireless communication circuit  112  and the power switch  116  may be attached to a substrate  612  enclosed in the housing and separate from the power switch  116 . The substrate  612  may be a PCB, DCB (direct copper bonded) substrate, AMB (active metal brazed) substrate, IMS (insulated metal substrate), etc. The power switch  116  and the driver circuit  110  are electrically connected to one another by electrical conductors  614  such as bond wires enclosed in the housing. 
     In  FIG.  6   , the power semiconductor module  108  also includes a first pin  614  electrically connected to the first load terminal LT 1  of the power switch  116  and protruding through one of the electrically insulative sidewalls  604  or the electrically insulative cover  606  of the module housing. A second pin  616  of the module  108  is electrically connected to the second load terminal LT 2  of the power switch  116  and protrudes through one of the electrically insulative sidewalls  604  or the electrically insulative cover  606  of the module housing. 
     On the primary side  102 , the primary-side components  104 ,  126 ,  134 ,  140  may be attached to a substrate  618  such as a PCB, DCB substrate, AMB substrate, IMS substrate, etc. The primary-side substrate  618  is attached to the outside of the secondary-side power semiconductor module  108  where ‘outside’ also means that the creepage and clearance distance needed for the insulation characteristics are respected. The primary-side coil  140  for wirelessly transmitting energy to the secondary side  106  may be attached to the side of the primary-side substrate  618  that faces the secondary-side power module  108 . The secondary-side coil  136  for receiving the wirelessly transmitted energy may be attached to the electrically insulative cover  606  of the module housing and aligned with the primary-side coil  140  to enable the wireless energy transfer. Pins conventionally used for energy and information transfer between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  600  may be omitted from the power semiconductor module  108 , which significantly simplifies mounting of the primary-side substrate  618  to the secondary-side power module  108 . Also, an additional insulating material and/or an air gap  620  may be provided between the secondary-side power module  108  and the primary-side control unit  104 ,  134 . 
       FIG.  7    illustrates a sectional view of another embodiment a power electronic assembly  700  that includes the power semiconductor module  108 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  7    is similar to the one illustrated in  FIG.  6   . Different, however, a magnetic core is used for wireless coupling of energy. A first part  702  of the core is located on the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  700  and a second part  704  of the core is located on the secondary side  106 . Use of a magnetic core  702 ,  704  significantly reduces the dedicated area  610  required for the wireless energy transfer and may also increase efficiency. The receiving core  704  may be mounted on the secondary-side substrate  612  via a mechanical fixation  706  of the receiving core  704 . The following power electronic assembly embodiments are illustrated using a magnetic core for wireless energy coupling of energy. However, a core-less approach instead may be used for wireless energy coupling but with a larger dedicated area  610  for wireless energy coupling. 
       FIG.  8    illustrates a sectional view of another embodiment a power electronic assembly  800  that includes the power semiconductor module  108 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  8    is similar to the one illustrated in  FIG.  7   . Different, however, the receiving core  704  is mounted directly on the secondary-side substrate  612 , e.g., as a surface mount device. In an example for coreless power transfer, the coils for the wireless energy receiver may be part of the secondary side substrate, e.g., wiring on a PCB. As with the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the secondary-side power module housing that includes the power switch  116  provides full isolation between the primary and secondary sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  800  in  FIG.  8   . Hence, the secondary-side power module housing is designed to satisfy clearance and creepage distance requirements where creepage refers to the shortest path between two conductors along an insulating surface and clearance refers to the shortest path between two conductors measured through air. 
       FIG.  9    illustrates a sectional view of another embodiment a power electronic assembly  900  that includes the power semiconductor module  108 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  9    is similar to the one illustrated in  FIG.  8   . Different, however, the driver circuit  110 , wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114  of the secondary-side power semiconductor module  108  are each embedded in a mold compound  900  for isolation, e.g., as a molded sub-module. The wireless communication circuit  112  is aligned with the first dedicated area  608  of the housing or molded sub-module and the wireless energy receiver  114  is aligned with the second dedicated area  610  of the housing or molded sub-module to ensure wireless signal and energy coupling, respectively, between the primary and second sides  102 ,  106  of the power electronic assembly  900 , as previously described herein. The isolation requirements can be covered by just the mold compound  900  or by a combination of the mold compound  900  and the power module housing. 
       FIG.  10    illustrates a sectional view of another embodiment a power electronic assembly  1000  that includes the power semiconductor module  108 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  10    is similar to the one illustrated in  FIG.  9   . Different, however, the driver circuit  110  of the secondary-side power semiconductor module  108  is not embedded in the sub-module covered by mold compound  900  in which the wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114  are embedded. Also, the wireless communication circuit  126  and wireless energy transmitter  134  on the primary side  102  of the power electronic assembly  1000  are embedded in an additional sub-module covered with mold compound  1002  for isolation. The molded primary-side wireless communication circuit  126  and wireless energy transmitter  134  may be independently produced from the power switch  116  as an isolated power switch control unit. Using molded modules for a first part of a power switch control unit (e.g., primary-side transmitter) and a second part (secondary-side receiver and optionally driver) reduces the effort and cost associated with producing power electronic assemblies, mainly for the isolating components. 
       FIG.  11    illustrates a sectional view of another embodiment a power electronic assembly  1100  that includes the power semiconductor module  108 . The embodiment illustrated in  FIG.  11    is similar to the one illustrated in  FIG.  10   . Different, however, the driver circuit  110  of the secondary-side power semiconductor module  108  is also embedded in the same sub-module embedded in mold compound  900  as the wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114  for additional isolation. 
       FIG.  12    illustrates a sectional view of another embodiment a power electronic assembly  1200  that includes the power semiconductor module  108 . According to this embodiment, the power switch  116  is not included in the same housing as an insulated secondary side sub-module comprising the secondary-side driver circuit  110 , wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114 . The insulated sub-module may be located in an insulated housing or may be embedded in mold compound  1202 , and the wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114  may be each embedded in the mold compound  1202 , thus achieving the creepage and clearance distances for the separation of the primary side components and the secondary side components. The insulated housing or mold compound includes a first dedicated area  1204  through which the wireless control information is transferred to the wireless communication circuit  112  and a second dedicated area  1206  through which the wireless energy is transferred to the wireless energy receiver  114 . The power switch  116  is included in a separate package  1208  which may be a molded package, for example. 
     The driver circuit also may be embedded in an insulated housing or the mold compound  1202  with the wireless communication circuit  112  and the wireless energy receiver  114 . According to this embodiment, a first pin  1210  electrically connected to the driver circuit  110  protrudes through the insulated housing or the mold compound  1202  and is configured for electrical connection to a load terminal LT 1  of the power switch  102  via one or more conductors  1212  such as wire bonds, wire ribbons, a metal clip, etc. A second pin  1214  electrically connected to the driver circuit  110  protrudes through the insulated housing or mold compound  1202  and is configured for electrical connection to the control terminal G of the power switch  116  via one or more conductors  1216  such as wire bonds, wire ribbons, a metal clip, etc. 
     The primary-side components  104 ,  126 ,  134 ,  140  may be built as single components as shown in  FIG.  12   . Alternatively, some or all of the primary-side components  104 ,  126 ,  134 ,  140  may be embedded in the same package or housing, e.g., as shown in  FIGS.  10  and  11   . In  FIG.  12   , the secondary-side driver circuit  110 , wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114  are each included in the same molded module. The power switch  116  is electrically connected to the secondary-side molded module. Accordingly, press-fit fit contacts may be used. The secondary-side moulded module embodiment of  FIG.  12    significantly simplifies the isolation between the primary-side components  104 ,  126 ,  134 ,  140  and the secondary-side driver circuit  110 , wireless communication circuit  112  and wireless energy receiver  114 . With this approach, isolating components with respective creepage and clearance distances are not needed on the primary-side substrate  618  and the substrate  618  may be less expensive. Furthermore, the voltage domains of the secondary-side power topology may be ignored by the primary-side substrate  618  which is a significant advantage, especially for multi-level inverters where several independent voltage domains may be used. 
     The isolation between the primary side  102  and secondary side  106  may be achieved by the package/module construction, as previously described herein. Creepage and clearance distances may be achieved by the shape of an insulating housing or mold compound comprising circuits or discrete components for driver circuits or wireless communication or wireless energy transfer. Isolation barriers for this task are not necessarily required at the primary-side components  104 ,  126 ,  134  or secondary-side components  110 ,  112 ,  114 . The package/module for a power switch or power switch topology contains an area for wireless transfer of data and an area for wireless transfer of energy. These areas may be overlapping or non-overlapping. A package for a single electronically controllable power switch requires only the load terminals as electrically conducting connections in addition to the isolated areas for wireless data and energy transfer. 
     Isolation between several power switches in a package or module can be achieved by separate areas for the wireless transfers. Depending on the internal structures in the package, these areas may be overlapping of non-overlapping. The primary-side PCB may be placed above or next to the package or module containing the power device(s). If placed above, the components inside the package may be placed where they fit best, because the locations of the areas for wireless operation may be freely chosen. The areas need not be oriented in the same direction, e.g., energy transfer may take place through the top part of the package/module, whereas data transfer may take place through a side part (or vice-versa). If wireless energy transfer requires a larger area than data transfer, the areas may be distributed over the package/module according to the available dimensions. The wireless operation may lead to completely molded packages or modules with a minimum of electrically conducting connections. The shape of the packages or modules may be optimized for mounting the components needed for wireless operation, e.g., a small hole in the package for receiving part of a magnetic core from the outside through a coil located inside the package. Sensing elements, e.g., for temperature, current, etc. may also be placed inside the package/module for wireless operation. The sensing elements may share the areas for the switch control or may be provided their own dedicated areas for wireless communication. 
     Consistent safety considerations may be addressed. Wiring, mechanical contacts, soldering points, etc. are particularly critical in this regard, because they might have a high FIT (failure-in-time) rate. If some components are locally handled, e.g., isolated with good creepage and clearance distances, the argumentation for robustness against short circuits between low-voltage (LV) and high-voltage (HV) components becomes much easier. If less connectors are used, the overall FIT rate decreases. On the other hand, the circuits for wireless transfer of data should be considered in the safety analysis. The simpler the HV part, the easier the safety analysis. 
     Although the present disclosure is not so limited, the following numbered examples demonstrate one or more aspects of the disclosure. 
     Example 1. A module, comprising: an electrically insulative housing; a driver circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to drive a control terminal of a power switch; a wireless communication circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, wireless control information transmitted to the module; and a wireless energy receiver enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, energy wirelessly transmitted to the module, and to supply power to the driver circuit, wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive the control terminal of the power switch based on the wireless control information received by the wireless communication circuit. 
     Example 2. The module of example 1, wherein the housing comprises a mold compound, wherein the wireless communication circuit and the wireless energy receiver are embedded in the mold compound, and wherein the mold compound includes: a first dedicated area through which the wireless control information is transferred to the wireless communication circuit; and a second dedicated area through which the wireless energy is transferred to the wireless energy receiver. 
     Example 3. The module of example 2, wherein the driver circuit is embedded in the mold compound with the wireless communication circuit and the wireless energy receiver. 
     Example 4. The module of example 3, further comprising: a first pin electrically connected to the driver circuit and protruding through the mold compound, the first pin configured for electrical connection to a load terminal of the power switch; and a second pin electrically connected to the driver circuit and protruding through the mold compound, the second pin configured for electrical connection to the control terminal of the power switch. 
     Example 5. The module of any of examples 1 through 4, wherein the housing delimits an interior space of the module and comprises a plurality of electrically insulative sidewalls and an electrically insulative cover, wherein the driver circuit, the wireless communication circuit and the wireless energy receiver are disposed in the interior space, and wherein the housing includes: a first dedicated area through which the wireless control information is transferred to the wireless communication circuit; and a second dedicated area through which the wireless energy is transferred to the wireless energy receiver. 
     Example 6. The module of example 5, wherein the power switch is included in the module and disposed in the interior space, and wherein the driver circuit is electrically connected to the control terminal and to a first load terminal of the power switch within the housing. 
     Example 7. The module of example 6, further comprising: a first pin electrically connected to the first load terminal of the power switch and protruding through one of the electrically insulative sidewalls or the electrically insulative cover of the housing; and a second pin electrically connected to a second load terminal of the power switch and protruding through one of the electrically insulative sidewalls or the electrically insulative cover of the housing. 
     Example 8. The module of example 6 or 7, wherein the power switch is enclosed in the housing, wherein the driver circuit is attached to a substrate enclosed in the housing, wherein the power switch and the driver circuit are electrically connected to one another by electrical conductors enclosed in the housing. 
     Example 9. The module of any of examples 5 through 8, wherein the wireless communication circuit and the wireless energy receiver are embedded in a mold compound, wherein the wireless communication circuit is aligned with the first dedicated area of the housing, and wherein the wireless energy receiver is aligned with the second dedicated area of the housing. 
     Example 10. The module of example 9, wherein the driver circuit is embedded in the mold compound with the wireless communication circuit and the wireless energy receiver. 
     Example 11. The module of any of examples 5 through 10, wherein the first dedicated area and the second dedicated area of the housing partly overlap with one another. 
     Example 12. The module of any of examples 1 through 11, wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to transmit, through the housing, status information associated with operation of the power switch. 
     Example 13. The module of any of examples 1 through 12, wherein the wireless communication circuit comprises a mm (millimeter) wave antenna configured to receive the wireless control information as mm wave signals. 
     Example 14. The module of any of examples 1 through 13, wherein the wireless energy receiver comprises: a coil configured to receive, through the housing, the energy wirelessly transmitted to the module; a capacitor configured to buffer the energy received by the coil; and an energy conditioning circuit configured to supply power to the driver circuit from the energy received by the coil. 
     Example 15. The module of example 14, wherein the coil is formed from a foil that is attached to a carrier. 
     Example 16. The module of any of examples 1 through 15, wherein the housing includes a first dedicated area through which the wireless control information is transferred to the wireless communication circuit, and a second dedicated area through which the wireless energy is transferred to the wireless energy receiver. 
     Example 17. The module of example 16, wherein the first dedicated area and the second dedicated area of the housing partly overlap one another. 
     Example 18. The module of any of examples 1 through 17, further comprising: a sensor enclosed in the housing and configured to sense a parameter of the power switch, wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to convert an electrical signal generated by the sensor to a wireless signal and transmit the wireless signal through the housing. 
     Example 19. A power electronic assembly, comprising: a power switch; a primary-side control unit configured to control operation of the power switch; and a secondary-side module wirelessly coupled to the primary-side control unit and comprising: an electrically insulative housing; a driver circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to drive a control terminal of the power switch; a wireless communication circuit enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, wireless control information transmitted from the primary-side control unit to the secondary-side module and associated with operation of the power switch; and a wireless energy receiver enclosed in the housing and configured to receive, through the housing, energy wirelessly transmitted from the primary-side control unit to the secondary-side module, and to supply power to the power switch and the driver circuit, wherein the driver circuit of the secondary-side module is configured to drive the control terminal of the power switch based on the wireless control information received by the wireless communication circuit. 
     Example 20. The power electronic assembly of example 19, wherein the housing of the secondary-side module includes a first dedicated area through which the wireless control information is transferred to the wireless communication circuit, and a second dedicated area through which the wireless energy is transferred to the wireless energy receiver. 
     Example 21. The power electronic assembly of example 19 or 20, further comprising an insulative material and/or an air gap between the module and the primary-side control unit. 
     Example 22. A power conversion control circuit, comprising: a wireless communication circuit configured to wirelessly transmit control information to an insulated module that includes a driver circuit for a power switch, wherein the control information is configured to control operation of the power switch via the driver circuit; and a wireless energy transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit energy to the insulated module, for supplying power to the driver circuit. 
     Example 23. The power conversion control circuit of example 22, wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to receive information from the insulated module and associated with the operation of the power switch. 
     Example 24. The power conversion control circuit of example 22 or 23, further comprising: an electrically insulative housing, wherein the wireless communication circuit and the wireless energy transmitter are disposed in the electrically insulative housing, wherein the housing includes: a first dedicated area through which the control information is wirelessly transmitted to the insulated module; and a second dedicated area through which the energy is wirelessly transmitted to the insulated module. 
     Terms such as “first”, “second”, and the like, are used to describe various elements, regions, sections, etc. and are also not intended to be limiting. Like terms refer to like elements throughout the description. 
     As used herein, the terms “having”, “containing”, “including”, “comprising” and the like are open ended terms that indicate the presence of stated elements or features, but do not preclude additional elements or features. The articles “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. 
     It is to be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein may be combined with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise. 
     Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.