Patent ID: 7291869

Claim:
An electronic module, comprising: a heat sink comprising an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the lower surface provides an outer contact area of the electronic module; a plurality of leads arranged adjacent the heat sink; at least one control semiconductor chip mounted on the upper surface of the heat sink, at least one circuit element, wherein each circuit element comprises two vertical semiconductor power switches arranged in a stack and configured to provide a half-bridge circuit, wherein a first vertical semiconductor power switch is a n-type semiconductor power switch having a first surface comprising at least one anode and at least one control electrode and having a second surface comprising at least one cathode, and wherein a second vertical semiconductor power switch is a p-type semiconductor power switch having a first surface comprising at least one cathode and at least one control electrode and having a second surface comprising at least one anode; wherein the anode of the second vertical semiconductor power switch is mounted on the cathode of the first vertical semiconductor power switch by a first electrically conductive layer, the first electrically conductive layer providing a node defining an output, and wherein the anode of the first vertical semiconductor power switch of each of the circuit elements is mounted on the upper surface of the heat sink by a second electrically conductive layer, the lower surface of the heat sink providing the ground contact area of the electronic module, and wherein the control electrode of the first vertical semiconductor power switch and the control electrode of the second vertical semiconductor power switch of each circuit element are electrically connected to, and controllable by, the control semiconductor chips, and wherein, the node is electrically connected to an output lead and the cathode of the second vertical semiconductor power switch is electrically connected to an input lead.