JP2001156343A - Thermoelectric element and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need of separately providing thin electrical insulating films having good thermal conductivity to heat sinks, etc., which are used in such a way that the heat sinks, etc., are fitted to a thermoelectric element. SOLUTION: The thermoelectric element is constituted in such a way that an upper electrical insulating thin film 6 having good thermal conductivity is joined to the upper surface of an upper electrode 4, and a lower electrical insulating thin film 5 having good thermal conductivity is joined to the lower surface of a lower electrode 3. In addition, an upper thin copper film 8 is joined to the upper surface of the upper thin insulating film 6, and a lower thin copper film 7 is joined to the lower surface of the lower thin insulating film 5. At the time of using the thermoelectric element, heat sinks, etc., are fitted to the upper and lower thin copper films 8 and 7. Since the heat sinks are electrically insulated from the electrodes 3 and 4 by the thin films 5 and 6, it is not required to separately provide electrical insulating thin film having good thermal conductivity to the heat sinks, etc.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermoelectric device using a thermoelectric semiconductor device such as a Peltier device and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric device having a skeleton structure and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Thermoelectric elements using thermoelectric semiconductor elements made of compounds of bismuth / tellurium type, iron / silicide type, cobalt / antimony type or the like are used in cooling / heating devices and the like. These thermoelectric elements are useful as cooling and heating sources that do not use liquids and gases, require no space, do not wear due to rotation, and do not require maintenance.

FIG. 14 shows the configuration of a conventionally known general thermoelectric element. Here, FIG. 14A is a front view, and FIG. 14B is a perspective view. As shown in these figures, in a conventional thermoelectric element, thermoelectric semiconductor elements composed of an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and a p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element are alternately arranged, and the upper and lower surfaces of the thermoelectric semiconductor element are respectively arranged. It is joined to a metal electrode. The thermoelectric semiconductor elements are alternately joined to the metal electrodes on the upper surface and the lower surface, and finally all the thermoelectric semiconductor elements are electrically connected in series. The joining between the upper and lower metal electrodes and the thermoelectric semiconductor element is performed by soldering. And the upper and lower metal electrodes are
The whole is joined to the metallized ceramic substrate and fixed as a rigid body.

When a DC power supply is connected to the electrodes of the thermoelectric element and a current flows from the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element toward the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, heat is absorbed at the upper part of the π-type by the Peltier effect and heat is radiated at the lower part. Happens. That is, FIG.
As shown in (2), the upper part of the thermoelectric semiconductor element is on the heat absorbing side (cold junction) and the lower part is on the heat radiating side (hot junction). At this time, when the connection direction of the power supply is reversed, the direction of heat absorption and heat radiation changes. Utilizing this phenomenon, thermoelectric elements are used in cooling / heating devices. Thermoelectric elements are LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit),
It has a wide range of uses, including cooling of computer CPUs (central processing units) and lasers, as well as insulated refrigerators.

When such a thermoelectric element is used as a cooling device, it is necessary to efficiently release the heat on the heat radiation side to the outside. Conventionally, as a method of releasing heat on the heat radiation side of the thermoelectric element, a heat radiation fin is attached to the heat radiation side of the thermoelectric element, and an air cooling system in which a fan sends air toward the heat radiation fin, or a method of thermoelectric element. There has been a water cooling system or the like in which a water cooling jacket is attached to the heat radiation side and cooling water is passed through the water cooling jacket.

However, all of these cooling systems are indirectly cooling the thermoelectric semiconductor element through a ceramic substrate or the like on the heat radiation side, so that heat on the heat radiation side can be efficiently released to the outside. Did not. FIG.
The thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 4 has a rigid structure in which the upper and lower sides are fixed by ceramic substrates, so that a large thermal stress is applied to the thermoelectric semiconductor element during operation, and the life of the thermoelectric semiconductor element is shortened. there were.

Accordingly, the applicant of the present application has previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 8-3
No. 54136 proposes a thermoelectric element having a structure in which upper and lower metal electrodes are exposed without being fixed to a ceramic substrate (a skeleton structure on both sides), and a thermoelectric cooling device using the same. According to this thermoelectric element, since the upper and lower metal electrodes are not fixed to the hard ceramic substrate, the thermal stress applied to the thermoelectric semiconductor element is reduced. Therefore, a longer life of the thermoelectric semiconductor element is realized. Further, according to this thermoelectric cooling device, since the thermoelectric semiconductor element and the metal electrode on the heat radiation side are directly cooled, the heat on the heat radiation side can be efficiently released to the outside.

[0008]

In the above-described thermoelectric element having a skeleton structure on both sides, since the upper and lower metal electrodes are exposed, the heat-radiating or heat-absorbing metal member (heat sink or the like) attached to the thermoelectric element is used. It was necessary to form a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film on the surface. Since the metal member has various shapes according to its use, it has not been easy to form a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film on the surface thereof.

In manufacturing a thermoelectric element having a double-sided skeleton structure, a large number of metal electrodes are arranged in a predetermined pattern, and a thermoelectric semiconductor element fixed to the partition plate while penetrating the partition plate is provided. After adjusting the position to the position of the metal electrode, a process of soldering was required.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and in a thermoelectric element having a double-sided skeleton structure or a single-sided skeleton structure, a heat conducting or heat absorbing member used by being attached to the thermoelectric element. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need to individually form insulating electrical insulating thin films.

Further, the present invention simplifies the manufacturing process by eliminating the step of arranging a large number of metal electrodes in a predetermined pattern when manufacturing a thermoelectric element having a double-sided skeleton structure or a single-sided skeleton structure. And to reduce the manufacturing cost.

It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the number of members discarded after manufacturing when manufacturing a thermoelectric element having a double-sided skeleton structure or a single-sided skeleton structure.

[0013]

The first thermoelectric element according to the present invention comprises a p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, and a first surface of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element. A first metal electrode bonded to the first metal electrode, a second metal electrode bonded to the second surface of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the second surface of the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, and the first metal electrode or the second metal electrode. A thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film joined to at least one of the metal electrodes.

Further, a second thermoelectric element according to the present invention is obtained by bonding a thin metal film to a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film of the first thermoelectric element according to the present invention.

Further, a third thermoelectric element according to the present invention is characterized in that:
a p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, a first metal electrode bonded to the first surface of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type A second metal electrode bonded to a second surface of the thermoelectric semiconductor element; and a first metal electrode or the second metal electrode.
And an electrically insulating thin film welded to at least one of the metal electrodes.

[0016] The fourth thermoelectric element according to the present invention comprises:
a p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, a first metal electrode bonded to the first surface of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type A second metal electrode bonded to a second surface of the thermoelectric semiconductor element; and a first metal electrode or the second metal electrode.
And an electrically insulating thin film adhered to at least one of the metal electrodes.

In each of the thermoelectric elements according to the present invention, the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element are:
It may have a structure fixed to the partition plate while penetrating the partition plate having electrical insulation, or may have another structure.

A first method for manufacturing a thermoelectric element according to the present invention comprises the steps of: joining a metal electrode material to a first surface of a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film; A masking tape attaching step of attaching a masking tape to the second surface of the thin film, an electrode forming step of etching the metal electrode material to form an electrode pattern, a p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, A thermoelectric semiconductor element bonding step of bonding the electrode pattern and a masking tape peeling step of peeling the masking tape are provided.

According to a second method of manufacturing a thermoelectric element according to the present invention, there is provided a method of bonding a metal electrode material to a first surface of a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film; A metal thin film bonding step of bonding a metal thin film to the second surface of the thin film, an electrode forming step of etching the metal electrode material to form an electrode pattern, a p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element, and the electrode And a thermoelectric semiconductor element joining step of joining the pattern and the pattern.

In a third method of manufacturing a thermoelectric element according to the present invention, a metal electrode material welding step of welding a metal electrode material to a first surface of an electrically insulating thin film; An electrode forming step of forming a pattern and a thermoelectric semiconductor element joining step of joining the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element to the electrode pattern are provided.

Further, in a fourth method for manufacturing a thermoelectric element according to the present invention, a metal electrode material bonding step of bonding a metal electrode material to a first surface of an electrically insulating thin film; An electrode forming step of forming a pattern and a thermoelectric semiconductor element joining step of joining the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element to the electrode pattern are provided.

In the method of manufacturing each thermoelectric element according to the present invention, the edge of the metal electrode material may be left as a land when the metal electrode material is etched. This edge is preferably cut off after the thermoelectric semiconductor element bonding step is completed.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a front view of a first structural example of a thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied. This thermoelectric element is configured such that the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements 2P and n
It has a structure in which the mold thermoelectric semiconductor element 2N is fixed in a penetrating state. The partition plate 1 has a thickness of, for example, 0.3 to 0.6.
It is made of a material having an electrical insulation property of about mm, a poor thermal conductivity and a heat resistance, such as glass epoxy. P-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2P and n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2
N is, for example, a columnar bismuth tellurium-based thermoelectric semiconductor single crystal having a cross-sectional area of about 1.7 to 5.0 mm ² and a length of about 1.5 to ² mm.
5-O. It protrudes about 9 mm. The p-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements 2P and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements 2N are alternately arranged in a matrix. On the upper and lower surfaces of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2P and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2N, an upper electrode 4 and a lower electrode 3 each made of a copper plate having a thickness of about 300 μm are joined by solder. The p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2P and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2N are alternately joined to the electrodes on the upper surface and the lower surface, and finally all the thermoelectric semiconductor elements are electrically connected in series. On the lower surface of the lower electrode 3 and the upper surface of the upper electrode 4, the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5 and the upper thermally conductive electrically insulating film each having a thickness of several tens to 100 μm, preferably about 70 to 80 μm. The thin film 6 is joined. As a material of the thermally conductive electric insulating thin film, for example, a material obtained by adding a thermally conductive filler to an epoxy resin, a fluorine resin, a silicon-based thermally conductive resin, or the like can be used. Furthermore, the lower surface of the lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 5 and the upper thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 6
A lower copper thin film 7 and an upper copper thin film 8 each having a thickness of about 18 μm are joined to the upper surface of the substrate. Here, it is preferable that the size of the partition plate 1 is made larger than the size of the upper and lower thermally conductive electric insulating thin films 5 and 6 and the size of the upper and lower copper thin films 7 and 8 so that handling is facilitated.

Although not shown here, the surfaces of the upper electrode 4 and the lower electrode 3 are plated with Ni (nickel). The Ni plating layer prevents copper molecules constituting the electrode from diffusing into the thermoelectric semiconductor element, and also prevents the electrode from being oxidized and corroded by moisture or the like. Further, it is preferable to form a thin film of Au (gold) for preventing oxidation on the surface of the Ni plating layer.

When attaching a metal heat sink to the thermoelectric element configured as described above, unlike the skeleton-structured thermoelectric element proposed by the present applicant, heat conduction between the electrode and the heat sink is different. It is not necessary to form an electrically insulating thin film. Further, a heat sink or the like can be directly soldered to the lower copper thin film 7 and the upper copper thin film 8. Furthermore, even if a temperature difference occurs between the heat radiation side and the heat absorption side during operation of the thermoelectric semiconductor element, the thermoelectric element bends in accordance with the temperature difference, so that the thermal stress applied to the thermoelectric semiconductor element decreases, and It is possible to prevent the life of the semiconductor element from being shortened.

Next, a method of manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a process of manufacturing members to be the lower electrode 3, the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5, and the lower copper thin film 7 in FIG. In this figure, the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG.

First, as shown in the front view of (a) of this figure, the lower electrode material 3 and the lower copper thin film 7 are respectively vacuum thermocompression-bonded to the upper and lower surfaces of the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5, respectively. Bonding at the same time or separately. The thermally conductive electrical insulating thin film 5 may be, for example, a material obtained by adding a thermally conductive filler to an epoxy resin, a fluororesin, or a silicon-based thermally conductive resin formed into a sheet having a thickness of about 70 to 80 μm. use. The lower electrode material 3 has a thickness of, for example, 30.
A copper sheet of about 0 μm is used. As the lower copper thin film 7, for example, a copper sheet having a thickness of about 18 μm is used.

Next, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 2B, the lower electrode material 3 is etched to form the lower electrode 3. At this time, the outer frame 9 is formed while leaving the edge of the lower electrode material 3. Here, a pair of positioning holes (described later in detail) for facilitating handling (handling) and automation in a manufacturing process of a thermoelectric element to be described later and for use in positioning are simultaneously formed in the outer frame 9.

Next, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3C, the surfaces (top and side) of the lower electrode 3 and the outer frame 9 are
And a Ni plating layer 1 on the surface (lower surface) of the lower copper thin film 7.
0, 11 are formed. Here, the Ni plating layer 1
An Au layer for preventing oxidation may be formed on the surface of 0,11. Before or after this step, positioning holes are made in the lower thermal conductive electric insulating thin film 5 and the lower copper thin film 7 (details will be described later).

Through the above steps, the members to be the lower electrode 3, the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5, and the lower copper thin film 7 are completed. The members that become the upper electrode 4, the upper thermal conductive electrically insulating thin film 6, and the upper copper thin film 8 in FIG. 1 can be manufactured in the same manner.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing members and jigs used for manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. In this figure, the same or corresponding parts as those in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG. 1 or FIG. However, in the drawings after FIG. 3, the Ni plating layer is omitted for convenience.

FIG. 3A shows the upper soldering jig 21. The upper soldering jig 21 is formed in a plate shape, and a lower surface thereof has a pair of positioning pins 22 described later.
A, a pair of positioning holes 21A for inserting the 22B,
21B is empty. In addition, this positioning hole 21
A and 21B may penetrate the jig up and down.

FIG. 3 (b) shows the members that become the upper electrode 4, the upper thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 6, and the upper copper thin film 8.
As described above, this member is manufactured by a process similar to the process shown in FIG. A pair of positioning holes 15 and 16 for inserting a pair of positioning pins 22A and 22B are formed in the upper thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 6 and the upper copper thin film 8 in this member. Further, semicircular positioning holes 12A and 12B are formed on the inner edge of the outer frame 12 so as to correspond to the positioning holes 15 and 16, respectively.

FIG. 3C shows a member in which the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2P and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2N pass through the partition plate 1 and are fixed. The partition plate 1 of this member is formed with a pair of semicircular notches 1A and 1B for abutting the pair of positioning pins 22A and 22B. Incidentally, a method of manufacturing such a member in which the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element are penetrated through the partition plate is described in detail in JP-A-8-228027. Therefore, it will not be described here.

FIG. 3D shows the members to be the lower electrode 3, the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5, and the lower copper thin film 7.
A pair of positioning holes 13 and 14 for inserting a pair of positioning pins 22A and 22B are formed in the lower thermally conductive electrical insulating thin film 5 and the lower copper thin film 7 in this member. In addition, positioning holes 1 are formed on the inner edge of the outer frame 9.
Semicircular positioning holes 9A and 9B are formed corresponding to 3,14.

FIG. 3E shows the lower soldering jig 22. The lower soldering jig 22 is formed in a plate shape, and a pair of positioning pins 2 are provided near the opposing edges on the upper surface.
2A and 22B are erected.

Next, a process for manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1 using the members and jigs shown in FIGS. 3A to 3E will be described. Prior to this manufacturing process, cream solder is printed on the lower surface of the upper electrode 4 in the member shown in FIG. 3B and the upper surface of the lower electrode 3 in the member shown in FIG. 3D.

First, the positioning pins 22A, 22B of the lower soldering jig 22 shown in FIG. 3E are inserted into the positioning holes 13, 14 and 9A, 9B of the member shown in FIG. 3D. Next, the members shown in FIG.
Is placed on the member shown in FIG. At this time, positioning is performed by placing the positioning pins 22A and 22B such that a half circumference of the outer peripheral surface thereof contacts the notches 1A and 1B. FIG. 4 is a plan view in this state. Next, the member shown in FIG. 3B is placed on the member shown in FIG. At this time,
Positioning is performed by placing the positioning pins 22A and 22B so as to penetrate the positioning holes 15, 16 and 12A and 12B.

Next, FIG. 3B is placed on the member shown in FIG.
The upper soldering jig 21 shown in FIG. At this time, the positioning pins 22A and 22B are
Positioning is performed so as to be inserted into A and 21B.

With the above operation, the state shown in FIG. 5 is obtained. In this state, put it in a reflow furnace and solder
Alternatively, a heater is built in the upper soldering jig 21 and the lower soldering jig 22, and heating is performed by this heater.
Alternatively, the jig 21,
By sandwiching 22 at a constant pressure, upper electrode 3 and lower electrode 4 are joined to the upper and lower surfaces of p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2P and n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2N. By applying a constant pressure from the solder jig in this soldering step, the thickness of the solder layer can be made constant, and the thickness of the entire thermoelectric element can be made constant.

When the joining of the upper electrode 3 and the lower electrode 4 is completed, as shown in FIG. 6, the integrally joined members are joined to an upper soldering jig 21 and a lower soldering jig 22.
From the vicinity of the inner edges of the outer frames 9 and 12 and then cut and removed. As a result, FIG.
Is completed.

As described above, the first embodiment of the present invention has the following features (1) to (5).

(1) Upper surface of upper electrode 4 and lower electrode 3
The upper and lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin films 6 and 5 are respectively formed on the lower surface of the device. When using this thermoelectric element, the thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film is used as a heat sink. There is no need to form them individually. For this reason, it is easy to use in combination with heat sinks of various shapes.

(2) Since the upper copper thin film 8 and the lower copper thin film 7 are formed on the upper surface of the upper thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 6 and the lower surface of the lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 5, respectively. A heat sink or the like can be directly fixed by soldering. For this reason, the contact thermal resistance is reduced as compared with the related art in which the heat conductive silicone grease or the heat conductive adhesive is used for close contact.

(3) Since the electrode pattern is formed by etching the copper sheet, the step of arranging a large number of electrodes in a predetermined pattern becomes unnecessary. As a result, the manufacturing process is simplified and the cost is reduced.

(4) The outer frames 9 and 12 are formed simultaneously with the formation of the electrodes, and the positioning holes 9A and 9A provided in the outer frames 9 and 12 are formed.
Since two-point positioning is performed at the time of soldering using 9B, 12A, and 12B, set / reset is easy, and the soldering process can be automated.

(5) Since the outer frames 9 and 12 are provided, the positional accuracy and the handling in the electrode material etching step and the thermoelectric semiconductor element soldering step are improved.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 7 is a front view of a second structural example of a thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied. In this figure, the same portions as those in FIG. 1 or portions corresponding to FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG.

In this thermoelectric element, the lower surface of the lower electrode 3 and the upper surface of the upper electrode 4 each have a thickness of 10 to 10.
A lower polyimide sheet 31 and an upper polyimide sheet 32 of 50 μm, preferably 25 μm or less are welded. These polyimide sheets 31 and 32 function as an electric insulating layer. By making these polyimide sheets 31 and 32 as thin as possible, the thermal resistance can be reduced and the polyimide sheets 31 and 32 can function as a thermally conductive electrical insulating layer. These polyimide sheets 31 and 32 function as heat-resistant sheets in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the mechanical strength is higher than that of a thermally conductive electrical insulating thin film composed of epoxy resin + filler or silicon resin + filler. The configuration of the other parts is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Although a polyimide sheet is illustrated here, a sheet made of another resin may be used as long as the material has heat resistance and electrical insulation.

Next, a method of manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 7 will be described.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a process of manufacturing a member to be the lower electrode 3 and the lower polyimide sheet 31 in FIG. In this figure, the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG.

First, as shown in the front view of (a) of this figure, the lower electrode material 3 is thermally welded to the upper surface of the lower polyimide sheet 31 and joined. Since the polyimide sheet has high mechanical strength, no backing is required.

Next, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 2B, the lower electrode material 3 is etched to form the lower electrode 3. At this time, forming the outer frame 9 while leaving the edge of the lower electrode material 3 and simultaneously forming positioning holes in the outer frame 9 are the same as in the first embodiment.

Next, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5C, a Ni plating layer 10 is formed on the lower electrode 3 and the surface (upper surface and side surface) of the outer frame 9. Here, an Au layer may be further formed on the surface of the Ni plating layer 10. Before or after this step, a positioning hole is formed in the outer frame 9.

Through the above steps, a member to be the lower electrode 3 and the lower polyimide sheet 31 is completed. The members to be the upper electrode 4 and the upper polyimide sheet 32 in FIG. 7 can be manufactured in the same manner.

Using the members manufactured in this way, FIG.
The steps of manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 3 and the jigs and the like used in the step are the same as those in FIGS.

As described above, the second embodiment of the present invention has the following features (1) to (6).

(1) Upper surface of upper electrode 4 and lower electrode 3
Since the upper polyimide sheet 32 and the lower polyimide sheet 31 are welded to the lower surface of the thermoelectric element, it is not necessary to separately form a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film on a heat sink when using the thermoelectric element. For this reason, it is easy to use in combination with heat sinks of various shapes.

(2) Since the electrode pattern is formed by etching the copper sheet, the step of arranging a large number of electrodes in a predetermined pattern becomes unnecessary. As a result, the manufacturing process is simplified and the cost is reduced.

(3) Since the electrode material and the electrode pattern are held by a polyimide sheet having high mechanical strength and electrical insulation and having reduced thermal resistance due to thinning, no backing with a reinforcing material is performed. In both cases, handling during electrode formation and electrode bonding is easy.

(4) The outer frames 9, 12 are formed simultaneously with the formation of the electrodes, and the positioning holes 9A, 9A,
Since two-point positioning is performed at the time of soldering using 9B, 12A, and 12B, set / reset is easy, and the soldering process can be automated.

(5) Since the polyimide sheet is welded to the electrode, better characteristics can be obtained than a thermoelectric element in which the polyimide sheet is bonded to the electrode.

(6) Since the outer frame is provided, the positional accuracy and handleability in the electrode material etching step and the thermoelectric semiconductor element soldering step are improved.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 9 is a front view of a third structural example of a thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied. In this figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 7 or parts corresponding to those in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG.

In this thermoelectric element, the lower surface of the lower electrode 3 and the upper surface of the upper electrode 4 each have a thickness of 10 to 10.
A lower polyimide sheet 31 and an upper polyimide sheet 32 of 50 μm, preferably 25 μm or less are adhered via a lower adhesive layer 33 and an upper adhesive layer 34, respectively. The lower adhesive layer 33 and the upper adhesive layer 34
Each is made of an acrylic resin or silicone adhesive having a thickness similar to that of the polyimide sheet. The lower polyimide sheet 31 and the upper polyimide sheet 32 can be easily peeled off as needed. The configuration of other parts is the same as that of the second embodiment shown in FIG.

Next, a method of manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 9 will be described.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a process of manufacturing a member to be the lower electrode 3, the lower polyimide sheet 31, and the lower adhesive layer 33 in FIG. In this figure, FIG.
The same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG.

First, as shown in the front view of FIG. 7A, the lower electrode material 3 is attached to the upper surface of the lower polyimide sheet 31 having the lower adhesive layer 33 formed on the upper surface. The function of the lower polyimide sheet 31 is the same as that of the lower polyimide sheet 31 in the second embodiment.

Next, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 2B, the lower electrode material 3 is etched to form the lower electrode 3. At this time, forming the outer frame 9 while leaving the edge of the lower electrode material 3 and simultaneously forming positioning holes in the outer frame 9 are the same as in the second embodiment.

Next, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 9C, the Ni plating layer 1 is formed on the surface of the lower electrode 3 and the outer frame 9.
0 is formed. Here, an Au layer may be further formed on the surface of the Ni plating layer 10. Before or after this step, positioning holes are formed in the lower polyimide sheet 31 and the lower adhesive layer 33.

Through the above steps, a member to be the lower electrode 3, the lower polyimide sheet 31, and the lower adhesive layer 33 is completed. Upper electrode 4 and upper polyimide sheet 3 in FIG.
2, and the member to be the upper adhesive layer 34 can be manufactured in the same manner.

Using the member manufactured in this way, FIG.
The steps of manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 3 and the jigs and the like used in the step are the same as those in FIGS.

As described above, the third embodiment of the present invention has the following features (1) to (6).

(1) Upper surface of upper electrode 4 and lower electrode 3
The upper polyimide sheet 32 and the lower polyimide sheet 31 are adhered to the lower surface of the thermoelectric element, respectively, so that when using this thermoelectric element, there is no need to separately form a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film on a heat sink. For this reason, it is easy to use in combination with heat sinks of various shapes.

(2) Since the electrode pattern is formed by etching the copper sheet, the step of arranging a large number of electrodes in a predetermined pattern becomes unnecessary. As a result, the manufacturing process is simplified and the cost is reduced. Since it is held by a polyimide sheet having high mechanical strength and electrical insulation and having reduced thermal resistance due to thinning, backing with a reinforcing material is unnecessary.

(3) By easily peeling off the upper polyimide sheet 32 and the lower polyimide sheet 31 as necessary, a thermoelectric element without a thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film can be obtained. However, in this case, the lower adhesive layer 33
And the adhesive strength of the upper adhesive layer 34 is determined by etching and N
It is adjusted so that it does not peel off in the i-plating step, but easily peels off after electrode bonding.

(4) Since the electrode material and the electrode pattern are held by a polyimide sheet having excellent mechanical strength, electrical insulation, and low thermal resistance due to thinning, the electrode can be formed without backing with a reinforcing material. And handling at the time of electrode bonding is easy.

(5) The outer frames 9 and 12 are formed at the same time as the formation of the electrodes, and the positioning holes 9A and 9A provided in the outer frames 9 and 12 are formed.
Since two-point positioning is performed at the time of soldering using 9B, 12A, and 12B, set / reset is easy, and the soldering process can be automated.

(6) Since the outer frame is provided, the positional accuracy and handleability in the electrode material etching process and the thermoelectric semiconductor element soldering process are improved.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 11 is a front view of a fourth configuration example of a thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied. In this figure, the same portions as those in FIG. 1 or portions corresponding to FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG.

The basic structure of this thermoelectric element is such that the lower copper thin film 7 and the upper copper thin film 8 provided in the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1 are not provided. With this configuration, the amount of expensive copper used is reduced.

In the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1, a Ni plating layer + a solder plating layer or a solder plating is used instead of the Ni plating layer + Au plating layer provided on the surfaces of the upper electrode 4 and the lower electrode 3. A layer was formed. This makes it possible to prevent the Ni plating layer from oxidizing or to function as a protective layer for the copper electrode without using expensive Au.

Next, a method of manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 11 will be described.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a process of manufacturing a member to be the lower electrode 3 and the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5 in FIG. In this figure, FIG. 2 and FIG.
2 and FIG.
The same reference numerals as those used in are used.

First, as shown in the front view of (a) of this figure, the lower electrode material 3 is formed on the upper surface of the lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 5.
After vacuum thermocompression bonding, a masking tape 41 is attached to the lower surface.

Next, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 9B, the lower electrode material 3 is etched to form the lower electrode 3. At this time, the outer frame 9 is formed while leaving the edge of the lower electrode material 3. Here, similarly to the first embodiment, the outer frame 9
In this method, a pair of positioning holes for facilitating handling and automation in the manufacturing process of the thermoelectric element and for use in positioning are simultaneously opened.

Next, as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10C, a laminate 42 of a Ni plating layer and a solder plating layer is formed on the lower electrode 3 and the surface (upper surface and side surfaces) of the outer frame 9.
Here, instead of stacking the Ni plating layer and the solder plating layer, only the solder plating layer may be used. Also, as in the first embodiment, before or after this step, a positioning hole is formed in the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5.

Through the above steps, a member to be the lower electrode 3 and the lower thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film 5 is completed. FIG.
The member that becomes the upper electrode 4 and the upper heat conductive electrically insulating thin film 6 can be manufactured in the same manner.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a member manufactured in this manner.
The steps for manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1 and the jigs and the like used in the steps are the same as those in FIGS. However, in the present embodiment, the masking tape 4
Peel 1 off.

As described above, the fourth embodiment of the present invention has the following features (1) to (6).

(1) Upper surface of upper electrode 4 and lower electrode 3
The upper and lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin films 6 and 5 are respectively formed on the lower surface of the device. When using this thermoelectric element, the thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film is used as a heat sink. There is no need to form them individually. For this reason, it is easy to use in combination with heat sinks of various shapes.

(2) Since the electrode pattern is formed by etching the copper sheet, the step of arranging a large number of electrodes in a predetermined pattern becomes unnecessary. As a result, the manufacturing process is simplified and the cost is reduced.

(3) The outer frames 9 and 12 are formed simultaneously with the formation of the electrodes, and the positioning holes 9A and 9A provided in the outer frames 9 and 12 are formed.
Since two-point positioning is performed at the time of soldering using 9B, 12A, and 12B, set / reset is easy, and the soldering process can be automated.

(4) Since the outer frames 9 and 12 are provided, the positional accuracy and the handling in the electrode material etching step and the thermoelectric semiconductor element soldering step are improved.

(5) Since the backing is performed using a masking tape without using a copper thin film, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the material cost can be reduced.

(6) Since an Ni plating layer and a solder plating layer are formed on the surfaces of the upper and lower electrodes 3 and 4, expensive A
The oxidation of the Ni plating layer can be prevented without using u. Alternatively, by applying solder plating to the surfaces of the upper and lower electrodes 3 and 4, the protective layers of the electrodes 3 and 4 can be formed without applying Ni plating, and the solderability can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments, and for example, the following modifications (1) to (5) are possible.

(1) A thermoelectric element without a partition plate as shown in FIG. 13 may be constructed.

(2) The present invention can be applied to the production of a thermoelectric element having a one-sided skeleton structure.

(3) p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2 in FIG.
P, n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2N, lower electrode 3, upper electrode 4, lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 5, upper thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 6, lower copper thin film 7, and upper copper thin film 8 By applying a silicone resin to the side surface (particularly in the vicinity of the junction between the electrode and the thermoelectric semiconductor element) to impart water repellency, the moisture resistance can be improved. 7, 9, 11,
The same applies to FIG. 13 and FIG.

(4) In the second and third embodiments, instead of forming a Ni plating layer or a Ni plating layer + Au layer on the surfaces of the upper and lower electrodes 3 and 4,
Similarly to the fourth embodiment, a Ni plating layer + a solder plating layer or a solder plating layer may be formed.

(5) In the fourth embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which the device is manufactured without using a masking tape.

[0105]

As described in detail above, according to the thermoelectric element according to the present invention, the heat conductive electrically insulating thin film is bonded to at least one of the first metal electrode and the second metal electrode. Therefore, when this thermoelectric element is used, a heat-dissipating or heat-absorbing metal member may be attached to the thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film. Therefore, there is no need to separately form a heat conductive electrical insulating thin film on the heat dissipating or heat absorbing metal member.

Further, according to the method of manufacturing a thermoelectric element according to the present invention, a large number of metal electrodes arranged in a predetermined pattern are completed at the same time by etching the metal electrode material. The step of arranging the patterns becomes unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the cost.

Further, according to the method of manufacturing a thermoelectric element according to the present invention, in the electrode pattern forming step and the thermoelectric semiconductor element bonding, the metal thin film, the outer frame, and the electrically insulating thin film act as a backing member. Since it becomes a constituent member of the thermoelectric element as it is, the material can be used without waste.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first configuration example of a thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a process of manufacturing a member to be a lower electrode, a lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film, and a lower copper thin film in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing members and jigs used for manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining positioning when the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a state at the time of soldering when manufacturing the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a state where an outer frame is cut off when the thermoelectric element shown in FIG. 1 is manufactured.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a second configuration example of the thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process of manufacturing a member to be a lower electrode and a lower polyimide sheet in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a third configuration example of the thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 10 is a view showing a process of manufacturing a member to be a lower electrode, a lower polyimide sheet, and a lower adhesive layer in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view of a fourth configuration example of the thermoelectric element to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a process of manufacturing a lower electrode and a member to be a lower heat conductive electrical insulating thin film in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a front view of the thermoelectric element without the partition plate of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional thermoelectric element.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Partition plate 2P p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 2N n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element 3 Lower electrode 4 Upper electrode 5 Lower thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 6 Upper thermal conductive electrical insulating thin film 7 Lower copper thin film 8 Upper copper thin film 9, 12 outer frame 31 lower polyimide sheet 32 upper polyimide sheet 33 lower adhesive layer 34 upper adhesive layer 41 masking tape 42 Ni plating layer + solder plating layer

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; a first metal electrode bonded to a first surface of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; A second metal electrode joined to the second surface of the semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; and a thermally conductive electrical insulation joined to at least one of the first metal electrode or the second metal electrode. A thermoelectric element comprising a thin film. 2. The thermoelectric element according to claim 1, further comprising a metal thin film bonded to said thermally conductive electrically insulating thin film. 3. A p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; a first metal electrode joined to first surfaces of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; A second metal electrode bonded to second surfaces of the semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; and an electrically insulating thin film welded to at least one of the first metal electrode or the second metal electrode. A thermoelectric element. 4. A p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; a first metal electrode joined to first surfaces of the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; A second metal electrode joined to the second surface of the semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element; and an electrically insulating thin film adhered to at least one of the first metal electrode or the second metal electrode. A thermoelectric element. 5. A partition plate having electrical insulation properties, wherein the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element are fixed to the partition plate while penetrating the partition plate. Item 5. The thermoelectric element according to any one of Items 1 to 4. 6. A metal electrode material bonding step of bonding a metal electrode material to a first surface of the thermally conductive electrical insulating thin film, and attaching a masking tape to a second surface of the thermally conductive electrical insulating thin film. A masking tape attaching step, an electrode forming step of forming an electrode pattern by etching the metal electrode material, and a thermoelectric semiconductor element joining step of joining the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element to the electrode pattern. And a masking tape peeling step of peeling off the masking tape. 7. A metal electrode material bonding step of bonding a metal electrode material to a first surface of the thermally conductive electrical insulating thin film, and bonding a metal thin film to a second surface of the thermally conductive electrical insulating thin film. A metal thin film bonding step, an electrode forming step of forming an electrode pattern by etching the metal electrode material, and a thermoelectric semiconductor element bonding step of bonding the p-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element to the electrode pattern. A method for manufacturing a thermoelectric element, comprising: 8. A metal electrode material welding step of welding a metal electrode material to the first surface of the electrically insulating thin film; an electrode forming step of etching the metal electrode material to form an electrode pattern; And a thermoelectric semiconductor element joining step of joining the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the electrode pattern. 9. A p-type thermoelectric semiconductor device, comprising: a metal electrode material bonding step of bonding a metal electrode material to a first surface of an electrically insulating thin film; an electrode forming step of etching the metal electrode material to form an electrode pattern; And a thermoelectric semiconductor element joining step of joining the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor element and the electrode pattern. 10. The method for manufacturing a thermoelectric device according to claim 6, wherein in the electrode forming step, an edge of the metal electrode material is left without being etched.