JP4334878B2 - Thermoelectric conversion device unit - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an element that can be used as a power source or an auxiliary power source for an electronic device, a temperature sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like, and a thermoelectric conversion device that uses the Seebeck effect to generate power due to a temperature difference between a hot junction and a cold junction. The present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion device unit provided .
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, thermoelectric conversion devices in which a plurality of thermocouples are integrated have been proposed. As an example of the thermoelectric conversion device, a thermoelectric conversion device in which a plurality of thermocouples are connected in series on a silicon substrate has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). The thermoelectric conversion device of Patent Document 1 is manufactured through processes such as LPCVD, APCVD, doping, RIE, vapor deposition, and wet etching using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. LPCVD is “low pressure chemical vapor deposition”, APCVD is “atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition”, and RIE “reactive ion etching”.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-50801 A (paragraph numbers “0020” to “0023”, FIG. 3)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the thermoelectric conversion device of Patent Document 1 uses a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, there is a problem that the manufacturing process is complicated and expensive. For this reason, a thermoelectric conversion device having an integrated thermocouple without using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has been desired.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a thermoelectric conversion device that includes an integrated thermocouple and can be formed at a lower cost than a thermoelectric conversion device formed using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. It is providing the thermoelectric conversion device unit provided with.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention described in claim 1 is a thermoelectric conversion device in which a flexible insulating film is formed on the insulating film and connected in series to each other. A thermocouple group composed of a plurality of thermocouples, and a thermoelectric structure having a multilayer structure formed by overlapping at least one portion of each portion of the insulating film or by overlapping a plurality of the insulating films. comprising a conversion device, wherein the thermocouple includes a first contact and second contact, respectively, the heat radiating plate as a first heat exchanger which is the first contact and the heat exchange connected, each second A heat absorption plate as a second heat exchange body connected to the contact point so that heat exchange is possible, and further, the thermoelectric conversion device, the first heat exchange body, and the second heat exchange body are flexible. Having The gist.
[0007]
According to a second aspect of the invention, the thermoelectric conversion device unit according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer structure of the thermoelectric conversion device to allow independence the thermoelectric conversion device itself at its multilayer structure end face Is the gist.
[0008]
The invention according to claim 3 is the thermoelectric conversion device unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the multilayer structure portion of the thermoelectric conversion device is formed by winding the insulating film. Is the gist.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
2 and 3, the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 includes a plurality of thermoelectric conversion devices 12, a heat radiating plate 13, a heat absorbing plate 14, and a spacer 15 that fixes the heat radiating plate 13 and the heat absorbing plate 14 (FIG. 3). Only shown in FIG. The heat radiating plate 13 corresponds to a first heat exchanger, and the heat absorbing plate 14 corresponds to a second heat exchanger. The heat radiating plate 13 has flexibility and is made of aluminum, and the heat absorbing plate 14 has flexibility and is made of a polyimide resin mixed with a black body material (for example, cobalt oxide).
[0011]
First, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 includes an insulating film 20 having a scroll shape and a thermocouple group 21 formed on the thermocouple film forming surface 20 a of the insulating film 20.
[0012]
The insulating film 20 is composed of a long, strip-like film having flexibility, and the insulating film 20 is in a state in which a non-conductive adhesive is applied to the thermocouple film forming surface 20a side. It is formed by winding. That is, since the insulating film 20 is formed in a scroll shape, the respective portions in the insulating film 20 are overlapped to form the multilayer structure portion 20b. Both end surfaces of the multilayer structure portion 20b are a mounting surface 20c and a loading surface 20d, respectively. The placement surface 20c and the loading surface 20d described above correspond to the end face of the multilayer structure. The placement surface 20c is a surface that comes into contact with the heat dissipation plate 13, and the loading surface 20d is a surface that comes into contact with the heat absorption plate 14. The placement surface 20c and the loading surface 20d are ring-shaped when viewed from above (see FIG. 4). The thermoelectric conversion device 12 itself can be self-supporting on the mounting surface 20c. That is, the mounting surface 20c is configured so that the thermoelectric conversion device 12 does not fall when the mounting surface 20c is brought into contact with a horizontal plane.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 8B, the thermocouple group 21 meanders over the entire surface of the thermocouple film-forming surface 20a of the insulating film 20 in a state where the insulating film 20 is developed in a long strip shape. The film is formed so as to form a shape. The thermocouple group 21 is formed by a plurality of thermocouples 22 connected in series. Each thermocouple 22 includes a first metal wire 23 made of nickel (Ni) and a second metal wire 24 made of molybdenum (Mo). That is, the thermocouple group 21 is configured by alternately arranging a plurality of the first metal wires 23 and the second metal wires 24 and connecting them.
[0014]
The contact points 25 that are connection points between the first metal line 23 and the second metal line 24 are formed so as to be located at both ends of the insulating film 20 in the short direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the short direction). ing. Of the contacts 25, the contact 25 located on one end side in the short direction is referred to as a cold contact 25a as a first contact, and the contact 25 located on the other end side in the short direction is a warm contact 25b as a second contact. That's it.
[0015]
As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the cold junction 25a is located on the placement surface 20c side, and the warm junction 25b is located on the loading surface 20d side. The distal end surface of the cold junction 25a is flush with the mounting surface 20c, and the distal end surface of the warm junction 25b is flush with the stacking surface 20d. Terminals 26 and 27 are connected to both ends of the thermocouple group 21, respectively. The terminals 26 and 27 are formed so as to protrude from the mounting surface 20c in the direction opposite to the loading surface 20d. The terminal 26 is disposed at a position corresponding to the inner peripheral portion of the mounting surface 20c having a ring shape, and the terminal 27 is disposed at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral portion of the mounting surface 20c having a ring shape. .
[0016]
Next, the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 including a plurality of the thermoelectric conversion devices 12 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality (20 in this embodiment) of the thermoelectric conversion devices 12 are densely arranged on the heat dissipation plate 13 constituting the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the heat dissipation plate 13 includes an insulating layer 13a, and the thermocouple groups 21 of the thermoelectric conversion devices 12 adjacent to each other are connected in series in the insulating layer 13a. A plurality of wirings 31 are arranged. Each wiring 31 is disposed such that both end faces 31a and 31b are recessed with respect to the surface of the insulating layer 13a. Further, portions of each wiring 31 other than both end faces 31a and 31b are covered with the insulating layer 13a.
[0017]
The connection state between the thermocouple group 21 and the wiring 31 will be described in detail. A terminal 26 in each thermocouple group 21 is connected to an end face 31a of each wiring 31, and a terminal 27 in each thermocouple group 21 is connected to each of the thermocouple groups 21. The end face 31 b of the wiring 31 is connected. The mounting surface 20c of the thermoelectric conversion device 12 is fixed to the insulating layer 13a with a nonconductive adhesive. This non-conductive adhesive preferably has a high heat transfer property. That is, each cold junction 25a in each thermoelectric conversion device 12 is bonded and fixed to the heat radiating plate 13 so as to transfer heat.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 3, a heat absorbing plate 14 is fixed to the heat radiating plate 13 through a pair of spacers 15 so as to be parallel to the heat radiating plate 13. In addition, a stacking surface 20d of each thermoelectric conversion device 12 is fixed to the heat absorbing plate 14 with a non-conductive adhesive. Of these non-conductive adhesives, those having high heat transfer properties are preferred. That is, each hot junction 25b in each thermoelectric conversion device 12 is bonded and fixed to the heat absorbing plate 14 so that heat can be transferred.
[0019]
The thermoelectric conversion devices 12 are densely arranged so that the outer peripheral surfaces 12a of the six thermoelectric conversion devices 12 are in contact with the outer peripheral surface 12a of one thermoelectric conversion device 12. The thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 has a thickness t of 1 mm (see FIG. 3).
[0020]
Next, the manufacturing method of the thermoelectric conversion device 12 which comprises the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 of this embodiment is demonstrated according to FIGS.
First, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a nickel layer is formed on the insulating film 20 by a vacuum vapor deposition method as a physical vapor deposition method, and the nickel layer is predetermined by wet etching or the like. A plurality of strip-shaped first metal films 40 are formed by forming the pattern. In addition, as a method for forming the first metal film 40 on the insulating film 20, vapor deposition may be performed using a stencil mask as a physical vapor deposition method to form a predetermined pattern.
[0021]
Next, a mask is formed on the first metal film 40, a molybdenum layer is formed on the mask and the thermocouple film formation surface 20a by vacuum deposition, and the mask is removed to remove the mask. The molybdenum layer is also removed. Then, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, strip-shaped second metal films 41 are formed between the first metal films 40, respectively. At this time, the first metal films 40 and the first metal films 40 are formed. The boundary portion formed by the two metal films 41 is connected to each other.
[0022]
Then, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, connection restricting holes 42 are formed in each first metal film 40 and each second metal film 41 by wet etching or the like, respectively. The first metal lines 23 and the second metal lines 24 are formed. That is, the connection restriction hole 42 restricts the connection portion between each first metal film 40 and each second metal film 41, and as a result, each first metal film 40 and each second metal film 41 meander. Connected. Next, terminals 26 and 27 are respectively connected to both ends of the thermocouple group 21 constituted by the plurality of first metal wires 23 and second metal wires 24 (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 is completed by applying a nonconductive adhesive to the first metal wire 23, the second metal wire 24, and the thermocouple film forming surface 20a and winding the insulating film 20. .
[0023]
Therefore, according to the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 including the thermoelectric conversion device 12 of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In this embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 is composed of an insulating film 20 having flexibility and a plurality of thermocouples 22 formed on the insulating film 20 and connected in series to each other. And a thermocouple group 21. Then, by winding the insulating film 20, the multilayer structure portion 20b was formed and the plurality of thermocouples 22 connected in series were integrated. In addition, since the thermoelectric conversion device 12 including the heat radiating plate 13 and the heat absorbing plate 14 has a size of 1 mm, it is larger than a thermoelectric conversion device using a semiconductor. Therefore, since the thermoelectric conversion device 12 can be manufactured without using a large-scale apparatus such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 can be manufactured at a lower cost compared to the case of manufacturing the thermoelectric conversion device using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. can do. Moreover, the thermocouple 22 integrated by this thermoelectric conversion device 12 can be obtained.
[0024]
(2) In the present embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 includes the multilayer structure portion 20b. The thermoelectric conversion device 12 itself can be self-supported on the mounting surface 20c of the multilayer structure 20b. Therefore, compared with the thermoelectric conversion device which cannot stand the whole on the mounting surface, in this embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 can be bonded to the heat sink 13 in a stable state. Moreover, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 of this embodiment can raise the adhesive strength with respect to the heat sink 13 compared with the thermoelectric conversion device which cannot stand the whole on the mounting surface.
[0025]
(3) In the present embodiment, the multilayer structure portion 20b is formed by winding the insulating film 20. Thus, since the multilayer structure part 20b was comprised by winding the insulating film 20, the multilayer structure part 20b can be comprised with the insulating film 20 of 1 sheet. Further, since the multilayer structure portion 20b is configured by winding the insulating film 20, the thermocouple film forming surfaces 20a are not directly opposed to each other. As a result, the thermocouples 22 on the thermocouple film forming surface 20a are There is no direct contact.
[0026]
(4) In this embodiment, the heat dissipation plate 13 is bonded and fixed to each cold junction 25 a of the thermoelectric conversion device 12, and the heat absorption plate 14 is bonded and fixed to each hot contact 25 b of the thermoelectric conversion device 12. Configured. Therefore, in the thermoelectric conversion device 12 of the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11, each cold junction 25 a can efficiently radiate heat via the heat sink 13, and each hot junction 25 b efficiently absorbs heat via the heat sink 14. It can be performed.
[0027]
(5) In the present embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 is configured such that the insulating film 20, the heat radiating plate 13, and the heat absorbing plate 14 of the thermoelectric conversion device 12 have flexibility. Therefore, the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 can be installed on the curved surface. Moreover, even if it installs the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 with respect to a curved surface, it can make thermoelectric conversion efficiency the same compared with the case where the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 is installed with respect to a plane. Thus, the utilization range of the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 can be expanded by configuring the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 flexibly.
[0028]
(Other embodiments)
The embodiment described above may be embodied by changing to the following other embodiments.
[0029]
In the embodiment, the first metal wire 23 is made of nickel (Ni) and the second metal wire 24 is made of molybdenum (Mo). However, the material (metal) of the first metal wire 23 and the second metal wire 24 may be other materials (metals) as long as it functions as a thermocouple. That is, any material (metal) may be used for the first metal wire 23 and the second metal wire 24 as long as they are materials (metals) capable of thermoelectric conversion using different materials (metals). In particular, the output voltage (thermoelectric conversion efficiency) of the thermocouple 22 increases as two types of materials (metals) having a large difference in Seebeck coefficient are used.
[0030]
In the embodiment, in the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11, each of the thermoelectric conversion devices 12 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 12 a of one thermoelectric conversion device 12 so that the outer peripheral surfaces 12 a of the six thermoelectric conversion devices 12 are in contact with each other. It was densely arranged. Not only this but in the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11, you may arrange | position each thermoelectric conversion device 12 so that the outer peripheral surface 12a of each thermoelectric conversion device 12 may not contact | abut mutually. If it does in this way, in thermoelectric conversion device unit 11, flexibility will improve further.
[0031]
In the embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 is configured to include 20 thermoelectric conversion devices 12. Not only this but the number of the thermoelectric conversion devices 12 which comprise the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 may be increased or decreased according to the thermoelectric conversion amount.
[0032]
In the embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 includes a plurality of thermoelectric conversion devices 12, but the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 may be configured by one thermoelectric conversion device 12. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the number of turns of the insulating film 20 in the thermoelectric conversion device 12 may be increased so as to occupy the majority of the area on the heat absorbing plate 14 (heat radiating plate 13).
[0033]
In the above-described embodiment, the thermoelectric conversion device 12 configures the multilayer structure portion 20 b by winding the insulating film 20. Not only this but the thermoelectric conversion device 51 provided with the multilayered structure part 50 as shown to Fig.10 (a) may be comprised. In FIG. 10A, illustration of the plurality of thermocouples 22 is omitted for convenience of explanation. That is, the thermoelectric conversion device 51 constitutes the multilayer structure unit 50 by overlapping the insulating film 20 in a meandering manner. In other words, each part of the insulating film 20 is overlapped to form the multilayer structure part 50. And each part of the said insulating film 20 is mutually adhere | attached and fixed with an adhesive agent. The thermoelectric conversion device 51 itself can be self-supported also on the mounting surface 50a as the end face of the multilayer structure part which is the end face of the multilayer structure part 50. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10B, the upper surface of the thermocouple 22 formed on the thermocouple film forming surface 20 a of the insulating film 20 is covered with an insulating material 53. By doing in this way, as shown to Fig.10 (a), in the part which the thermocouple film-forming surfaces 20a in the insulating film 20 oppose, thermocouples 22 are prevented from contacting directly. That is, the insulating material 53 is interposed between the thermocouples 22 facing each other.
[0034]
-Moreover, you may comprise the thermoelectric conversion device 61 provided with the multilayered structure part 60 as shown in FIG. That is, the thermoelectric conversion device 61 constitutes the multilayer structure 60 by superimposing a plurality of the insulating films 20 so as to be laminated. The insulating films 20 are bonded and fixed to each other with a non-conductive adhesive. The thermoelectric conversion device 61 itself can be self-supported also on the mounting surface 60a as the end face of the multi-layer structure part which is the end face of the multi-layer structure part 60. In this case, the thermocouple groups 21 formed on each insulating film 20 are connected so that the ends thereof are connected in series with each other by a wiring (not shown).
[0035]
-In the said embodiment, when forming a nickel layer and a molybdenum layer with respect to the thermocouple film-forming surface 20a of the insulating film 20 in the manufacturing method of the thermoelectric conversion device 12, the vacuum evaporation method as a physical vapor deposition method is used. I used it. Not limited to this, the nickel layer and the molybdenum layer may be formed by a plating method or a sputtering method as a physical vapor deposition method.
[0036]
-In the said embodiment, although the heat sink 13 was comprised from aluminum, you may comprise by the insulating resin which formed the metal film in the surface.
In the embodiment, the thickness of the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 is 1 mm. However, the thermoelectric conversion device unit 11 may have any thickness.
[0037]
Next, the technical idea that can be grasped from the above embodiment and other embodiments will be described below .
(B) the multilayer structure of the thermoelectric conversion device, wherein the portion of the thermocouples with each other on the insulating film with overlapping insulating film in a meandering shape are opposed to each other and this interposed insulating material.
[0038]
(B) the thermocouple groups of the thermoelectric conversion device, and this is formed by a physical vapor deposition or plating.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a thermoelectric conversion device unit including a thermoelectric conversion device that includes an integrated thermocouple and can be formed at a lower cost than a thermoelectric conversion device formed using a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Can be provided .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion device unit in the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a front view of a thermoelectric conversion device unit in the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a heat sink in the present embodiment.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view showing a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion device. (B) is a top view which shows the manufacturing method of a thermoelectric conversion device.
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion device. (B) is a top view which shows the manufacturing method of a thermoelectric conversion device.
FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view showing a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion device. (B) is a top view which shows the manufacturing method of a thermoelectric conversion device.
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a thermoelectric conversion device and a heat absorbing plate in another embodiment.
FIG. 10A is a bottom view of a thermoelectric conversion device and a heat absorbing plate in another embodiment. (B) is a fragmentary sectional view of the thermoelectric conversion device in other embodiments.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric conversion device according to another embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
11 ... Thermoelectric conversion device unit, 12, 51, 61 ... Thermoelectric conversion device,
13 ... A heat sink as a first heat exchanger, 14 ... a heat sink as a second heat exchanger,
20 ... insulating film, 20b, 50, 60 ... multilayer structure,
20c, 50a, 60a ... placement surface as the end face of the multilayer structure,
20d: Loading surface as an end surface of the multilayer structure, 21 ... Thermocouple group, 22 ... Thermocouple,
25a: Cold contact as a first contact, 25b: Hot contact as a second contact.

Claims (3)

As the thermoelectric conversion device, the insulating film includes a flexible insulating film, and a thermocouple group including a plurality of thermocouples formed on the insulating film and connected in series to each other. Comprising a thermoelectric conversion device comprising a multilayer structure part by superimposing at least one part of each part or by superimposing a plurality of the insulating films;
Each of the thermocouples includes a first contact and a second contact,
A heat sink as a first heat exchange body connected to each first contact so as to be capable of heat exchange;
A heat absorption plate as a second heat exchange body connected to each of the second contacts in a heat exchangeable manner;
Furthermore, the thermoelectric conversion device unit is characterized in that the thermoelectric conversion device, the first heat exchange body, and the second heat exchange body have flexibility.   2. The thermoelectric conversion device unit according to claim 1, wherein the multilayer structure portion of the thermoelectric conversion device is capable of self-supporting the thermoelectric conversion device itself at an end surface of the multilayer structure portion.   The thermoelectric conversion device unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the multilayer structure portion of the thermoelectric conversion device is formed by winding the insulating film.

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