Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Housing or package – With provision for cooling the housing or its contents
Patent
1997-05-21
2000-08-01
Potter, Roy
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Housing or package
With provision for cooling the housing or its contents
257701, 257467, H01L 2334
Patent
active
06097088&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a thermoelectric element such as a thermoelectric chip unit, thermoelectric unit, thermoelectric module, or thermoelectric sheet which is flexible and uses thermoelectric semiconductor elements, and a cooling or heating device that uses such elements.
BACKGROUND OF ART
Thermoelectric elements that use thermoelectric semiconductor elements made of compounds such as bismuth/tellurium compounds, iron/silicon compounds, or cobalt/antimony compounds are used in applications such as cooling or heating devices and thermal power devices. Such a thermoelectric element is convenient as a cooling or heating source that does not use liquids or gases, takes up little space and is not subject to rotational friction, and does not require maintenance.
This thermoelectric element generally comprises two types of thermoelectric semiconductor element, p-type and n-type, arranged alternately in an array, with the thermoelectric semiconductor elements being connected to electrodes by soldering to form a ".pi."-shaped series circuit; the thermoelectric semiconductor elements and metal electrodes are sandwiched between ceramic substrates having metal films, and this assembly is widely used as a thermoelectric module.
A thermoelectric module that is known in the prior art is shown in FIG. 22. As shown in this figure, n-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements and p-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements 42 are arrayed alternately in a thermoelectric module 41 (in FIG. 22, only the thermoelectric semiconductor element at the right-hand end is given a reference number, as representative of a plurality of elements), and the n-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements and p-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements 42 are connected to electrodes 43. Upper and lower surfaces of the thermoelectric semiconductor elements 42 are connected alternately to the electrodes 43, so that all of the elements are eventually connected in series. The connections between the electrodes 43 and the thermoelectric semiconductor elements 42 are performed by soldering. The electrodes 43 on each of the upper and lower surfaces are connected to ceramic substrates 44 that are metallized with a metal such as copper or nickel, to fix the entire assembly together. The thus constructed thermoelectric element is usually called a thermoelectric module.
A power source is connected to electrodes of this thermoelectric module 41, and, when a current flows in the direction from each n-type element to a p-type element, the Peltier effect ensures that heat is absorbed by the upper portion of the ".pi." shape and heat is generated by the lower side thereof. Reversing the connection direction of the electrodes changes the directions in which heat is absorbed and generated. This phenomenon is utilized so that the thermoelectric element can be used in a cooling or heating device. Such a thermoelectric module is useful in a wide range of applications, from the cooling of devices such as computer CPUs and semiconductor lasers to use in insulated refrigerators.
Thermoelectric semiconductor elements of bismuth/tellurium compounds, which are representative of use in such thermoelectric modules, have a problem in that the crystals thereof tend to split at cleavage surfaces. Thus, in the prior art, grown monocrystals are first sliced and the sliced crystals are diced to form rectangular shapes of dimensions on the order of 1.5 mm.times.1.5 mm.times.2 mm, which are used in thermoelectric modules. Since the crystals split easily at the cleavage surfaces, the rectangular thermoelectric semiconductor elements are usually arrayed by hand, using tweezers, on a ceramic substrate that has been processed with a thin metal film, then, after being arrayed, the elements are soldered to metal electrodes. This means that the resultant thermoelectric module is extremely firm and lacks flexibility. The soldering itself also reduces flexibility, so the thermoelectric module is rigid. On top of that, the use of a ceramic substrate means t
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patent: 3240628 (1966-03-01), Sonntag, Jr.
patent: 4907060 (1990-03-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 5031689 (1991-07-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5156004 (1992-10-01), Wu et al.
Morix Co., Ltd.
Potter Roy
Silicon Engineering Laboratory Ltd.
Sunx Trading Co., Ltd.
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