JPH04101472A - Cooler - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce weight, volume, and cost and improve performance by accumulating a plurality of sets of thermoelectric circuits, where P-type and N-type semiconductors are provided in opposition at the slant parts of a corrugated-filmshaped substrate and conductors are provided at the crests and the troughs, and making the uppermost layer the heat absorption side and the lowermost layer the heat radiation side. CONSTITUTION:Heat conductors 14, 15, 16, and 17 are installed between three corrugated thermoelectric circuits 11, 12, and 13 and at both ends. In the thermoelectric circuit 11, thermoelectric elements consisting of N-type semiconductors 19, at the first slants 18A on one side of a corrugated insulating film 18, first conductors 20A, at the crests, P-type semiconductors 21, at the next second slant parts 18B, and second conductors 20B, at the subsequent troughs are formed in order side by side. When a current is let to flow to the semiconductors 19, 21, and the conductors 20A and 20B along the insulating film substrate 18, the conductor 20A becomes a heat absorbing part and the other heat conductor in contact with it becomes a heat absorbing part. Moreover, the other heat conductor 15 in contact with the conductor 20B becomes a heat radiating part. Accordingly, the temperature difference about three times the temperature difference being gotten by each thermoelectric circuit can be gotten between the heat conductor 14 and the heat conductor 17.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling device that electrically obtains a low temperature by utilizing the Peltier effect, and particularly relates to a cooling device that obtains an extremely low temperature.

Conventional technology Conventional cooling device that uses the Peltier effect to obtain extremely low temperatures (
As in the conventional example shown in FIG. 3, the thermoelectric circuit has a structure in which a plurality of thermoelectric circuits in which an N-type semiconductor 3 and a P-type semiconductor 4 are sandwiched between a metal plate 1 and a metal plate 2 are stacked. Each thermoelectric circuit +i N-type semiconductor 3 and P-type semiconductor 4 are arranged in series, and when a current is applied, the top surface of each thermoelectric circuit becomes the cooling side 1 and the bottom surface becomes the heat dissipation side, and the heat dissipation of the thermoelectric circuit located above becomes. A thermoelectric circuit located at the bottom provides cooling. Therefore, the metal plate 2 located at the bottom is kept at about room temperature, and the terminal 5
When a potential is applied between the terminal 6 and the terminal 6, an extremely low temperature is obtained at the uppermost metal plate 1. Generally speaking, since the amount of heat on the heat dissipation side is larger than the amount of heat on the cooling side, the amount of heat processed by the thermoelectric circuit located at the bottom is larger, so the number of elements on the bottom is increased.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, since such conventional cooling devices are configured to use zeta semiconductor materials and metal plates in bulk, 1. Large quantities of rare materials such as Te and Bi are required. L The weight and volume of the thermoelectric element increases, increasing material cost.

2. Brazing, etc. is necessary for joining semiconductors and metal plates (to reduce the electrical resistance and thermal resistance of the contact area).

3. Fitting with a large cross-sectional area of the semiconductor The heat flow from the heating section to the cooling section is large, reducing efficiency.

The present invention solves the above problems.It significantly reduces the material cost, weight and volume of thermoelectric elements, and
The object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device having a structure that improves cooling performance by suppressing contact resistance and heat flow within a semiconductor.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following features: An N-type semiconductor formed on a first inclined part on a corrugated insulating film substrate having repeated irregularities, and an N-type semiconductor formed on a convex part. A first conductor formed in electrical connection with the first conductor, a P-type semiconductor formed in the second inclined part electrically connected to the first conductor, and a P-type semiconductor formed in the recessed part. A plurality of thermoelectric circuits in which one or more sets of thermoelectric elements each consisting of a second conductor electrically connected to a second conductor are sequentially arranged are stacked via a heat conductor, and the first thermoelectric circuit in the uppermost layer It has a configuration in which a heat-absorbing heat conductor is provided in contact with the conductor, and a heat-radiating heat conductor is provided in contact with the second conductor of the thermoelectric circuit at the bottom layer.

Effect of the present invention With the above structure, the thermoelectric element in the form of a film can be constructed thinly, compactly and lightweight, the amount of material used is much smaller than when used in bulk, and the cross-sectional area of the semiconductor is reduced. Since the conductor is small, heat conduction from the heating section to the cooling section is reduced, and since the semiconductor and the conductor are formed almost simultaneously in the vacuum equipment, the electrical contact resistance between the semiconductor and the conductor is almost eliminated. , the temperature difference between the thermoelectric element and the thermal conductor becomes smaller.

EXAMPLE An example according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, three corrugated thermoelectric circuits 11
, 12, 13 and at both ends, thermal conductors 14, 15,
16 and 17 are installed.

Details of the thermoelectric circuit 11 are shown in FIG. One side α of the corrugated insulating film substrate 18. The first inclined portion 18A has an N-type semiconductor 19, and the convex portion has a first conductor 2 (1, the next second
A P-type semiconductor 21 is formed in the inclined portion 18B, and a thermoelectric element made of a second conductor 20B is formed in the concave portion. The N-type semiconductor 19, the conductors 20A and 20B, and the P-type semiconductor 21 (the ends of each of them are in contact with each other, and the structure is such that the electrical resistance and thermal resistance of the contact parts do not increase.The conductor 2OA , 20B is made of copper or aluminum, which has low electrical resistance.

The insulating film substrate 18 is processed into a corrugated shape with repeated unevenness, and has all the convex portions forming the conductor 2OA.As shown in Fig. 1, one thermal conductor 14
All the recesses c! that were in thermal contact with and formed the conductor 20B! It is in contact with the other heat conductor 15. A current is passed through the semiconductors 19 and 21 and the conductors 20A and 20B along the insulating film substrate 18. As a result, semiconductor 1
Heat generation or heat absorption occurs at the interfaces between the conductors 9 and 21 and the conductors 20A and 20B due to the Peltier effect. At this time, since the N-type semiconductors 19 and the P-type semiconductors 21 are arranged alternately, the conductors 21 and 20B alternately serve as heat generating portions or heat absorbing portions. That is, the conductor 2OA becomes a heat absorbing portion, and one of the thermal conductors 14 in contact with it becomes a heat absorbing portion. Further, the other thermal conductor 15 in contact with the conductor 20B generates heat. Therefore, the temperature of the heat conductor 14 is lower than that of the heat conductor 15.Since the heat absorption part of the thermoelectric circuit 12 is located on the lower surface of the heat conductor 15, the temperature of the thermoelectric circuit 14 is lower than that of the heat conductor 15.
1 is absorbed into the heat absorbing portion of the thermoelectric circuit 12 via the heat conductor 15. Similarly, heat generated by the thermoelectric circuit 12 is absorbed by the heat absorbing portion of the thermoelectric circuit 13 via the thermal conductor 16.

With such a structure, a temperature difference approximately three times as large as that obtained in each thermoelectric circuit can be obtained between the thermal conductor 14 and the thermal conductor 17. Therefore, when the heat dissipation heat conductor 17 is kept at room temperature, the heat absorption heat conductor 14 becomes extremely low temperature.

Since the amount of heat processed by the thermoelectric circuits 11 to 13 increases in order, the number of semiconductors and conductors in the circuit is increased in order. Since the structure allows the pitch of the unevenness to be freely set, it is easy to design the lower pitch where the number of elements required is small (and so that the lower thermal conductor 17 does not become large).

As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to make the semiconductor and the conductor thinner, resulting in a lighter device.In addition, the temperature difference between the semiconductor and the conductor is reduced, resulting in an inexpensive and high-performance cooling device. is provided.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, according to the present invention, on a corrugated insulating film substrate having repeating irregularities, an N-type semiconductor formed on the first inclined portion and an N-type semiconductor formed on the convex portion are formed. a first conductor formed electrically connected to the type semiconductor;
A thermoelectric conductor consisting of a P-type semiconductor formed in the slope of the slanted portion electrically connected to the first conductor, and a second conductor formed in the recessed portion electrically connected to the P-type semiconductor. A plurality of thermoelectric circuits in which one or more sets of elements are sequentially arranged are stacked with a thermal conductor in between, and a heat-absorbing thermal conductor is placed in contact with the first conductor of the thermoelectric circuit in the uppermost layer, and Since it has a configuration in which a thermal conductor for heat radiation is provided in contact with the second conductor, it is possible to realize a cooling device that is extremely lightweight, compact, and highly economical, and has high performance.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a thermoelectric circuit constituting the cooling device. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional cooling device. 11, 12.13・-Thermoelectric circuit IK 14, 15, 16
．． 17... Thermal conductor 18... Insulating film substrate,
18A...First slope part 18B...1 on the second slope
9...N-type semiconductor i 2OA...first conductor 2
0B...Second conductor 21...P-type semiconductor

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) On a corrugated insulating film substrate with repeating unevenness, an N-type semiconductor formed on a first slope, and a first semiconductor formed on a convex portion electrically connected to the N-type semiconductor. a conductor, a P-type semiconductor formed in a second inclined part electrically connected to the first conductor, and a second semiconductor formed in the recessed part electrically connected to the P-type semiconductor. A plurality of thermoelectric circuits in which one or more sets of thermoelectric elements each consisting of a conductor are sequentially arranged are stacked via a thermal conductor, and a heat-absorbing thermal conductor is placed in contact with the first conductor of the thermoelectric circuit in the uppermost layer. A cooling device in which a heat conductor for heat dissipation is provided in contact with the second conductor of the thermoelectric circuit in the lowermost layer. (2) The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the number of thermoelectric elements constituting the thermoelectric circuit in each layer is sequentially decreased or increased in the stacking direction of the thermoelectric circuit. (3) The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the pitch of the unevenness of the insulating film substrate in the thermoelectric circuit of each layer is sequentially decreased or increased in the stacking direction of the thermoelectric circuit.