JP2018032685A - Thermoelectric converter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermoelectric converter easily-to-assemble of a board capable of maintaining the performance of the thermoelectric converter at high level while preventing a thermoelectric element from being damaged due to deformation of the board caused from heat.SOLUTION: A thermoelectric converter 1 includes: a first thermal conductive board 10; a second thermal conductive board 20; and plural thermoelectric elements 30 which are disposed between the first board 10 and the second board 20. At least first board 10 is divided into plural areas 10a, and the neighboring areas 10a are connected to each other by a buffer part 11 which elastically absorbs deformation of each area 10a due to heat in plane directions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermoelectric converter that converts heat into electric power or converts electric power into heat.

  Conventionally, thermoelectric converters are used to cool or heat an object. In recent years, thermoelectric converters are used to convert exhaust heat generated in factories and the like into electric power. This type of thermoelectric converter can be configured by combining a number of p-type thermoelectric conversion elements and n-type thermoelectric conversion elements using thermoelectric effects such as Seebeck effect, Peltier effect, or Thomson effect.

  Patent Document 1 below describes a thermoelectric converter in which a large number of thermoelectric conversion elements are arranged between two substrates. Moreover, in order to suppress that a thermoelectric conversion element is damaged by the deformation | transformation of the board | substrate by thermal expansion, it describes that one board | substrate is comprised from a some division | segmentation board | substrate.

JP-A-2006-72579

  However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, since one of the substrates is composed of a plurality of divided substrates, the number of substrates increases, and a complicated process of positioning and installing each divided substrate is required. End up. Furthermore, in order to adjust the position of each divided substrate at the time of assembly, it is necessary to secure a gap for inserting a position adjusting jig or the like between the divided substrates. Since no thermoelectric conversion element can be arranged in the gap, the number of thermoelectric conversion elements that can be arranged in the thermoelectric converter is reduced correspondingly, resulting in a problem that the performance of the thermoelectric converter is lowered.

  In view of such a problem, the present invention is capable of maintaining the performance of the thermoelectric converter high while suppressing the thermoelectric conversion element from being damaged by the deformation of the substrate due to heat, and capable of easily assembling the substrate. The purpose is to provide a vessel.

  A thermoelectric converter according to a main aspect of the present invention includes a heat conductive first substrate, a heat conductive second substrate, and a plurality of thermoelectric conversions disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. An element. Here, at least the first substrate is divided into a plurality of regions, and the adjacent regions are connected to each other by a buffer portion that elastically absorbs deformation in the in-plane direction of each region due to heat.

  According to the thermoelectric converter according to this aspect, when each region is deformed in the in-plane direction due to heat, the deformation is absorbed by the buffer portion, so that the deformation in each region is propagated to the adjacent region and accumulated. There is nothing. For this reason, the deformation | transformation (area increase) of the 1st board | substrate by a heat | fever does not become large significantly, and a big force is not provided to a thermoelectric conversion element by a deformation | transformation of a 1st board | substrate. Therefore, it can suppress that a thermoelectric conversion element is damaged by the thermal expansion of a 1st board | substrate.

  Moreover, since the adjacent area | region is connected by the buffer part, the 1st board | substrate is one member with which all the area | regions were integrated. For this reason, at the time of assembly, it is only necessary to adjust the position of the entire first substrate as it is, and it is not necessary to perform complicated operations such as adjusting the positions of the respective regions individually. Therefore, the assembly work of the first substrate can be easily performed.

  Further, as described above, since the position of the entire first substrate may be adjusted at the time of assembly, it is not necessary to secure a large gap for inserting a position adjusting jig or the like between the divided regions. For this reason, the number of the thermoelectric conversion elements which can be arrange | positioned does not reduce by the clearance gap between division | segmentation area | regions, Therefore, the performance of a thermoelectric converter can be maintained highly.

  In the present invention, “divided into a plurality of regions” widely includes forms in which the edges of adjacent regions are bridged by the buffer portion while being separated in the in-plane direction. In addition to the form integrally formed with the first substrate, the “buffer portion” widely includes a form constituted by a member different from the first substrate.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to maintain high performance of the thermoelectric converter while suppressing the thermoelectric conversion element from being damaged by the deformation of the substrate due to heat, and to easily perform the assembly work of the substrate. A transducer can be provided.

  The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example when the present invention is implemented, and the present invention is not limited to what is described in the following embodiment.

FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the embodiment. FIG.1 (b) is a perspective view which shows typically the state after the assembly of the thermoelectric converter which concerns on embodiment. FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams schematically illustrating an installation state of the thermoelectric conversion element according to the embodiment. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter according to the first embodiment. 4A and 4B are plan views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter according to the first embodiment. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter according to the second embodiment. 6A and 6B are plan views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter according to the second embodiment. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter according to the third embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are plan views schematically illustrating the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter according to the third embodiment. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and action of the thermoelectric converter according to the fourth embodiment. 10A and 10B are plan views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the first modification. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the second modification. FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 12B is a plan view schematically illustrating the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 13A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 13B is a plan view schematically illustrating the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the third modification. FIG. 14B is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter according to the fourth modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For convenience, the X, Y, and Z axes that are orthogonal to each other are appended to each drawing. The Z-axis direction is the height direction of the thermoelectric converter 1, and the Z-axis negative direction is the downward direction.

  FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of the thermoelectric converter 1, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a state after the thermoelectric converter 1 is assembled.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the thermoelectric converter 1 includes a first substrate 10, a second substrate 20, and a thermoelectric conversion element 30.

  The first substrate 10 has a substantially square outline in plan view. As will be described later, the first substrate 10 includes a base substrate 101 serving as a metal layer and an insulating layer 102 formed on the lower surface of the base substrate 101 (see FIG. 3A). The base substrate 101 is made of a material having excellent heat conduction characteristics such as copper and aluminum. The insulating layer 102 is made of, for example, a resin film. A plurality of electrodes 103 bonded to the lower surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 are formed on the lower surface of the insulating layer 102 (see FIG. 3A). The insulating layer 102 and the electrode 103 are formed by thermocompression bonding.

  The first substrate 10 is divided into a plurality of regions 10a. Moreover, the adjacent area | region 10a is mutually connected by the buffer part 11 which absorbs the deformation | transformation of the in-plane direction of each area | region 10a by a heat | fever. Each region 10 a is set for each thermoelectric conversion element 30. That is, the region 10a is set so that one thermoelectric conversion element 30 is included in one region 10a in plan view. Configuration examples of the region 10a and the buffer portion 11 will be described in detail in Examples 1 to 5 and Modifications 1 and 2.

  The second substrate 20 has the same shape and size as the first substrate 10. Similar to the first substrate 10, the second substrate 20 also has a configuration in which an insulating layer 202 is formed on the upper surface of the base substrate 201 (see FIG. 3A). The base substrate 201 is made of a material having excellent heat conduction characteristics such as copper and aluminum. A plurality of electrodes 203 bonded to the lower surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 are formed on the upper surface of the second substrate 20 (see FIG. 3A). The insulating layer 202 and the electrode 203 are formed by, for example, thermocompression bonding. In the state of FIG. 1A, the lower surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is joined to the electrode 203 with solder.

  Unlike the first substrate 10, the second substrate 20 is not divided into a plurality of regions. In addition, in the electrode group formed on the upper surface of the second substrate 20, a lead wire (not shown) for supplying power to the thermoelectric conversion element 30 or drawing power from the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is soldered. An attached electrode is included.

  The thermoelectric conversion element 30 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The thermoelectric conversion element 30 is made of, for example, a semiconductor that converts heat into electric power. The thermoelectric conversion element 30 is a material (Bi2Te3 material, lead / tellurium material, silicon / germanium material) having a large figure of merit Z (= α2 / ρK) represented by the Seebeck coefficient α, the specific resistance ρ, and the thermal conductivity K. Etc.) to which a dopant is added. Two types of p-type and n-type thermoelectric conversion elements 30 are constituted by the dopant to be added. As a dopant for configuring the p-type thermoelectric conversion element 30, for example, Sb is added. Further, for example, Se is added as a dopant for configuring the n-type thermoelectric conversion element 30. On the upper surface and the lower surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30, electrode portions that are bonded to the above-described electrode group are formed. The thermoelectric conversion element 30 may be composed of an element that controls heat by electric power, such as a Peltier element.

  When the thermoelectric converter 1 is formed, the first substrate 10 is overlaid on the second substrate 20 as shown in FIG. 1A with the solder paste applied to the upper surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30. Thereby, the electrode 103 on the lower surface of the first substrate 10 contacts the upper surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 via the solder paste. Then, the 1st board | substrate 10 and the 2nd board | substrate 20 are poured into a reflow furnace, and the electrode 103 and the upper surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 are joined with solder. Thereby, as shown in FIG.1 (b), the assembly of the thermoelectric converter 1 is completed.

  In the state of FIG. 1B, all the thermoelectric conversion elements 30 are connected in series by the electrode 103 on the first substrate 10 side and the electrode 203 on the second substrate 20 side. That is, the electrodes 103 and 203 are arranged on the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 in a pattern in which all the thermoelectric conversion elements 30 can be connected in series.

  The bonding between the electrode 203 on the second substrate 20 side and the lower surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 and the bonding between the electrode 103 on the first substrate 10 side and the upper surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 may be performed simultaneously. In this case, after applying a solder paste to the electrode 203 on the second substrate 20, the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is disposed on the electrode 203 by a jig. Thereafter, similarly to the above, the first substrate 10 is overlaid on the second substrate 20, and the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 are allowed to flow in a reflow furnace. As a result, the solder paste is melted, and the bonding of the electrode 203 and the thermoelectric conversion element 30 with solder is performed together with the bonding of the electrode 103 and the thermoelectric conversion element 30 with solder. Thereby, as shown in FIG.1 (b), the assembly of the thermoelectric converter 1 is completed.

  Thus, after the assembly of the thermoelectric converter 1 is completed, electric power is supplied to the thermoelectric conversion element 30 or a lead wire for drawing electric power from the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is connected to the thermoelectric converter 1.

  2A and 2B are diagrams schematically showing the installation state of the thermoelectric conversion element 30. FIG. In FIG. 2A, for the sake of convenience, the illustration of the first substrate 10 is omitted, and only the electrode 103 on the first substrate 10 side is illustrated. Further, in FIG. 2B, the illustration of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 and the electrode 103 is further omitted so that the arrangement of the electrode 203 becomes clear.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the second substrate 20 includes a base substrate 201 having excellent thermal conductivity characteristics and an insulating layer 202. A group of electrodes 203 is formed on the upper surface of the insulating layer 202. A group of electrodes 103 is formed on the lower surface of the first substrate 10. The electrode 103 group and the electrode 203 group are fixed to the upper surface and the lower surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 with solder, respectively. The thermoelectric conversion element 30 group is connected in series by the electrode 103 group and the electrode 203 group.

  When the thermoelectric converter 1 having the above configuration is used for power generation, for example, the upper surface of the first substrate 10 is brought into contact with a heat source, and the second substrate 20 is cooled by air cooling means or the like. In this case, the first substrate 10 is about several hundred degrees Celsius (for example, 200 degrees Celsius), and the second substrate 20 is about several tens of degrees Celsius (for example, 20 degrees Celsius). Thus, when the temperature of the 1st board | substrate 10 rises, the 1st board | substrate 10 will thermally expand from the state at the normal temperature, will expand in an in-plane direction, and an area will spread. On the other hand, the area of the second substrate 20 at the normal temperature is maintained as it is without thermally expanding.

  As described above, when an area difference occurs between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, the upper surface of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is pulled in the in-plane direction of the first substrate 10, and the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is implanted. A force in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is applied to the thermoelectric conversion element 30. Here, when the first substrate 10 is not divided, the relative displacement amount between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 due to the area difference is from the center of the first substrate 10 toward the peripheral portion. Accumulated with it. For this reason, the force given to the thermoelectric conversion element 30 by thermal expansion becomes larger toward the periphery of the thermoelectric converter 1.

  As described above, when a large force is applied to the thermoelectric conversion element 30, the thermoelectric conversion element 30 may be damaged by this force, or the soldering between the thermoelectric conversion element 30 and the electrodes 103 and 203 may be released. Can happen. If it becomes like this, the output from the thermoelectric converter 1 will no longer be obtained. This problem can also occur when the thermoelectric converter 1 is used for cooling an object.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first substrate 10 is divided into a plurality of regions 10a, and each region 10a is connected by the buffer portion 11, so that the expansion of the area due to thermal expansion does not propagate to the adjacent region 10a. It is configured. Thereby, the damage of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 etc. are suppressed. Hereinafter, a specific configuration example in which the regions 10a are connected by the buffer portion 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 (a) to 12 (b).

<Example 1>
3A and 3B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the first embodiment. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views in which the position of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is cut along a plane parallel to the YZ plane. 4A and 4B are plan views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the first embodiment. 4A and 4B are plan views of the vicinity of the corners on the X-axis positive side and the Y-axis negative side as seen from the Z-axis positive side. 4A and 4B, the region of the thermoelectric conversion element 30 is indicated by a broken line.

  3 (a) and 4 (a) show the state before the thermoelectric converter 1 is installed in the heat source 40 (state at normal temperature), and FIG. 3 (b) and FIG. The state after converter 1 is installed in heat source 40 (state at the time of power generation) is shown. In FIG. 3B and FIG. 4B, the direction of thermal expansion is schematically shown by arrows.

  As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 4A, in Example 1, the base substrate 101 of the first substrate 10 is divided into a plurality of divided regions R1 by slits 111 extending vertically and horizontally. The insulating layer 102 is not divided and is a single sheet. The divided regions R1 of the base substrate 101 are connected by an insulating layer 102. That is, the adjacent divided regions R1 are connected to each other by the portion (connecting portion 102a) of the insulating layer 102 that covers the gap (slit 111) between the divided regions R1.

  In the first embodiment, the divided region R1 corresponds to the region 10a in FIG. 1A, and the connecting portion 102a corresponds to the buffer portion 11 in FIG. As described above, the insulating layer 102 is made of a resin film. For this reason, the connection part 102a has flexibility and can be elastically deformed by an external force.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, when the thermoelectric converter 1 is installed so that the upper surface of the first substrate 10 is in contact with the heat source 40, the temperature of the divided region R1 of the base substrate 101 is increased by the heat of the heat source 40. To do. As a result, the divided region R1 is thermally expanded and expanded in the in-plane direction, so that the area is expanded. On the other hand, the area of the second substrate 20 at the normal temperature is maintained as it is without thermal expansion.

  In the first embodiment, since the gap (slit 111) is formed between the adjacent divided regions R1, even if the divided region R1 is thermally expanded in this way and the area is expanded, the expansion of the area is the adjacent divided region. There is no propagation to R1. That is, when the divided region R1 is expanded in the in-plane direction due to thermal expansion, the gap (slit 111) between the divided regions R1 is reduced as shown in FIGS. The portion 102a is elastically deformed. For example, in the state of FIG. 3B, the connecting portion 102 a is compressed in the width direction of the slit 111 and bends in the depth direction of the slit 111. Thus, the expansion of the area of each divided region R1 is absorbed by the slit 111 and the connecting portion 102a.

  Thus, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, since the base substrate 101 of the first substrate 10 is divided into a plurality of divided regions R1, even if each divided region R1 is deformed in the in-plane direction due to heat, The deformation in each divided region R1 is not propagated and accumulated in the adjacent divided region R1. The deformation in the in-plane direction in each divided region R1 is absorbed by the connecting portion 102a that is a buffer portion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the thermoelectric conversion element 30 from being damaged by applying a large force to the thermoelectric conversion element 30 due to the deformation of the first substrate 10 due to heat.

  Further, since the adjacent divided regions R1 are connected by the connecting portion 102a, the first substrate 10 is a single member in which all the divided regions R1 are integrated. For this reason, at the time of assembly, the entire first substrate 10 may be installed with its position adjusted as it is, and a complicated operation of individually adjusting the position of each divided region R1 is not necessary. Therefore, the assembly work of the first substrate 10 can be easily performed.

  Further, as described above, since the position of the entire first substrate 10 may be adjusted at the time of assembly, it is not necessary to secure a large gap between the divided regions R1 in order to insert a position adjusting jig or the like. For this reason, the number of thermoelectric conversion elements 30 that can be arranged is not reduced by the gap between the divided regions R1. Therefore, the performance of the thermoelectric converter 1 can be maintained high.

  Thus, according to the first embodiment, the performance of the thermoelectric converter 1 can be maintained high while suppressing the thermoelectric conversion element 30 from being damaged due to the deformation of the first substrate 10 due to heat, and the first substrate 10. Assembling work can be easily performed.

<Example 2>
FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the second embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of the thermoelectric converter 1 cut in the same manner as in FIGS. 3A and 3B. 6A and 6B are plan views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the second embodiment. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are plan views of the same region as FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). 5 (a) and 6 (a) show a state before the thermoelectric converter 1 is installed in the heat source 40 (state at normal temperature), and FIG. 5 (b) and FIG. 6 (b) show the thermoelectric The state after converter 1 is installed in heat source 40 (state at the time of power generation) is shown.

  In the second embodiment, the slit 111 of the first embodiment is replaced with a groove 112. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In Example 2, the thin layer of the base substrate 101 remains between the bottom surface of the groove 112 and the top surface of the insulating layer 102. That is, the divided regions adjacent to each other by the portion (the connecting portion 102a) of the insulating layer 102 at the position of the gap (the groove 112) between the divided regions R1 and the lower portion (the connecting portion 112a) of the bottom surface of the groove 112 of the base substrate 101. R1 are connected to each other.

  In the second embodiment, the divided region R1 corresponds to the region 10a in FIG. 1A, and the connecting portion 102a and the connecting portion 112a correspond to the buffer portion 11 in FIG. Here, since the base substrate 101 is made of a material such as copper or aluminum, as shown in FIG. 5A, the thickness of the base substrate 101 is reduced thinly by the groove 112 to form the connecting portion 112a. Thus, the connecting portion 112a has flexibility and can be elastically deformed by an external force.

  In the second embodiment, since a gap (groove 112) is formed between the adjacent divided regions R1, even if the divided region R1 is thermally expanded and the area is expanded, the area is expanded to the adjacent divided region R1. There is no propagation. That is, when the divided region R1 is expanded in the in-plane direction due to thermal expansion, the gap (groove 112) between the divided regions R1 is reduced as shown in FIGS. The portion 102a and the connecting portion 112a are elastically deformed. For example, in the state of FIG. 5B, the connecting portion 102 a and the connecting portion 112 a are bent in the depth direction of the groove 112. Thus, the expansion of the area of each divided region R1 is absorbed by the groove 112, the connecting portion 102a, and the connecting portion 112a.

  According to the second embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment can be achieved. In addition, in the second embodiment, the adjacent divided regions R1 are connected by the metallic connecting portion 112a that is a part of the base substrate 101 together with the connecting portion 102a that is a part of the insulating layer 102. Compared to the first embodiment, the divided region R1 is supported more firmly. Therefore, handling of the first substrate 10 is facilitated, and positioning and attachment of the first substrate 10 can be performed more simply. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the 1st board | substrate 10 can be raised, and, thereby, the mechanical strength of the thermoelectric converter 1 whole can be raised.

<Example 3>
7A and 7B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the third embodiment. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of the thermoelectric converter 1 cut in the same manner as in FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIGS. 8A and 8B are plan views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the third embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are plan views of the same region as FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIGS. 7A and 8A show a state before the thermoelectric converter 1 is installed in the heat source 40 (a state at normal temperature), and FIGS. 7B and 8B show the thermoelectrics. The state after converter 1 is installed in heat source 40 (state at the time of power generation) is shown.

  In the third embodiment, a beam portion 114 that connects adjacent divided regions R1 is formed in the slit 111 portion of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8A, the beam portion 114 is integrally formed with the base substrate 101 so as to obliquely cross the gap (slit 111) between the adjacent divided regions R1. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the third embodiment, the adjacent divided regions R1 are connected to each other by the beam 114 together with the portion (the connecting portion 102a) of the insulating layer 102 that covers the gap (slit 111) between the divided regions R1.

  In the third embodiment, the divided region R1 corresponds to the region 10a in FIG. 1A, and the connecting portion 102a and the beam portion 114 correspond to the buffer portion 11 in FIG. Here, since the base substrate 101 is made of a material such as copper or aluminum, the beam 114 can be made flexible by forming the beam 114 thin as shown in FIG. It can be elastically deformed by an external force.

  In Example 3, since the gap (slit 111) is formed between the adjacent divided regions R1, even if the divided region R1 is thermally expanded and the area is expanded, the expansion of the area is performed in the adjacent divided region R1. There is no propagation. That is, when the divided region R1 expands in the in-plane direction due to thermal expansion, the gap (slit 111) between the divided regions R1 is reduced as shown in FIGS. The portion 102a and the beam portion 114 are elastically deformed. For example, in the state of FIG. 8B, the connecting portion 102 a is compressed in the width direction of the slit 111 or bent in the depth direction of the slit 111. Further, in the state of FIG. 8B, the beam portion 114 is elastically deformed so that the inclination angle becomes an acute angle. Thus, the expansion of the area of each divided region R1 is absorbed by the slit 111, the connecting portion 102a, and the beam portion 114.

  According to the third embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment can be achieved. In addition, in Example 3, the adjacent divided regions R1 are connected together with the connecting portion 102a that is a part of the insulating layer 102 by the metallic beam portion 114 that is a part of the base substrate 101. Compared to the first embodiment, the divided region R1 is supported more firmly. Therefore, handling of the first substrate 10 becomes easy, and positioning and attachment of the first substrate 10 can be easily performed. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the 1st board | substrate 10 can be raised, and, thereby, the mechanical strength of the thermoelectric converter 1 whole can be raised.

<Example 4>
FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views schematically showing the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the fourth embodiment. FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of the thermoelectric converter 1 cut in the same manner as in FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIGS. 10A and 10B are plan views schematically illustrating the configuration and operation of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the fourth embodiment. 10 (a) and 10 (b) are plan views of the same region as FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). 10A and 10B show a state where the protective film 116 has been removed. 9 (a) and 10 (a) show a state before the thermoelectric converter 1 is installed on the heat source 40 (state at normal temperature), and FIG. 9 (b) and FIG. 10 (b) show the thermoelectric The state after converter 1 is installed in heat source 40 (state at the time of power generation) is shown.

  In Example 4, a plurality of holes 115 penetrating the insulating layer 102 are formed at the positions of the slits 111 of the insulating layer 102. A protective film 116 for forming a protective layer is attached so as to cover the upper surface of the base substrate 101 together with the slit 111. The protective film 116 is made of a material having flexibility and high thermal conductivity. The number of holes 115 formed in the insulating layer 102 is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 10A and can be changed as appropriate. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the fourth embodiment, since the hole 115 is formed in the connecting portion 102a of the insulating layer 102, the connecting portion 102a is more easily bent than the first embodiment. Further, since the upper portion of the hole 115 is blocked by the protective film 116, the inside of the thermoelectric converter 1 is not exposed through the hole 115. Furthermore, since the protective film 116 is made of a flexible material, the portion (the connecting portion 116a) that covers the slit 111 of the protective film 116 can also be easily bent by an external force.

  In Example 4, the connection part 102a of the insulating layer 102 and the connection part 116a of the protective film 116 correspond to the buffer part 11 of FIG. According to the fourth embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment can be achieved. In addition, in the fourth embodiment, the flexibility of the connecting portion 102a is enhanced as compared with the first embodiment. Therefore, the displacement of the divided region R1 due to thermal expansion can be absorbed more flexibly by the connecting portion 102a.

  In addition, in the structure of Examples 1-3, the protective film 116 may be further attached.

<Example of change>
When the hole 115 is formed in the insulating layer 102 as in the fourth embodiment, the slit 111 may be filled with an elastic material 117 such as an insulating resin as in the first modification shown in FIG. . Thereby, since the hole 115 is obstruct | occluded, the inside of the thermoelectric converter 1 is not exposed through the hole 115. FIG.

  The hole 115 does not necessarily penetrate the insulating layer 102, and the hole 115a ends from the upper surface of the insulating layer 102 to the middle of the insulating layer 102 as in Modification 2 shown in FIG. May be. In this case, since the inside of the thermoelectric converter 1 is not exposed through the hole 115a, the elastic material 117 can be omitted, and similarly, the protective film 116 can be omitted.

  However, when the hole 115 penetrating the insulating layer 102 is provided, the connecting portion 102a of the insulating layer 102 is more easily bent than when the hole 115a not penetrating is provided.

<Example 5>
12A and 12B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the fifth embodiment. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 12A is a case where the thermoelectric converter 1 is cut by the same method as in FIG. The plan view of FIG. 12B is the same region as FIG.

  In the fifth embodiment, two V-shaped grooves 118 a are formed on the upper surface of the base substrate 101, and one inverted V-shaped groove 118 b is formed on the lower surface of the base substrate 101. A portion 118 is formed integrally with the base substrate 101. The adjacent divided regions R1 are connected by the connecting portion 118 formed in this way. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the fifth embodiment, the connecting portion 118 corresponds to the buffer portion 11 in FIG. Since the base substrate 101 is made of a material such as copper or aluminum, the connecting portion 118 can be formed by forming the connecting portion 118 thin with the grooves 118a and 118b as shown in FIG. It has flexibility and can be elastically deformed by an external force. The connecting portion 118 can be elastically deformed in the arrow direction shown in FIG.

  According to the configuration of the fifth embodiment, even if the divided region R1 is thermally expanded and the area is expanded, the expansion of the area is not absorbed by the connecting portion 118 and propagated to the adjacent divided region R1. That is, when the divided region R1 is expanded in the in-plane direction due to thermal expansion, the connecting portion 118 is elastically deformed so that the interval between the divided regions R1 is reduced. Thus, the expansion of the area of each divided region R1 is absorbed by the connecting portion 118.

  According to the fifth embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be achieved. In addition, in the fifth embodiment, the adjacent divided regions R1 are connected by the metallic connecting portion 118 that is a part of the base substrate 101 together with the connecting portion 102a that is a part of the insulating layer 102. Compared to the first embodiment, the divided region R1 is supported more firmly. Therefore, handling of the first substrate 10 becomes easy, and positioning and attachment of the first substrate 10 can be easily performed. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the 1st board | substrate 10 can be raised, and, thereby, the mechanical strength of the thermoelectric converter 1 whole can be raised.

  In the configuration of the fifth embodiment, the holes 115 and the holes 115a may be formed in the insulating layer 102 as in the fourth embodiment and the second modification.

<Example 6>
FIGS. 13A and 13B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view schematically showing the configuration of the thermoelectric converter 1 according to the sixth embodiment. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 13A is a case where the thermoelectric converter 1 is cut by the same method as in FIG. The plan view of FIG. 13B is the same region as FIG.

  In the first to fifth embodiments, the first substrate 10 is composed of the base substrate 101 made of a metal material and the insulating layer 102. In the sixth embodiment, the first substrate 10 is a base substrate 121 made of a ceramic material. (Ceramic layer) and a cover 122 (cover layer). An electrode 123 is disposed on the lower surface of the base substrate 121 by thermocompression bonding.

  The base substrate 121 is divided into a plurality of divided regions R2 by slits 121a extending vertically and horizontally. The cover 122 is not divided and is a single sheet. The cover 122 is made of a flexible material (for example, resin). The cover 122 is installed on the upper surface of the base substrate 121 by, for example, thermocompression bonding.

  Each divided region R <b> 2 of the base substrate 121 is connected by a cover 122. In other words, the adjacent divided regions R1 are connected to each other by the portion (connecting portion 122a) of the cover 122 that covers the gap (slit 121a) between the divided regions R2.

  In the sixth embodiment, the divided region R2 corresponds to the region 10a in FIG. 1A, and the connecting portion 122a corresponds to the buffer portion 11 in FIG. As described above, the cover 122 is made of a flexible material. For this reason, the connection part 122a can be elastically deformed by an external force.

  In the sixth embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. In Example 6, since the gap (slit 121a) is formed between the adjacent divided regions R2, even if the divided region R2 is thermally expanded and the area is expanded, the expansion of the area is propagated to the adjacent divided region R2. There is nothing to do. That is, when the divided region R2 expands in the in-plane direction due to thermal expansion, the gap (slit 121a) between the divided regions R2 is reduced, and the connecting portion 122a is elastically deformed accordingly. In this case, for example, the connecting portion 122a is compressed in the width direction of the slit 121a and bends in the depth direction of the slit 121a. Thus, the expansion of the area of each divided region R2 is absorbed by the slit 121a and the connecting portion 122a.

  In the configuration example of FIG. 13A, the second substrate 20 includes a base substrate 201 made of a metal material and an insulating layer 202. However, the second substrate 20 also includes a base substrate made of a ceramic material, a cover, and the like. May be configured.

<Other changes>
In the embodiment described above, the regions 10 a (divided regions R <b> 1 and R <b> 2) are set so as to correspond to one thermoelectric conversion element 30. However, the region 10a (divided regions R1, R2) does not necessarily have to be set for each thermoelectric conversion element 30, and includes, for example, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements 30 in a plan view as shown in FIG. As described above, the region 10a (the divided regions R1 and R2) may be set.

  Thus, the mechanical strength of the 1st board | substrate 10 can be raised by setting the area | region 10a (division area | region R1, R2) widely. On the other hand, as the region 10a (divided regions R1 and R2) becomes wider, the area variation due to thermal expansion increases in each region 10a. Therefore, the force applied to the thermoelectric conversion element 30 by thermal expansion increases, and the thermoelectric conversion element 30 It becomes easy to cause trouble. Therefore, from the viewpoint of suppressing the influence on the thermoelectric conversion element 30, the region 10a (the divided regions R1, R2) is preferably as small as possible, and the region 10a (the divided regions R1, R2) is as in the above embodiment. Most preferably, it is set for each thermoelectric conversion element 30.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although all the area | regions 10a were the same size, the area | region 10a does not necessarily need to be arrange | equalized with the same size. For example, as shown in FIG. 14B, the central portion of the first substrate 10 where heat tends to concentrate and the area variation due to thermal expansion is more prominent is the size of the region 10 a than the outer peripheral portion of the first substrate 10. May be set smaller. Thereby, in the outer peripheral portion of the first substrate 10, the mechanical strength of the first substrate 10 is increased, and the area variation of the region 10a due to the thermal expansion is effectively suppressed in the central portion where the thermal expansion becomes more remarkable. Can do.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the substrate that becomes high temperature during actual operation is divided and the divided substrates are connected by the buffer unit. However, the substrate that becomes low temperature during actual operation is divided, and the divided substrate is buffered. You may connect by a part. Further, it is not always necessary to divide only one substrate and connect it by the buffering portion, and both substrates may be divided and connected by the buffering portion.

  The first substrate 10 may further include other layers in addition to the base substrate 101 and the insulating layer 102. In addition, the base substrate 101 may be composed of a plurality of layers, and the insulating layer 102 may be composed of a plurality of layers.

  In addition, the embodiment of the present invention can be variously modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea shown in the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Thermoelectric converter 10 ... 1st board | substrate 10a ... Area | region 11 ... Buffer part 20 ... 2nd board | substrate 30 ... Thermoelectric conversion element 101 ... Base board | substrate (metal layer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102 ... Insulating layer 102a ... Connection part 111 ... Slit 112 ... Groove 112a ... Connection part 114 ... Beam part 115 ... Hole 116 ... Protective film 117 ... Elastic material 118 ... Connection part 118a, 118b ... Groove 121 ... Base substrate (ceramic layer)
121a ... slit 122 ... cover (cover layer)
122a ... connecting part R1, R2 ... divided region

Claims (11)

A thermally conductive first substrate;
A thermally conductive second substrate;
A plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;
At least the first substrate is divided into a plurality of regions, and the adjacent regions are connected to each other by a buffer portion that elastically absorbs deformation in the in-plane direction of each region due to heat,
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to claim 1,
The first substrate includes an insulating layer disposed on the thermoelectric conversion element side, and a metal layer disposed on the opposite side of the thermoelectric conversion element with respect to the insulating layer,
The insulating layer is flexible;
The metal layer is divided into a plurality of divided regions each corresponding to the region, and the adjacent divided regions are connected to each other by a portion of the insulating layer at a position of a gap between the divided regions.
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to claim 2, wherein
A connecting portion that elastically connects the divided regions adjacent to each other in the gap between the divided regions is formed integrally with the metal layer.
It is characterized by
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to claim 3, wherein
The connecting portion is configured by reducing the thickness of the metal layer thinly,
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to claim 3, wherein
The connecting portion is a plurality of beam portions that obliquely cross the gap.
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
A hole is formed in the portion of the insulating layer at the position of the gap,
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
A protective layer covering an upper surface of the metal layer;
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to any one of claims 2 to 7,
The gap is filled with an elastic material,
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to claim 1,
The first substrate includes a ceramic layer disposed on the thermoelectric conversion element side, and a cover layer disposed on the opposite side of the thermoelectric conversion element with respect to the ceramic layer,
The cover layer is flexible;
The ceramic layer is divided into a plurality of divided regions corresponding to the regions, and the adjacent divided regions are connected to each other by a portion of the cover layer at a position of a gap between the divided regions.
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The area is set for each thermoelectric conversion element,
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that. The thermoelectric converter according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The area of the region of the central portion of the first substrate is smaller than the peripheral portion of the first substrate.
A thermoelectric converter characterized by that.

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