JPS6035013B2 - Cooled photoelectric conversion device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cooled photoelectric conversion device with a double tube structure in which a semiconductor photoelectric conversion element is supported at the tip of an inner cylinder, and in particular, the invention relates to a cooled photoelectric conversion device made of a metal material used for containing a cooling medium. This invention relates to a new structure in which an intermediate cylinder is connected to the space between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder of a vacuum container.

Photoelectric conversion elements such as infrared sensing elements and laser elements made of multi-component semiconductors such as HgCdTe have disadvantages such as generating thermal noise or changing the conductivity of the element material when the temperature of the element increases during use. Therefore, it is already well known that it is generally used after being cooled with liquid nitrogen or the like.

Therefore, in a cooled photoelectric conversion device using such a photoelectric conversion element, as shown in FIG. While keeping the middle part A of
A photoelectric conversion element 3 is attached to the bottom of the inner cylinder 2 facing the light transmission window 4, and the element is heated to approximately the temperature of liquid nitrogen using cold soot such as liquid nitrogen placed in the interior B of the inner cylinder 2. It is also a known fact that it is operated by cooling. However, by forming the inner and outer cylinders that make up the double-tube structure vacuum container from metal materials such as stainless steel, there is no damage caused by shock or vibration compared to conventional glass containers, and the processing of the container is also easier. Although it has become easier and less gas is released from the container material, fundamental problems still remain.

In other words, improvements may be made to extend the holding time of cold soot such as liquid nitrogen placed in the interior B of the inner cylinder 2, or improvements may be made to make the thermal conductivity of the inner cylinder 2 as low as that of a glass tube.
Since the thickness of the stainless steel material forming the structure is reduced to about 100 to 150 m, the structure becomes weak and requires reinforcement. The present invention is intended to improve the problems that have not yet been solved as described above, and includes an intermediate cylinder formed of a metal material thicker than the inner cylinder in the space between the outer cylinder 1 and the inner cylinder 2. The outer cylinder, intermediate cylinder, and inner cylinder are airtightly connected to each other at their respective bases by a method such as brazing.

By suppressing heat conduction by the additional path of the intermediate cylinder, it is possible to extend the holding time of refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen, and to strengthen the weakness of the inner cylinder, which was a structural defect. It is. A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a vacuum vessel of a cooling type photoelectric conversion device to which the present invention is applied.

As shown in the figure, both the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder 20 of the vacuum container are made of a metal material, such as stainless steel. In particular, in order to make the inner cylinder 201 have a thermal conductivity as low as at least as low as a glass tube, the thickness of the stainless steel constituting the inner cylinder is made as thin as about 100 to 150 m. In addition, since the intrusion of heat from the outside is not a problem for the outer cylinder 10, the outer cylinder 10 has a resistance of 500~looo which is sufficient to maintain its rigidity by itself.
The thickness is approximately OAm. In order to provide a folded heat path in the intermediate space between the inner cylinder 20 and the outer cylinder 10, an intermediate cylinder 30 made of stainless steel and having a thickness of about 300 French meters is provided, and the intermediate cylinder 30 is formed by a method such as brazing. Connect each other airtightly. and the inner and outer cylinders 20 and 1
The middle part A of the cylinder 20 is maintained at a high vacuum, and the inside B of the inner cylinder 20 is filled with a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen, as in the conventional case.
Also, the semiconductor photoelectric conversion element 3 is mounted at the bottom of the inner cylinder 20 at a position facing the light transmission window 4 of the outer cylinder 10 and is used after being cooled with liquid nitrogen or the like, which is the same as in the conventional case.
In manufacturing the vacuum container according to the present invention as described above, first, the thickness is approximately 3 mm, which is the limit of mechanically processable thickness.
An inner cylinder 20 made of stainless steel is formed with a thickness of approximately 0.00 mm, and a semiconductor photoelectric conversion element 3 is attached to the bottom thereof.

Then, the upper end of this inner cylinder 20 is welded to the inner bent green part C of the upper end of the first intermediate section 30a made of stainless steel, which is prepared separately, by a method such as brazing. Next, a second intermediate cylinder 30, also made of stainless steel, is prepared separately at the lower end of the intermediate cylinder 30a.
b Weld to the inner bent twill portion D at the lower end by brazing or the like in the same manner as described above. Etching liquid is poured into the interior of the inner cylinder 20 of the composite cylinder 40 of the inner cylinder and the intermediate cylinder constructed in this way, and the inner surface is etched to a thickness of 100 to 150 mm.
Thin to m. Thereafter, the composite cylinder 40 is placed in a separately prepared stainless steel outer cylinder 10, and the second intermediate cylinder 30 is inserted into the second intermediate cylinder 30.
The upper end of b is welded to the inner bent edge E of the upper end of the outer cylinder 10 by a method such as brazing. Then, by evacuating the middle part A between the inner and outer cylinders to create a high vacuum, a vacuum container having a metal double tube structure is obtained. In this case, it is also preferable to form ring-shaped ribs on the wall surface of the thin-walled inner cylinder in order to further strengthen the strength of the thin-walled inner cylinder as required. Further, in this embodiment, the element to be cooled is an infrared detection element, but it is also possible to attach a semiconductor laser element. As explained above, according to the present invention, in a cooled photoelectric conversion device having a vacuum container with a double tube structure made of metal, a folded intermediate cylinder made of a metal material is provided in the space between the inner and outer cylinders. By airtightly connecting the outer cylinder, intermediate cylinder, and inner cylinder to each other at their respective bases, heat conduction is suppressed by the additional path of the intermediate cylinder, thereby reducing the retention time of cold soot such as liquid nitrogen. This provides advantages such as extending the length of the cylinder and reinforcing the weakening of the inner cylinder, which was a structural defect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of a conventional cooled photoelectric conversion device having a vacuum container made of a metal material, and FIG. 2 is a cooled photoelectric conversion device having a vacuum container made of a metal material to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device. 1: Metal outer cylinder, 2: Metal inner cylinder, 3: Photoelectric conversion element, 4:
Light transmission window, 10: metal outer cylinder, 20: metal inner cylinder, 30: intermediate cylinder. Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling type having a vacuum container with a double tube structure made of a metal material, consisting of an outer cylinder partially provided with a light-transmitting window and an inner cylinder supporting a photoelectric conversion element at a position opposite to the light-transmitting window. In the photoelectric conversion device, the outer tube is formed of a metal material having a thickness sufficient to maintain its rigidity, the inner tube is formed of a metal material thinner than the outer tube, and the outer tube and the inner tube are A cooling type photoelectric conversion device characterized in that an intermediate cylinder is provided in a space between the cylinder and the cylinder to provide a heat path, and the upper end of the inner cylinder is airtightly connected to the outer cylinder via the intermediate cylinder.