KR102310806B1 - Thermo electric element - Google Patents

Abstract

A thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately disposed on the first substrate, the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs, and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs. a second substrate disposed on the second substrate, the first substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs disposed between the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, each having a pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs disposed a plurality of first electrodes, the second substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs disposed between the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, each having a pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs disposed therein a second electrode, and an electrode fixing member for fixing the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the electrode fixing member includes a plurality of first lines in a first direction and a second line intersecting the first direction a plurality of second lines in the direction and both ends of the plurality of first lines and both ends of the plurality of second lines extending in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines and a third line inserted into the first groove of , wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of first lines is disposed between the pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs on the plurality of first electrodes.

Description

Thermoelectric element {THERMO ELECTRIC ELEMENT}

The present invention relates to a thermoelectric device, and more particularly, to a substrate and electrode structure of the thermoelectric device.

The thermoelectric phenomenon is a phenomenon that occurs by the movement of electrons and holes inside a material, and refers to direct energy conversion between heat and electricity.

A thermoelectric element is a generic term for a device using a thermoelectric phenomenon, and has a structure in which a P-type thermoelectric material and an N-type thermoelectric material are bonded between metal electrodes to form a PN junction pair.

Thermoelectric devices can be divided into devices using a temperature change in electrical resistance, devices using the Seebeck effect, which is a phenomenon in which electromotive force is generated by a temperature difference, and devices using the Peltier effect, which is a phenomenon in which heat absorption or heat is generated by current. .

Thermoelectric devices are widely applied to home appliances, electronic parts, and communication parts. For example, the thermoelectric element may be applied to an apparatus for cooling, an apparatus for heating, an apparatus for power generation, and the like. Accordingly, the demand for the thermoelectric performance of the thermoelectric element is increasing.

The thermoelectric element includes a substrate, an electrode, and a thermoelectric leg, a plurality of thermoelectric legs are arranged in an array form between an upper substrate and a lower substrate, and a plurality of upper electrodes and a plurality of upper electrodes and a plurality of thermoelectric legs are disposed between the upper and lower substrates. A lower electrode is disposed. Here, the upper electrode and the lower electrode connect the thermoelectric legs in series.

In general, between the upper substrate and the upper electrode and between the lower substrate and the lower electrode may be directly bonded or may be adhered by an adhesive layer. When the upper substrate and the upper electrode and the lower substrate and the lower electrode are directly bonded, it is advantageous in terms of thermal conductivity compared to the case of bonding by an adhesive layer. On the other hand, when the upper substrate and the upper electrode and the lower substrate and the lower electrode are adhered by the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer is deteriorated during the reflow process, so that the electrode is easily detached from the substrate.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method of fixing a substrate and an electrode without deterioration in performance in terms of thermal conductivity and reliability.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate and an electrode structure of a thermoelectric element.

A thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate having a plurality of first grooves formed at edges thereof, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately disposed on the first substrate, and the plurality of a second substrate disposed on the P-type thermoelectric leg of a plurality of first electrodes on which the P-type thermoelectric legs and the N-type thermoelectric legs are disposed, the second substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs; A plurality of second electrodes on which type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs are disposed, and an electrode fixing member for fixing the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the electrode fixing member includes a plurality of second electrodes in a first direction. a first line, a plurality of second lines in a second direction crossing the first direction, and both ends of the plurality of first lines and the plurality of first lines and the plurality of lines at both ends of the plurality of second lines a third line extending in a direction perpendicular to the second line of It is disposed between the type thermoelectric leg and the N type thermoelectric leg.

At least a portion of each of the plurality of first lines may be disposed to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes between the pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs.

An adhesive layer may be further disposed between the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes.

At least a portion of each of the plurality of second lines may be disposed on the adhesive layer between the plurality of first electrodes.

A plurality of second grooves are formed in at least a portion of a point spaced apart from the plurality of first grooves by a predetermined interval on the first substrate, and the electrode fixing member is disposed at the predetermined intervals from both ends of the plurality of first lines. A fourth line extending in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines at spaced apart points and inserted into the plurality of second grooves may be further included.

A depth of the plurality of first grooves may be 0.1 to 0.9 times a height of the first substrate.

At least a portion of the plurality of first grooves may be filled with the third line and an adhesive.

The electrode fixing member may be made of an insulating material.

A thermoelectric element according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate having a plurality of first grooves formed at edges thereof, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately disposed on the first substrate, and the plurality of a second substrate disposed on the P-type thermoelectric leg of a plurality of first electrodes on which the P-type thermoelectric legs and the N-type thermoelectric legs are disposed, the second substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs; A plurality of second electrodes on which type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs are disposed, and an electrode fixing member for fixing the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes, wherein the electrode fixing member includes a plurality of second electrodes in a first direction. a first line, a plurality of second lines in a second direction crossing the plurality of first lines to form a plurality of openings, and both ends of the plurality of first lines and both ends of the plurality of second lines and a third line extending in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines and inserted into the plurality of first grooves, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of first lines includes the plurality of first lines. It is disposed on the first electrode, and in each opening, a P-type thermoelectric leg disposed on one first electrode and an N-type thermoelectric leg disposed on another first electrode adjacent to the first electrode are disposed. .

Two first lines forming each opening may be disposed to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes, and two second lines may be disposed between the plurality of first electrodes.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric device having excellent thermal conductivity and high reliability while being firmly fixed between a substrate and an electrode can be obtained. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the electrode from being separated from the substrate even when the adhesive force between the electrode and the substrate is weakened during a high-temperature reflow process or a wiring operation. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a problem that a pair of thermoelectric legs disposed on one electrode are bonded to each other.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric element.
2 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric element.
3 shows an example of a structure of a substrate and an electrode included in a thermoelectric element.
4 shows a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 .
5 is a top plan view in which an electrode fixing member is disposed on a lower substrate and a lower electrode of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a top view of a lower substrate and a lower electrode of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view of an electrode fixing member according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along Y1 of FIG. 5 .
9 is a cross-sectional view taken along Y2 of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X1 of FIG. 5 .
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of disposing a substrate and electrodes of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can have various changes and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated and described in the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms including an ordinal number such as second, first, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the second component may be referred to as the first component, and similarly, the first component may also be referred to as the second component. and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related listed items or any of a plurality of related listed items.

When a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it is understood that the other component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. it should be On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that no other element is present in the middle.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It should be understood that this does not preclude the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but regardless of the reference numerals, the same or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric element, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the thermoelectric element, FIG. 3 shows an example of a structure of a substrate and an electrode included in the thermoelectric element, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 .

1 to 2 , the thermoelectric element 100 includes a lower substrate 110 , a lower electrode 120 , a P-type thermoelectric leg 130 , an N-type thermoelectric leg 140 , an upper electrode 150 , and an upper substrate. (160).

The lower electrode 120 is disposed between the lower substrate 110 and the lower surfaces of the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 , and the upper electrode 150 is formed between the upper substrate 160 and the P-type thermoelectric leg. It is disposed between 130 and the top surface of the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 . Accordingly, the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs 130 and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs 140 are electrically connected by the lower electrode 120 and the upper electrode 150 . A pair of P-type thermoelectric legs 130 and N-type thermoelectric legs 140 disposed between the lower electrode 120 and the upper electrode 150 and electrically connected may form a unit cell.

For example, when a voltage is applied to the lower electrode 120 and the upper electrode 150 through the lead wires 181 and 182 , a current flows from the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 to the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 due to the Peltier effect. The substrate through which flows absorbs heat to act as a cooling unit, and the substrate through which current flows from the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 to the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 may be heated and act as a heating unit.

Here, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may be bismuth telluride (Bi-Te)-based thermoelectric legs including bismuth (Bi) and tellurium (Te) as main raw materials. P-type thermoelectric leg 130 is antimony (Sb), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium with respect to 100wt% of the total weight A mixture containing 99 to 99.999 wt% of a bismuth telluride (Bi-Te)-based main raw material containing at least one of (Ga), tellurium (Te), bismuth (Bi) and indium (In) and Bi or Te 0.001 It may be a thermoelectric leg comprising 1 wt% to 1 wt%. For example, the main raw material is Bi-Se-Te, and may further include Bi or Te in an amount of 0.001 to 1 wt% of the total weight. N-type thermoelectric leg 140 is selenium (Se), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium with respect to 100wt% of the total weight A mixture containing 99 to 99.999 wt% of a bismuth telluride (Bi-Te)-based main raw material containing at least one of (Ga), tellurium (Te), bismuth (Bi) and indium (In) and Bi or Te 0.001 It may be a thermoelectric leg comprising 1 wt % to 1 wt %. For example, the main raw material is Bi-Sb-Te, and may further include Bi or Te in an amount of 0.001 to 1 wt% of the total weight.

The P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may be formed in a bulk type or a stack type. In general, the bulk-type P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the bulk-type N-type thermoelectric leg 140 heat-treats a thermoelectric material to manufacture an ingot, grinds the ingot and sieves to obtain a powder for the thermoelectric leg, and then It can be obtained through the process of sintering and cutting the sintered body. The laminated P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the laminated N-type thermoelectric leg 140 is formed by applying a paste containing a thermoelectric material on a sheet-shaped substrate to form a unit member, and then stacking and cutting the unit member. can be obtained

In this case, the pair of P-type thermoelectric legs 130 and N-type thermoelectric legs 140 may have the same shape and volume, or may have different shapes and volumes. For example, since the electrical conductivity properties of the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 are different, the height or cross-sectional area of the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 is calculated as the height or cross-sectional area of the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 . may be formed differently.

The performance of the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention may be expressed as a Seebeck index. The Seebeck index (ZT) can be expressed as in Equation (1).

Here, α is the Seebeck coefficient [V/K], σ is the electrical conductivity [S/m], and α ² σ is the power factor (Power Factor, [W/mK ² ]). And, T is the temperature, and k is the thermal conductivity [W/mK]. k can be expressed as a·c _p ·ρ, a is the thermal diffusivity [cm ² /S], c _p is the specific heat [J/gK], ρ is the density [g/cm ³ ].

In order to obtain the Seebeck index of the thermoelectric element, a Z value (V/K) is measured using a Z meter, and the Seebeck index (ZT) can be calculated using the measured Z value.

Here, the lower electrode 120 is disposed between the lower substrate 110 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 , and the upper substrate 160 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 . The upper electrode 150 disposed between the thermoelectric legs 140 may include at least one of copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and nickel (Ni).

In addition, the lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160 facing each other may be an insulating substrate or a metal substrate. The insulating substrate may be an alumina substrate or a flexible polymer resin substrate. The flexible polymer resin substrate has high permeability such as polyimide (PI), polystyrene (PS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), cyclic olefin copoly (COC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and resin. Various insulating resin materials such as plastic may be included. Alternatively, the insulating substrate may be a fabric. The metal substrate may include Cu, a Cu alloy, or a Cu-Al alloy. In addition, when the lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160 are metal substrates, a dielectric layer 170 is disposed between the lower substrate 110 and the lower electrode 120 and between the upper substrate 160 and the upper electrode 150, respectively. This can be further formed. The dielectric layer 170 may include a material having a thermal conductivity of 5 to 10 W/K.

In this case, the sizes of the lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160 may be different. For example, the volume, thickness, or area of one of the lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160 may be larger than the volume, thickness, or area of the other. Accordingly, heat absorbing performance or heat dissipation performance of the thermoelectric element may be improved.

In addition, a heat dissipation pattern, for example, a concave-convex pattern, may be formed on the surface of at least one of the lower substrate 110 and the upper substrate 160 . Accordingly, the heat dissipation performance of the thermoelectric element can be improved. When the concave-convex pattern is formed on a surface in contact with the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 , bonding characteristics between the thermoelectric leg and the substrate may also be improved.

In this case, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may have a cylindrical shape, a polygonal column shape, an elliptical column shape, or the like.

Alternatively, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may have a stacked structure. For example, the P-type thermoelectric leg or the N-type thermoelectric leg may be formed by stacking a plurality of structures coated with a semiconductor material on a sheet-shaped substrate and then cutting them. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent material loss and improve electrical conductivity properties.

Alternatively, the P-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the N-type thermoelectric leg 140 may be manufactured according to a zone melting method or a powder sintering method. According to the zone melting method, after an ingot is manufactured using a thermoelectric material, heat is slowly applied to the ingot to refine the particles so that they are rearranged in a single direction, and a thermoelectric leg is obtained by slow cooling. According to the powder sintering method, after an ingot is manufactured using a thermoelectric material, the ingot is pulverized and sieved to obtain a powder for a thermoelectric leg, and a thermoelectric leg is obtained through a sintering process.

Meanwhile, between the lower substrate 110 and the lower electrode 120 and between the upper substrate 160 and the upper electrode 150 may be directly bonded or may be adhered by an adhesive layer. When directly bonding between the lower substrate 110 and the lower electrode 120 and between the upper substrate 160 and the upper electrode 150, it is advantageous in terms of thermal conductivity compared to the case of bonding by an adhesive layer, but between the substrate and the electrode There is a problem in that reliability is lowered due to a large difference in thermal expansion coefficient.

3 to 4 , an adhesive layer 190 is applied on the lower substrate 110 , and a plurality of lower electrodes 120 may be disposed on the adhesive layer 190 in an array form. In addition, a pair of thermoelectric legs (not shown) may be bonded to each lower electrode 120 . For convenience of explanation, the structure of the lower substrate 110 and the lower electrode 120 will be mainly described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the same structure may be applied to the upper substrate 160 and the upper electrode 150 . In this case, the lower substrate 110 is a ceramic substrate, and may have a thermal conductivity of about 20 W/mK, and the lower electrode 120 may have a thermal conductivity of about 100 W/mK. When power is applied to the thermoelectric element 100, one of the upper substrate 160 and the lower substrate 110 becomes a heating surface and is more likely to expand, and the other becomes a heat absorbing surface and is more likely to contract, The adhesive layer 190 may serve as a buffer for absorbing thermal shock between the lower substrate 110 and the lower electrode 120 or the upper substrate 160 and the upper electrode 150 .

However, since the adhesive layer 190 is vulnerable to heat, there is a problem in that the adhesive layer 190 is deteriorated during the reflow process at a temperature of about 300° C. or higher, so that the lower electrode 120 is easily separated from the lower substrate 110 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is intended to fix between a substrate and an electrode using an electrode fixing member. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the lower substrate and the lower electrode will be described as an example, but the same structure may be applied to the upper substrate and the upper electrode.

5 is a top view of an electrode fixing member disposed on a lower substrate and a lower electrode of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a lower substrate and lower electrode of the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. is a top view, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an electrode fixing member according to an embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along Y1 of FIG. 5 , FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along Y2 of FIG. 5 , and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along X1 of FIG. 5 .

5 to 10 , a lower electrode (hereinafter, may be mixed with a plurality of first electrodes) 120 is disposed on a lower substrate (hereinafter, may be mixed with the first substrate) 110 . . In this case, the plurality of first electrodes 120 may have an array form of m*n (here, m and n are each an integer of 1 or more), and one column is spaced apart from the other adjacent columns by a predetermined interval, , likewise, one row may be disposed to be spaced apart from other adjacent rows by a predetermined interval. An adhesive layer 190 may be disposed between the first substrate 110 and the plurality of first electrodes 120 . A pair of N-type thermoelectric legs 130 and P-type thermoelectric legs 140 are disposed on each first electrode 120 . In addition, duplicate descriptions of the same contents as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 will be omitted. Although not shown, the first electrode 120 may be bonded to a pair of the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 140 by soldering.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of first grooves 112 are formed on the edge of the first substrate 110 . In this case, the plurality of first grooves 112 may be formed in the edge of the first substrate 110 , and may be formed in advance at a point where the plurality of first electrodes 120 will not be disposed. For example, the plurality of first grooves 112 may be formed on side surfaces of each of the first electrodes 120 constituting the outermost column and the outermost row among the plurality of first electrodes 120 . More specifically, the plurality of first grooves 112 are to be formed at an intermediate point of one side in the longitudinal direction of each of the first electrodes 120 constituting the outermost column and the outermost row among the plurality of first electrodes 120 . can Here, the longitudinal direction may mean a long direction when it is assumed that the shape of the first electrode 120 has a rectangular shape, and the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 140 in the longitudinal direction. can be placed. That is, the midpoint of one side surface of each first electrode 120 in the longitudinal direction may be a point corresponding to the side surface between the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 140 .

The thermoelectric element 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes an electrode fixing member 200 for fixing the first substrate 110 and the plurality of first electrodes 120 . To this end, a portion of the electrode fixing member 200 may be fitted into at least a portion of the plurality of first grooves 112 formed in the first substrate 110 , and another portion of the electrode fixing member 200 may be inserted into the plurality of first grooves 112 . It may be disposed on the first electrode 120 .

Specifically, the electrode fixing member 200 includes a plurality of first lines 202 in a first direction, a plurality of second lines 204 in a second direction crossing the first direction, and a plurality of first lines 202 . ) extends in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines 202 and the plurality of second lines 204 at both ends of the plurality of second lines 204 and within the plurality of first grooves 112 . It may include a third line 206 to be inserted. In this case, the plurality of first lines 202 and the plurality of second lines 204 cross each other to form a plurality of openings 210 . For example, the plurality of first lines 202 and the plurality of second lines 204 may form a mesh shape.

Accordingly, at least a portion of each of the plurality of first lines 202 is disposed on the plurality of first electrodes 120 , disposed between a pair of N-type thermoelectric legs 130 and P-type thermoelectric legs 140 . can be In this case, at least a portion of each of the plurality of first lines 202 may be disposed between a pair of N-type thermoelectric legs 130 and P-type thermoelectric legs 140 to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes 120 . . That is, based on the opening 210 , in each opening 210 , the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 disposed on one first electrode 120 and the one adjacent to the first electrode 120 . A P-type thermoelectric leg 140 disposed on the other first electrode 120 may be disposed, and the two first lines 202 forming each opening 210 are a pair of N-type thermoelectric legs 130 . and the P-type thermoelectric legs 140 to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes 120 , and the two second lines 204 may be disposed between the plurality of first electrodes 120 .

As described above, when the electrode fixing member 200 is disposed to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes 120 and is inserted into the plurality of first grooves 112 formed in the first substrate 110 , the first substrate 110 . ) and the plurality of first electrodes 120 may be firmly fixed, and it is possible to prevent a problem that at least some of the plurality of first electrodes 120 are separated from the first substrate 110 .

In this case, the electrode fixing member 200 may be made of an insulating material. For example, the electrode fixing member 200 may be made of a ceramic material, more specifically, alumina. Accordingly, even if the electrode fixing member 200 is disposed to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes 120 , the electrode fixing member 200 may not have an electrical effect on the thermoelectric element 100 .

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment of the present invention, an adhesive layer 190 is further disposed between the first substrate 110 and the plurality of first electrodes 120 , and at least a portion of each of the plurality of second lines 204 is a plurality may be disposed on the adhesive layer 190 between the first electrodes 120 of the Accordingly, the mesh-shaped electrode fixing member 200 may not interfere with the arrangement of the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 and the P-type thermoelectric leg 140 while having a stable support strength.

Here, the adhesive layer 190 may include a resin composition having adhesive performance. An inorganic filler having thermal conductivity may be dispersed in the resin composition. For example, the inorganic filler may include aluminum oxide. Accordingly, the adhesive layer 190 may have heat dissipation performance as well as adhesive performance. In addition, although the example in which the adhesive layer 190 is applied on the front surface of the first substrate 110 is exemplified, the present invention is not limited thereto. The adhesive layer 190 may be disposed to be divided for each of the plurality of first electrodes 120 . That is, the adhesive layer 190 may not be applied to the entire surface of the first substrate 110 , but may be applied to each of the first electrodes 120 spaced apart from each other. Accordingly, a region in which the adhesive layer 190 is not disposed may exist on at least a portion of the first substrate 110 . The adhesive layer 190 serves as a buffer for absorbing thermal shock to the first substrate 110 , and is not excessively applied on the substrate, so that the cooling capacity and heat dissipation characteristics of the thermoelectric element 100 can be maintained well. In addition, since the amount of application of the adhesive layer 190 can be significantly reduced, the material cost can be reduced, and it is possible to prevent a short circuit due to the movement of the residual solder.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 8 , the thickness D of the plurality of first lines 202 and the plurality of second lines 204 is 0.1 mm to 1 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm, more preferably 0.3 mm to 0.8 mm. Accordingly, the electrode fixing member 200 may have a stable support strength, and the solder for bonding the first electrode 120 and the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 or the P-type thermoelectric leg 140 is subjected to a reflow process. Even if it is melted through, a phenomenon in which the molten solder flows toward the adjacent thermoelectric leg or electrode may be blocked by the plurality of first lines 202 and the plurality of second lines 204 .

Although not illustrated, the thicknesses of the plurality of first lines 202 and the thicknesses of the plurality of second lines 204 may be different from each other. For example, the plurality of first lines 202 are disposed on the plurality of first electrodes 120 , and the plurality of second lines 204 are disposed between the plurality of first electrodes 120 . Accordingly, the thickness of the plurality of second lines 204 may be greater than the thickness of the plurality of first lines 202 by the thickness of the electrodes.

Next, referring to FIG. 9 , the depth H2 of the plurality of first grooves 112 formed in the first substrate 110 is 0.1 to 0.9 times the height H1 of the first substrate 110 , preferably may be 0.3 to 0.9 times, more preferably 0.5 to 0.9 times. Accordingly, the electrode fixing member 200 may be stably coupled to the plurality of first grooves 112 formed in the first substrate 110 , and the third line 206 of the electrode fixing member 200 may be connected to the first It is possible to prevent the problem of protruding from the lower surface of the substrate 110 .

In this case, the width W1 of the plurality of first grooves 112 may be greater than the width W2 of the third line 206 , and a distance between the wall surfaces of the plurality of first grooves 110 and the third line 206 . The tolerance can be filled with adhesive. Accordingly, the electrode fixing member 200 may be easily mounted in the plurality of first grooves 112 .

Next, referring to FIG. 10 , a plurality of second grooves 114 are further formed on the first substrate 110 at at least a portion of the plurality of first grooves 112 and at least a portion of points spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and the electrode is fixed. The member 200 extends in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines 202 and the plurality of second lines 204 at points spaced apart from both ends of the plurality of first lines 202 by a predetermined distance to form a plurality of the plurality of first lines 202 . It may further include a fourth line 208 inserted into the second groove 114 . Accordingly, the electrode fixing member 200 may be more stably coupled to the first substrate 110 . The plurality of second grooves 114 may be formed around, for example, a column adjacent to the outermost column or a row adjacent to the outermost row among the plurality of first electrodes 120 . That is, the predetermined interval may be a horizontal interval of the plurality of first electrodes 120 . Here, the horizontal direction may mean a short direction when it is assumed that the first electrode 120 is rectangular.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of disposing a substrate and electrodes of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11 , a plurality of grooves 112 and 114 are formed on the edge of the first substrate 110 ( S1100 ). Here, the depth of the grooves 112 and 114 may be 0.1 to 0.9 times the height of the first substrate 110 .

Next, an adhesive layer 190 is applied on the first substrate 110 (S1110). Here, the adhesive layer 190 may include a resin composition having adhesive performance, and an adhesive may flow into the grooves 112 and 114 of the first substrate 110 .

Next, the plurality of first electrodes 120 are arranged in an array form on the adhesive layer 190 ( S1120 ). In this case, the plurality of first electrodes 120 may have an array form of m*n (here, m and n are each an integer of 1 or more), and one column is spaced apart from the other adjacent columns by a predetermined interval, , likewise, one row may be disposed to be spaced apart from other adjacent rows by a predetermined interval.

Next, the electrode fixing member 200 is disposed on the plurality of first electrodes 120 in the form of an array and then pressed ( S1130 ). At this time, the third line 206 and the fourth line 208 of the electrode fixing member 200 are inserted into the grooves 112 and 114 of the first substrate 110 , The first line 202 may be disposed at an intermediate point, that is, between a region in which the N-type thermoelectric leg 130 is to be disposed and a region in which the P-type thermoelectric leg 140 is to be disposed. Accordingly, the electrode fixing member 200 may firmly fix the first substrate 110 and the plurality of first electrodes 120 .

The thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a device for power generation, a device for cooling, a device for heating, and the like. Specifically, the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention is mainly an optical communication module, a sensor, a medical device, a measuring device, aerospace industry, a refrigerator, a chiller, a car ventilation seat, a cup holder, a washing machine, a dryer, and a wine cellar. , water purifiers, power supplies for sensors, thermopiles, and the like.

Here, as an example in which the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a medical device, there is a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) device. PCR equipment is equipment for determining the nucleotide sequence of DNA by amplifying DNA, and it requires precise temperature control and thermal cycle. To this end, a Peltier-based thermoelectric element may be applied.

As another example in which the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a medical device, there is a photodetector. Here, the photodetector includes an infrared/ultraviolet detector, a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor, an X-ray detector, and a Thermoelectric Thermal Reference Source (TTRS). A Peltier-based thermoelectric element may be applied for cooling the photodetector. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a change in wavelength, a decrease in output, and a decrease in resolution due to an increase in the temperature inside the photodetector.

As another example in which the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a medical device, an immunoassay field, an in vitro diagnostics field, a general temperature control and cooling system, Physical therapy fields, liquid chiller systems, blood/plasma temperature control, etc. Accordingly, precise temperature control is possible.

As another example in which the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a medical device, there is an artificial heart. Accordingly, power can be supplied to the artificial heart.

Examples of the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to the aerospace industry include a star tracking system, a thermal imaging camera, an infrared/ultraviolet detector, a CCD sensor, the Hubble Space Telescope, and a TTRS. Accordingly, the temperature of the image sensor may be maintained.

As another example in which the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the aerospace industry, there are a cooling device, a heater, a power generation device, and the like.

In addition to this, the thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention may be applied for power generation, cooling, and heating in other industrial fields.

Although the above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can variously modify and change the present invention within the scope without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. You will understand that it can be done.

Claims (10)

a first substrate having a plurality of first grooves formed on its edges;
a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately disposed on the first substrate;
a second substrate disposed on the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs;
a plurality of first electrodes disposed between the first substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, each of which is disposed with a pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs;
a plurality of second electrodes disposed between the second substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, each of which is disposed with a pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs; and
and an electrode fixing member for fixing the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes,
The electrode fixing member includes a plurality of first lines in a first direction, a plurality of second lines in a second direction intersecting the first direction, both ends of the plurality of first lines, and an amount of the plurality of second lines. and a third line extending in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines at an end and inserted into the plurality of first grooves,
Each of at least a portion of the plurality of first lines is disposed between the pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs on the plurality of first electrodes. According to claim 1,
Each of at least a portion of the plurality of first lines is disposed between the pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes. 3. The method of claim 2,
An adhesive layer is further disposed between the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes. 4. The method of claim 3,
At least a portion of each of the plurality of second lines is disposed on the adhesive layer between the plurality of first electrodes. 5. The method of claim 4,
A plurality of second grooves are formed in at least a portion of a point spaced apart from the plurality of first grooves by a predetermined distance on the first substrate;
The electrode fixing member extends in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines at points spaced apart from both ends of the plurality of first lines by the predetermined distance, and is formed in the plurality of second grooves. The thermoelectric element further comprising a fourth line to be inserted. According to claim 1,
The depth of the plurality of first grooves is 0.1 to 0.9 times the height of the first substrate. 7. The method of claim 6,
At least a portion of the plurality of first grooves is filled with the third line and an adhesive. According to claim 1,
The electrode fixing member is a thermoelectric element made of an insulating material. a first substrate having a plurality of first grooves formed on its edges;
a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs alternately disposed on the first substrate;
a second substrate disposed on the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs;
a plurality of first electrodes disposed between the first substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, each of which is disposed with a pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs;
a plurality of second electrodes disposed between the second substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, each of which is disposed with a pair of P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs; and
and an electrode fixing member for fixing the first substrate and the plurality of first electrodes,
The electrode fixing member includes a plurality of first lines in a first direction, a plurality of second lines in a second direction intersecting the plurality of first lines to form a plurality of openings, and both ends of the plurality of first lines. and a third line extending from both ends of the plurality of second lines in a direction perpendicular to the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines and inserted into the plurality of first grooves,
At least a portion of each of the plurality of first lines is disposed on the plurality of first electrodes,
A thermoelectric element in which a P-type thermoelectric leg disposed on one first electrode and an N-type thermoelectric leg disposed on another first electrode adjacent to the one first electrode are disposed in each opening. 10. The method of claim 9,
Two first lines forming each opening are disposed to be in close contact with the plurality of first electrodes, and two second lines are disposed between the plurality of first electrodes.

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