A bendable thermoelectric module and method of making the same

Abstract

The application discloses a bendable thermoelectric module, which overcomes the limitation that the thermoelectric module cannot be bent in the prior art, and comprises a P-type semiconductor, an N-type semiconductor, a heat releasing surface flow guide piece and a heat absorbing surface flow guide piece, the heat releasing surface flow guide piece comprises a plurality of first flow guide pieces and a plurality of second flow guide pieces, the heat absorbing surface flow guide piece comprises a plurality of first flow guide pieces, the P-type semiconductor and the N-type semiconductor are connected in series and then welded between the heat releasing surface flow guide piece and the heat absorbing surface flow guide piece to form a loop. The application further provides a manufacturing method of the bendable thermoelectric module. The thermoelectric module is only composed of copper flow guide pieces and semiconductors, no ceramic pieces are used, the copper particles are small, the thermoelectric module can be bent in different degrees according to actual needs, the shape of the thermoelectric module can be changed according to the shape of a refrigeration object, the thermoelectric module can be closely combined with the refrigeration object, and the function of the thermoelectric module can be better exerted.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor refrigeration, in particular to a bendable thermoelectric module and a manufacturing method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] The commonly used thermoelectric module structure is generally composed of an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor, wherein the upper and lower substrates are mostly ceramic sheets with high-temperature sintered copper current-carrying sheets or ceramic sheets with electroplated copper layers to form current-carrying sheets. Due to the inherent characteristics of ceramic: not foldable, brittle and easy to crack, the regular shape such as rectangle is generally selected, and the thermoelectric module can only be installed on the same plane. In actual application, when there are irregular shapes such as arc or bending requirements or limited installation space, etc. such as automobile handle, human beauty instrument, especially for the shoulder, forehead, neck and other conditions requiring bending, the conventional ceramic structure thermoelectric module cannot be bent due to the ceramic, only a small part of the thermoelectric module can be in contact with the object to be cooled after installation, and cannot be completely and well fitted, so the efficiency of the thermoelectric module cannot be fully utilized, and the height space is relatively large, which cannot meet the special occasion needs of customers.

[0003] For example, a special structure semiconductor module was disclosed by the China Patent Office on March 2, 2016, with the publication number CN205069622U. The utility model includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a semiconductor element arranged between the upper and lower substrates, an upper current-carrying sheet is arranged on the inner surface of the upper substrate, a lower current-carrying sheet and a lead current-carrying sheet are arranged on the inner surface of the lower substrate, one end of the lead current-carrying sheet is an inner soldering area, the other end is a lead soldering area, a solder resist strip is arranged on the lead current-carrying sheet, the solder resist strip is an electroplated layer and protrudes from the surface of the lead current-carrying sheet, the wettability of the electroplated layer material is lower than that of the surface material of the lead current-carrying sheet, the utility model sets the protruding solder resist strip between the lead soldering area and the inner soldering area of the lead current-carrying sheet, uses the poor wettability and protruding structure of the solder resist strip to prevent the high-temperature solder in the two areas from flowing into each other, realizes the solder resist function of the two areas, and eliminates the short circuit phenomenon that may occur due to the flow of solder when soldering the semiconductor element. However, the material of the upper substrate and the lower substrate is alumina or aluminum nitride ceramic, which still cannot meet the special occasion needs of customers. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the limitation that the thermoelectric module in the prior art cannot be bent, and to provide a bendable thermoelectric module and a manufacturing method thereof. The thermoelectric module composed of only copper current-carrying sheets and semiconductors can be bent to different degrees according to actual needs, and can be changed according to the shape of the object to be cooled, so that the object to be cooled can be closely fitted, and the function of the thermoelectric module can be better utilized.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a flexible thermoelectric module, characterized in that it comprises: a P-type semiconductor, an N-type semiconductor, a heat-dissipating surface guide plate, and a heat-absorbing surface guide plate, wherein the heat-dissipating surface guide plate comprises a plurality of first guide plates and a plurality of second guide plates, and the heat-absorbing surface guide plate comprises a plurality of first guide plates, wherein the P-type semiconductor and the N-type semiconductor are connected in series and welded between the heat-dissipating surface guide plate and the heat-absorbing surface guide plate to form a circuit.

[0006] During soldering, the heat guide plate and the semiconductor are soldered together with tin, and sufficient clearance must be maintained between the heat guide plate and the semiconductor edge during soldering. The thermoelectric module consists only of heat-dissipating and heat-absorbing heat guide plates, as well as P-type and N-type semiconductors. Several first and second heat guide plates are respectively installed on the heat-dissipating and heat-absorbing heat guide plates. Therefore, the thermoelectric module can meet the special needs of customers, such as applications with irregular shapes like arcs, bending requirements, or limited installation space, such as car door handles and body beauty devices—especially for situations requiring bending, such as the shoulders, forehead, and neck. Because there are no ceramic plates, the height can be made very thin, meeting the requirements of flat spaces. Because the object being conditioned needs to be cooled or heated, the thermoelectric module needs to switch between cooling and heating. When the thermoelectric module is working, the heat-absorbing side is in close contact with the object being conditioned. Since the heat-releasing side is equipped with a heat sink, the temperature of the heat-releasing side is controlled. When switching to heating, since the heat-absorbing side is not equipped with a heat sink, the temperature of the heat-absorbing side will gradually increase, thereby realizing the cooling and heating alternation function of the thermoelectric module.

[0007] Preferably, both the heat-dissipating and heat-absorbing surface guide vanes include auxiliary ceramic plates, which are detachably connected to both the heat-dissipating and heat-absorbing surface guide vanes. The auxiliary ceramic plates are used to assist in the fabrication of the thermoelectric module. After fabrication, the auxiliary ceramic plates can be removed, resulting in a thermoelectric module without ceramic plates, which can be bent to varying degrees as needed.

[0008] Preferably, both the first and second flow guide plates are copper flow guide plates. Copper flow guide plates have high thermal and electrical conductivity, low resistivity, and are easy to use to achieve alternating hot and cold cycles in the thermoelectric module.

[0009] Preferably, a special adhesive tape is also included, which is used to connect the auxiliary ceramic plate with the first guide plate and the second guide plate. After the first guide plate, the second guide plate and the auxiliary ceramic plate are fixed by the adhesive tape, they are dried in an oven at a set temperature and time and then firmly bonded together to form the required circuit.

[0010] As preferred, the thickness t of the adhesive tape ranges from 0.01 mm to 0.2 mm. The adhesive tape also has high temperature resistance and thermal conductivity, so that the adhesive tape will not deform or fall off during the manufacturing of the thermoelectric module, and can effectively buffer the thermal deformation stress, thereby further improving the cold and hot alternating function of the thermoelectric module.

[0011] A method for manufacturing a bendable thermoelectric module, comprising the following steps:

[0012] S1: manufacturing a heat absorption surface flow guide piece;

[0013] S2: manufacturing a heat dissipation surface flow guide piece;

[0014] S3: assembling the manufactured heat absorption surface flow guide piece and heat dissipation surface flow guide piece with P-type semiconductor elements and N-type semiconductor elements to manufacture a thermoelectric module.

[0015] To manufacture a thermoelectric module, first, a heat absorption surface flow guide piece and a heat dissipation surface flow guide piece are manufactured, and then P-type semiconductor elements and N-type semiconductor elements are welded between the heat absorption surface flow guide piece and the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece, thereby forming a thermoelectric module.

[0016] As preferred, in the step S1, the specific steps for manufacturing the heat absorption surface flow guide piece are as follows:

[0017] S1.1: placing an auxiliary ceramic sheet into a fixed mold and pasting a layer of special adhesive tape on the auxiliary ceramic sheet;

[0018] S1.2: then placing a first flow guide piece fixing jig on the special adhesive tape and taking a certain number of cut first flow guide pieces;

[0019] S1.3: pouring the first flow guide pieces into the jig and shaking in the horizontal direction, so that the plurality of first flow guide pieces completely enter the jig holes;

[0020] S1.4: covering the mold cover, tightly pressing with a pressing rod, placing the mold into an oven with a set temperature, curing for a specified time, then removing the fixed mold and the fixed jig, and obtaining the heat absorption surface flow guide piece.

[0021] The fixed heat absorption surface flow guide piece is dried in the oven through a set temperature and a specified time, and is firmly combined after drying, thereby improving the reliability of the heat absorption surface flow guide piece; after the drying time is up, the fixed mold is removed, the fixed jig is removed, and the heat absorption surface flow guide piece is obtained.

[0022] As preferred, in the step S2, the specific steps for manufacturing the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece are as follows:

[0023] S2.1: placing an auxiliary ceramic sheet into a fixed mold and pasting a layer of special adhesive tape on the auxiliary ceramic sheet;

[0024] S2.2: Then put the first and second flow guide pieces on the special tape, take a certain number of cut first and second flow guide pieces;

[0025] S2.3: Pour the first flow guide pieces into the jig and shake in the horizontal direction, and then manually put the second flow guide pieces into the corresponding jig holes;

[0026] S2.4: Cover the mold cover, press firmly with the press rod, put the mold into the oven with the temperature set, dry, cure for a specified time, then remove the fixed mold and the fixed jig, and get the heat releasing surface flow guide piece.

[0027] The fixed heat releasing surface flow guide piece is dried in the oven at a set temperature and for a specified time, and is firmly combined after drying, improving the reliability of the heat releasing surface flow guide piece; after the drying time is up, the fixed mold is removed, and the fixed jig is removed, obtaining the heat releasing surface flow guide piece.

[0028] As preferred, the step S3 is further represented as:

[0029] S3.1: Apply a layer of special solder on the heat absorbing surface flow guide piece with auxiliary ceramic and the heat releasing surface flow guide piece with auxiliary ceramic respectively;

[0030] S3.2: Place the P-type semiconductor element and the N-type semiconductor element on the corresponding positions of the heat absorbing surface flow guide piece respectively, then cover the heat releasing surface flow guide piece with auxiliary ceramic, and get the semi-finished product heat conducting module;

[0031] S3.3: Use a special jig to clamp the semi-finished product heat conducting module tightly and send it to a heating device for heating, complete the assembly soldering process, and then place the soldered part on a cooling platform.

[0032] The solder is used to complete the soldering process, thereby realizing the connection between the P-type semiconductor element, the N-type semiconductor element, and the heat absorbing surface flow guide piece and the heat releasing surface flow guide piece.

[0033] As preferred, after the soldered part is placed on the cooling platform in the step S3.3, cleaning and inspection are performed, then the auxiliary ceramic on the heat releasing surface flow guide piece and the heat absorbing surface flow guide piece is removed, and the thermoelectric module is obtained. After the auxiliary ceramic is removed, the thermoelectric module of the present application is completed, and the thermoelectric module can be bent to different degrees according to actual needs, and can change according to the shape of the refrigerated object, so that it can be closely attached to the refrigerated object.

[0034] Therefore, the present application has the following beneficial effects: it can be bent to different degrees according to actual needs, and can change according to the shape of the refrigerated object, so that it can be closely attached to the refrigerated object, and the effect of the thermoelectric module can be better exerted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 is a complete circuit diagram of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 is a flow chart of the manufacturing method of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 is a top structural schematic diagram of the heat absorbing surface flow guide of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 is a top structural schematic diagram of the heat releasing surface flow guide of the present application;

[0040] In the figure: 1, P-type semiconductor; 2, N-type semiconductor; 3, first flow guide; 4, second flow guide. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments:

[0042] As shown in the embodiment, a bendable thermoelectric module can be seen, which comprises heat absorbing surface flow guides and heat releasing surface flow guides, the heat absorbing surface flow guides comprise a plurality of first flow guides 3, the heat releasing surface flow guides comprise a plurality of first flow guides and a plurality of second flow guides 4, the thermoelectric module further comprises P-type semiconductor 1 and N-type semiconductor 2, the P-type semiconductor and the N-type semiconductor are connected in series and welded between the heat releasing surface flow guides and the heat absorbing surface flow guides to form a circuit, as shown in the figure. Figure 1 Figure 2

[0043] The first flow guides and the second flow guides are both copper flow guides, which have high thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, low resistivity, and are easy to realize the cold and hot alternation of the thermoelectric module.

[0044] ​​When soldering, the fins and the semiconductor are soldered together by tin, and the fins and the semiconductor edge distance needs to be left enough during soldering. The thermoelectric module is only composed of the heat releasing surface fins and the heat absorbing surface fins and the P-type semiconductor and the N-type semiconductor, and a plurality of first fins and second fins are respectively installed on the heat releasing surface fins and the heat absorbing surface fins, so that the thermoelectric module can meet the special occasion requirements of customers, such as irregular shapes, such as arc, or bending requirements, or limited installation space, etc. Use occasions, such as automobile handles, human beauty instruments, especially for the shoulder, forehead, neck and other situations that need to be bent. Because there is no porcelain sheet, the height can be very thin, and the demand for flat space can be met. Because the object to be controlled needs to be cooled or heated, the thermoelectric module needs to switch between cold and hot. During the operation of the thermoelectric module, the heat absorbing surface side is in close contact with the object to be controlled, and because the heat releasing surface side is provided with a radiator, the temperature of the heat releasing surface will be controlled. When switching to heating, because the heat absorbing surface side is not provided with a radiator, the temperature of the heat absorbing surface will gradually rise, thereby realizing the cold and hot alternating function of the thermoelectric module.

[0045] As shown in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 , a bendable thermoelectric module and its manufacturing method can be seen, and the operation process is:

[0046] First step: making heat absorbing surface fins

[0047] Put the auxiliary porcelain sheet into the fixed mold, and paste a layer of special adhesive tape on the auxiliary porcelain sheet; then put the first fin fixing jig on the special adhesive tape, take a certain number of cut first fins; pour the first fins into the jig and shake in the horizontal direction, so that a plurality of first fins completely enter the jig holes; cover the mold cover, press firmly with the pressing rod, put the mold into the oven with the temperature set, solidify according to the specified time, then remove the fixed mold and the fixed jig, get the heat absorbing surface fins, the top view structure of the heat absorbing surface fins is as shown in Figure 4 .

[0048] The adhesive tape is used to connect the auxiliary porcelain sheet and the first fin and the second fin. After the first fin, the second fin and the auxiliary porcelain sheet are fixed by the adhesive tape, they are firmly combined together after drying in the oven at a set temperature and time, thereby forming the required loop. The thickness t of the adhesive tape is 0.01mm to 0.2mm. The adhesive tape also has high temperature resistance and thermal conductivity, so that the adhesive tape does not deform and fall off during the manufacturing process of the thermoelectric module, which can effectively buffer the thermal deformation stress, thereby further improving the cold and hot alternating function of the thermoelectric module.

[0049] Second step: making heat releasing surface fins

[0050] Auxiliary porcelain sheet is put into the fixed mold, and a special adhesive tape is pasted on it. Then the first and second flow guide fixed jigs are placed on the special adhesive tape, and a certain number of cut first and second flow guides are taken. The first flow guide is poured into the jig and shaken in the horizontal direction. When the first flow guides are completely put into the jig holes, the second flow guides are manually put into the corresponding jig holes. The mold cover is covered, and the press rod is pressed tightly. The mold is placed in the oven with a set temperature, dried, and cured for a specified time. Then the fixed mold and the fixed jig are removed, and the heat releasing surface flow guide is obtained.

[0051] The fixed heat releasing surface flow guide is dried in the oven at a set temperature and for a specified time. After drying, the heat releasing surface flow guides are firmly combined together, improving the reliability of the heat releasing surface flow guides. After the drying time is up, the fixed mold is removed, and the fixed jig is removed, and the heat releasing surface flow guide is obtained.

[0052] Step 3: The prepared heat absorbing surface flow guide and heat releasing surface flow guide are assembled with P-type semiconductor elements and N-type semiconductor elements to make a thermoelectric module.

[0053] A layer of special solder is applied on the heat absorbing surface flow guide with auxiliary porcelain sheet and the heat releasing surface flow guide with auxiliary porcelain sheet. The P-type semiconductor elements and N-type semiconductor elements are placed in the corresponding positions of the heat absorbing surface flow guide, and then the heat releasing surface flow guide with auxiliary porcelain sheet is covered, obtaining a semi-finished heat conducting module. The semi-finished heat conducting module is clamped tightly by a special jig and sent to a heating device for heating to complete the assembly soldering process. Then the soldered part is placed on a cooling platform. Then it is cleaned and inspected, and then the porcelain sheets on the heat releasing surface flow guide and the heat absorbing surface flow guide are removed, obtaining a thermoelectric module. The auxiliary porcelain sheet is removed, and the thermoelectric module is completed. Without auxiliary porcelain sheet, the thermoelectric module can be bent to different degrees according to actual needs, and can be changed according to the shape of the refrigerated object, so as to closely fit the refrigerated object.

[0054] The above-described embodiments are only a preferred scheme of the present application, and do not limit the present application in any form. The protection scope of the present application should not be considered as limited to the specific forms described in the embodiments. The above description is not a limitation of the present application, and the present application is not limited to the above-described examples. Changes, modifications, additions or replacements made by ordinary skilled persons within the scope of the present application should be considered as within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A bendable thermoelectric module, characterized by, The application relates to a heat dissipation surface flow guide piece and a heat absorption surface flow guide piece, and belongs to the technical field of heat dissipation.

2. A flexible thermoelectric module according to claim 1, wherein, The heat dissipation surface flow guide piece and the heat absorption surface flow guide piece both comprise auxiliary porcelain pieces which are detachably connected with the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece and the heat absorption surface flow guide piece.

3. A flexible thermoelectric module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The first flow guide piece and the second flow guide piece are both copper flow guide pieces.

4. The flexible thermoelectric module of claim 1, wherein, The application further comprises special adhesive tape which is used for connecting the auxiliary porcelain pieces with the first flow guide piece and the second flow guide piece.

5. A flexible thermoelectric module according to claim 4, wherein, The thickness t of the adhesive tape ranges from 0.01mm to 0.2mm.

6. A method for manufacturing a flexible thermoelectric module, comprising manufacturing the thermoelectric module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The application comprises the following steps: S1: manufacturing the heat absorption surface flow guide piece; S2: manufacturing the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece; S3: assembling the manufactured heat absorption surface flow guide piece and the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece with P-type semiconductor elements and N-type semiconductor elements to manufacture a thermoelectric module.

7. A method of fabricating a flexible thermoelectric module according to claim 6, wherein In the step S1, the specific steps for manufacturing the heat absorption surface flow guide piece are as follows: S1.1: placing the auxiliary porcelain piece into a fixed mold and pasting a layer of special adhesive tape on the auxiliary porcelain piece; S1.2: then placing a first flow guide piece fixing jig on the special adhesive tape and taking a certain number of cut first flow guide pieces; S1.3: pouring the first flow guide pieces into the jig and shaking in the horizontal direction so that the first flow guide pieces completely enter the jig holes; S1.4: covering the mold cover, tightly pressing with a pressing rod, placing the mold into a temperature-set oven for drying and curing for a specified time, then disassembling the fixed mold and the fixed jig, and obtaining the heat absorption surface flow guide piece.

8. A method of making a flexible thermoelectric module according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, In the step S2, the specific steps for manufacturing the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece are as follows: S2.1: placing the auxiliary porcelain piece into a fixed mold and pasting a layer of special adhesive tape on the auxiliary porcelain piece; S2.2: then placing a first flow guide piece and a second flow guide piece fixing jig on the special adhesive tape and taking a certain number of cut first flow guide pieces and second flow guide pieces; S2.3: pouring the first flow guide pieces into the jig and shaking in the horizontal direction, and then manually placing the second flow guide pieces into the corresponding jig holes after the first flow guide pieces completely enter the jig holes; S2.4: covering the mold cover, tightly pressing with a pressing rod, placing the mold into a temperature-set oven for drying and curing for a specified time, then disassembling the fixed mold and the fixed jig, and obtaining the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the flexible thermoelectric module is formed by the steps of: providing a flexible substrate; providing a plurality of thermoelectric elements; and attaching the plurality of thermoelectric elements to the flexible substrate. The step S3 is further represented as follows: S3.1: respectively applying a layer of special soldering tin on the heat absorption surface flow guide piece with the auxiliary porcelain piece and the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece with the auxiliary porcelain piece; S3.2: placing the P-type semiconductor elements and the N-type semiconductor elements on the corresponding positions of the heat absorption surface flow guide piece, then covering the heat dissipation surface flow guide piece with the auxiliary porcelain piece, and obtaining a semi-finished heat conduction module. S3.3: The semi-finished heat conducting module is clamped firmly by a special jig, sent to a heating device for heating, and the assembly welding process is completed. Then the welded part is placed on a cooling platform.

10. A method of making a flexible thermoelectric module according to claim 9, wherein, In the step S3.3, after the welded part is placed on the cooling platform, cleaning and inspection are performed, and then the ceramic sheets on the heat-releasing surface and the heat-absorbing surface are removed to obtain the thermoelectric module.

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