Peltier element with heat flow sensor

Abstract

The invention provides a Peltier element with a heat flow sensor with ultra-low thermal resistance, which can detect heat flow passing through the Peltier element at high speed, and the thermal resistance is reduced to a negligible degree. The Peltier element has a structure in which an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor (20) is directly formed on the upper part or the lower part of an insulating substrate on which the Peltier element (10) is formed, or on both the upper part and the lower part. It is preferable that each fine wire (22a) of the power generating body is configured from a magnet having residual magnetism even without an external magnetic field, and is magnetized in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the fine wire. Each thin wire (23a) of the connecting body is composed of a strong magnet magnetized in a direction opposite to the magnetization direction of each thin wire (22a), a magnet having a Nernst coefficient having a sign opposite to that of each thin wire (22a), or a non-magnet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a Peltier element with a heat flow sensor. Background Art

[0002] The Seebeck effect, a common thermoelectric effect, is a phenomenon in which an electric field is generated in a direction parallel to the temperature gradient when a temperature gradient is applied to a conductive material. Figure 6 (A)).

[0003] The structure of the Seebeck type heat flow sensor is as follows: Thermoelectric materials with positive and negative Seebeck coefficients are arranged alternately and connected in series up and down in the direction of the temperature gradient generated by the heat flow through the sensor ( Figure 7 (A)). Although heat flow sensors using the Seebeck effect have been commercialized and sold on the market, they have limited applications due to various problems such as complex structure, high thermal resistance, low flexibility, and high cost.

[0004] On the one hand, the anomalous Nernst effect found in magnets has the appearance of an electric field in a direction orthogonal to the magnetization of the magnet due to the temperature gradient generated by the heat flow through the sensor ( Figure 6 (B)) characteristics.

[0005] In recent years, the inventors have confirmed that by utilizing the special thermoelectric effect "anomalous Nernst effect" found in magnets, the voltage can be amplified by an extremely simple structure connected in the in-plane direction, and the sensor can function as a heat flow sensor [see non-patent document 1]. The anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is a structure in which magnetic wires extending in a direction perpendicular to the temperature gradient are connected in series ( Figure 7 (B)).

[0006] Since the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor can also be formed on an extremely thin flexible sheet, it can be expected that it not only has low thermal resistance but also has high flexibility and can be manufactured at low cost.

[0007] On the other hand, the Peltier element, which utilizes the Peltier effect (a phenomenon in which a heat flow changes in the direction of the current when an electric current flows) which is the reverse effect of the Seebeck effect, is a rare device that can heat and cool an object with a single module, and is widely used in Peltier coolers, CCD cooling, CPU cooling, temperature control of silicon wafers in semiconductor chip manufacturing, microbial cultivation devices, temperature sensing devices, etc. [for example, refer to patent documents 1 and 2]. The Peltier element is a device for controlling heat flow, so as long as the heat flow generated by the Peltier element can be quantitatively detected and controlled, it should be possible to perform temperature control with higher precision. In addition, attempts have been made to use the Peltier element to control the temperature of the human body [refer to non-patent document 2], hoping to more accurately control the temperature through heat flow detection.

[0008] Prior art literature

[0009] Patent Literature

[0010] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-46144;

[0011] Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-282796.

[0012] Non-patent literature

[0013] Non-patent literature 1: W. Zhou et al., Appl Phys. Express 13, 043001 (2020).

[0014] Non-patent document 2: Yukiko Osawa, et al., "Control of Thermal Conductance with Detection of Single Contacting Part for Rendering Spatial Sensation," IEEJJournal of Industry Applications, vol.5, no.2, pp.101-107, Mar.2016 Summary of the invention

[0015] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0016] However, the heat flux density through the Peltier element is not determined solely by the magnitude and direction of the flowing current, but also depends on a complex thermal circuit including thermal boundary conditions on the cooling side and the heating side. Therefore, it is not easy to quantitatively measure the degree of heat flux generated by the Peltier element.

[0017] When the Seebeck heat flux sensor is attached to the Peltier element to measure the heat flux, its thermal resistance is too large, 10 -1 ~10 -2 m 2 K / W, so the use of heat flow sensors will significantly impair the cooling and heating efficiency of the Peltier element. Therefore, there is a problem that the use of Seebeck heat flow sensors is unrealistic.

[0018] On the other hand, heat flow sensors using the anomalous Nernst effect are known devices [for example, see Non-Patent Document 1], which are made on an insulating substrate such as Si or MgO with a thermal oxide film, or a flexible, extremely thin sheet such as polyimide or polyethylene naphthalate. The magnetic film contributes to thermoelectric conversion, so the thermal resistance of the sensor is 10 -3 ~10-6 m 2 K / W, which is 1-4 orders of magnitude smaller than the thermal resistance of the Seebeck type heat flow sensor. However, even in this case, when it is attached to a Peltier element for use, there is a problem that thermal resistance that reduces the efficiency of heat flow control is inevitably generated.

[0019] The present invention solves the above problems and aims to provide a Peltier element with a heat flux sensor having ultra-low thermal resistance, which can detect the heat flux passing through the Peltier element at high speed and has a thermal resistance so small that it can be ignored.

[0020] Solutions for solving problems

[0021] (1) The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor of the present invention is, for example, Figure 1 As shown, the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is directly formed on the upper part or the lower part, or both the upper part and the lower part, of the insulating substrate on which the Peltier element 10 is formed.

[0022] (2) In the Peltier element (1) with a heat flow sensor of the present invention, preferably, the Peltier element is, for example, Figure 2 As shown, the PN junction element may be sandwiched by insulating substrates, and the insulating substrates may have electrodes, and the electrodes on the bottom surface of the package may be brought into contact with the electrodes of the Peltier element for direct connection.

[0023] (3) In the Peltier element (2) with a heat flow sensor of the present invention, preferably, the insulating substrate may be any one of a ceramic substrate and a flexible sheet.

[0024] (4) In the Peltier element with a heat flow sensor (1) to (3) of the present invention, preferably, the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is, for example, Figure 3 As shown, it can include: a power generation body 22, which is composed of a plurality of thin wires 22a arranged parallel to each other (y direction) along the surface of an insulating substrate 21; and a connecting body 23, which is composed of a plurality of thin wires 23a arranged between each thin wire 22a along the surface of the insulating substrate 21 and parallel to each thin wire 22a of the power generation body 22,

[0025] Each thin wire 22a of the power generation body 22 is composed of a magnet having residual magnetism even without an external magnetic field, and is magnetized in the same direction (x direction). Each thin wire 23a of the connecting body 23 electrically connects one end of each thin wire 22a of the power generation body 22 to the other end of the thin wire 22a adjacent to one side of each thin wire 22a.

[0026] The connection body 23 is composed of a magnet that is magnetized in the opposite direction to the magnetization direction of each thin wire 22a, a magnet that has a Nernst coefficient with an opposite sign to that of each thin wire 22a, or a non-magnetic body.

[0027] (5) In the Peltier element (4) with a heat flow sensor of the present invention, preferably, the magnetic material of the thin wires 22 and 23 can be any one of Fe-Al, Fe-Ga, Fe-Sn, Fe-Pt, Mn-Ga, Mn-Ge, Mn-Sn, Ni-Pt, Co-Gd, Fe4N, Mn3AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co2YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L10 type ordered alloy, FePd L10 type ordered alloy, CoPt L10 type ordered alloy.

[0028] (6) In the Peltier element (4) with a heat flow sensor of the present invention, preferably, the non-magnetic material may be any one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Rh, W, Mo, Pt, Pd and alloy materials containing these.

[0029] (7) In the Peltier element with a heat flow sensor (1) to (6) of the present invention, it is preferable that a heat sink is mounted on the Peltier element.

[0030] Effects of the Invention

[0031] In the present invention, since a metal thin film (multiple thin wires constituting the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor) with a thickness of tens to thousands of nanometers is directly formed and patterned on the Peltier element, the thermal resistance is 10 -8 ~10 - 10 m 2 K / W, the influence is minimal, and it does not affect the cooling and heating efficiency of the Peltier element at all, and the heat flux density passing through the Peltier element can be measured in real time at extremely high speed. Since the heat flow is detected using the anomalous Nernst effect, which is a thermoelectric effect, as the source, no external power supply is required, and measurement can be performed by two-terminal voltage measurement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 The figure is a perspective view showing the structure of a Peltier element with a thermal flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a cold and hot module using Peltier elements.

[0034] Figure 3 (A) is a perspective view showing the basic structure of a heat flux sensor using the anomalous Nernst effect used in the present invention. (B) is an example of the evaluation results of the anomalous Nernst heat flux sensor, showing the change of the anomalous Nernst voltage output relative to the external magnetic field when the heat flux density in the z direction is changed. (C) shows the dependence of the anomalous Nernst voltage on the heat flux density.

[0035] Figure 4 A perspective view showing a structure for measuring temperature by heat flow and a thermocouple attached to a copper plate in an experimental device in which an anomalous Nernst heat flux sensor is patterned on top of a Peltier element representing one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 5 The diagram shows the results of temperature measurement by heat flow and a thermocouple attached to a copper plate when an anomalous Nernst heat flux sensor is patterned on the upper part of a Peltier element representing one embodiment of the present invention and the input voltage to the Peltier element is changed. (A) shows the input current to the Peltier element, (B) shows the detected heat flux density, and (C) shows the time change of the detected temperature.

[0037] Figure 6 (A) is an explanatory diagram of the Seebeck effect, and (B) is an explanatory diagram of the anomalous Nernst effect.

[0038] Figure 7 (A) is an explanatory diagram of a Seebeck type heat flow sensor, and (B) is an explanatory diagram of an anomalous Nernst type heat flow sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The best mode for implementing the present invention is described in detail below. It should be noted that the upper and lower limits of "to" indicating a range include boundary values ​​unless other expressions are particularly used. That is, for example, if it is "AA to BB", it means above AA and below BB.

[0040] [Overview of Peltier Element 100 with Heat Flow Sensor]

[0041] The Peltier element 100 with a heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a single substrate is used, which serves as both the insulating base 12 constituting the Peltier element 10 and the insulating substrate 21 constituting the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 .

[0042] Figure 1This is a structural perspective view of a Peltier element 100 with a heat flow sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The Peltier element 100 with a heat flow sensor has a structure in which an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is directly formed on the upper part or the lower part, or both the upper part and the lower part (i.e., at least one of the heat absorption surface and the heat generation surface of the Peltier element 10) of the insulating substrate 21 (insulating base 12) of the Peltier element 10. The anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is also called a thermoelectric conversion element or a thermoelectric power generation device due to its physical function.

[0043] The basic structure of the Peltier element 100 with a heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of a single Peltier element 10 and an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 of a reference example described below.

[0044] Hereinafter, the Peltier element 10 and the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “heat flow sensor 20 ”) will be described separately.

[0045] [Structure of Monomer of Reference Example]

[0046] (Peltier element 10 of reference example)

[0047] Typically, the Peltier element 10 comprises: a pair of opposing insulating substrates 12 having a pair of outer side surfaces 12a and a pair of inner side surfaces 12b; a plurality of N-type elements 11N and P-type elements 11P (PN junction elements) clamped by a pair of inner side surfaces 12b of the pair of insulating substrates 12; and a pair of electrode patterns 15 formed on the inner side surfaces 12b of the pair of insulating substrates 12 in such a manner as to alternately connect the N-type and P-type elements 11N and 11P in series.

[0048] Figure 2 The figure is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a cold and hot module 19 using a Peltier element 10. The Peltier element 10, which is a thermoelectric conversion element, is an element that produces a cooling / heating effect called the Peltier effect, which is an effect produced at the junction of a P-type element and an N-type element when a P-type element composed of a P-type semiconductor and an N-type element composed of an N-type semiconductor are alternately electrically connected and energized. The Peltier element 10 is usually used as a cold and hot module 19 in which a plurality of P-type elements 11P and N-type elements 11N are mounted, and is used for cooling and temperature control of semiconductor devices, etc. In the Peltier element 10 used in such a cold and hot module 19, the outer side surfaces 12a of a pair of insulating substrates 12 constitute a heat absorbing surface and a heat generating surface.

[0049] For example, Figure 2As shown, the hot and cold module 19 is formed by clamping a plurality of N-type elements 11N and P-type elements 11P between two pairs of Peltier element mounting wiring substrates 18 composed of an insulating base 12 and an electrode pattern 15 formed on the inner side surface 12b thereof, and the N-type elements 11N and the P-type elements 11P are clamped on the electrode pattern 15 in an alternating arrangement in a manner of being electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel.

[0050] In addition, the cold and hot module 19 may have a structure in which the electrode (electrode pattern 15) provided on the bottom surface (inner surface 12b of the insulating base 12) in the package is directly connected by abutting against the electrode serving as the external terminal of the Peltier element 10. In other words, the Peltier element 10 may have an external connection electrode 17 connected to one of the pair of electrode patterns 15, or may have the external connection electrode 17 as an external structure.

[0051] In addition, the insulating base 12 is responsible for holding the N-type / P-type elements 11N / 11P, wiring between the N-type / P-type elements 11N / 11P, and heat exchange between the N-type / P-type elements 11N / 11P and semiconductor devices (not shown) installed in the hot and cold module 19, the heat dissipation substrate (not shown), etc.

[0052] In the pair of insulating substrates 12, ceramic materials such as aluminum nitride sintered body and alumina sintered body with excellent thermal conductivity are used. In addition, in order to reduce the thermal resistance of the insulating substrate 12 and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the cold and hot modules 19, the use of aluminum nitride sintered body with high thermal conductivity that can be thinned is increased among the ceramic materials used for the insulating substrate 12.

[0053] The Peltier element 10 utilizes the Peltier effect that heat generation and heat absorption occur on the respective metal surfaces when current flows through the joint portion of two metals. What is used now is not metal but P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors. Similarly, such heat conversion occurs at the joint surface of the P-type semiconductor and the N-type semiconductor. In order to move electrons from the P-type semiconductor with a low energy level to the N-type semiconductor with a high energy level, energy needs to be absorbed from the outside. Therefore, heat absorption occurs at this time (on one of the outer side surfaces 12a of the Peltier element 10) to reduce the temperature.

[0054] Common thermoelectric materials used for semiconductors constituting the N-type and P-type elements 11N and 11P include bismuth telluride, lead telluride, silicon germanium, and bismuth-antimony alloys. Among them, bismuth telluride is most commonly used.

[0055] (Heat flow sensor 20 of reference example)

[0056] Figure 31 is a perspective view showing the conceptual structure of the heat flow sensor 20 (thermoelectric conversion device) based on the anomalous Nernst effect used in the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the basic structure of the heat flow sensor 20 (thermoelectric power generation device) using the anomalous Nernst effect. Figure 3 As shown, the thermal flow sensor 20 includes an insulating substrate 21 , a power generator 22 , and a connection body 23 .

[0057] Insulating substrate 21 is usually composed of an electrical insulator at least at its surface layer. The insulating substrate 21 is composed of, for example, a ceramic material such as aluminum nitride, a silicon substrate with a thermal oxide film, or a MgO single crystal substrate.

[0058] The power generator 22 is composed of a plurality of thin wires 22a extending along the y direction (first direction) along the surface (xy plane) of the insulating substrate 21 and arranged parallel to each other along the x direction (second direction) orthogonal to the y direction. Each thin wire 22a is a magnet having residual magnetism (that is, having magnetization even when no magnetic field is applied from the outside) and is magnetized in the same direction in the x direction (the width direction of the thin wire 22a).

[0059] exist Figure 3 In a specific example of the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 made on a substrate shown in (A) and (B), each thin wire 22a is formed by thinning a FeAl thin film formed on a flexible sheet (insulating substrate 21), and is composed of a magnet having residual magnetism in the width direction (x direction) of the thin wire 22a. The power generator 22 is configured to generate power in a direction (y direction) orthogonal to the magnetization direction (x direction) of the thin wire 22a and the temperature difference direction (z direction) by generating a temperature difference in a direction (z direction: thickness direction of the insulating substrate 12) perpendicular to the magnetization direction (x direction) of the thin wire 22a using the anomalous Nernst effect.

[0060] In addition, as the magnetic material of the power generation body 22, there can be cited: Fe-Al, Fe-Ga, Fe-Sn, Fe-Pt, Mn-Sn, Co2YZ (Y = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z = Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, FePt L10 type ordered alloy, FePd L10 type ordered alloy, CoPt L10 type ordered alloy and other magnetic materials with positive thermoelectric energy, Mn-Ga, Mn-Ge, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material and other magnetic materials with negative thermoelectric energy, but it is known that the sign of thermoelectric energy is not determined only by the element composition of the above materials. That is, even in the same material system, the sign of thermoelectric energy can be positive or negative (for example, if the concentration of Ga is low, Fe-Ga is negative). In this case, the combination of magnetic materials can be determined based on the situation where the sign of thermoelectric energy is positive or negative.

[0061] The connecting body 23 has a structure for connecting the plurality of thin wires 22 a in series so that current flows through the plurality of thin wires 22 a of the power generation body 22 in the same direction in the y direction (first direction).

[0062] For example, the connector 23 is composed of a plurality of thin wires 23a arranged in parallel between the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22 along the surface (xy plane) of the insulating substrate 21. Furthermore, each thin wire 23a of the connector 23 is configured to electrically connect one end of the first thin wire and the other end of the second thin wire with respect to the adjacent first and second thin wires of the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22. Thus, the connector 23 can electrically connect the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22 in series.

[0063] However, the connection body 23 is not limited to the above structure as long as it has a structure that can electrically connect the thin wires 22a of the power generation body 22 in series so that current can flow in the same direction.

[0064] In the case where the connector 23 is a magnet having a Nernst coefficient with the same sign as that of the generator 22 (for example, a ferromagnet), the detection sensitivity can be improved by magnetizing in a magnetizing direction opposite to the magnetizing direction of the generator 22 (in the x-direction) (that is, by forming a magnet having residual magnetism in a direction opposite to the residual magnetism direction of the generator 22). In the case where the connector 23 is a magnet having a Nernst coefficient with the opposite sign as that of the generator 22 (for example, a ferromagnet), the detection sensitivity can be improved by magnetizing in a magnetizing direction identical to the magnetizing direction of the generator 22 (in the x-direction) (that is, by forming a magnet having residual magnetism in a direction identical to the residual magnetism direction of the generator 22). The connector 23 can also use an electrically connected non-magnetic material. Figure 3 In a specific example shown in (A) and (B), the connection body 23 is made of non-magnetic Au.

[0065] exist Figure 3 (B) shows the change in the output anomalous Nernst voltage relative to the external magnetic field when the heat flux density in the z direction (the thickness direction of the insulating substrate 21) is changed. Figure 3 (C) shows the dependence of the anomalous Nernst voltage on the heat flux density. In this specific example, the insulating substrate 21 is polyimide (flexible sheet) with a size of 10 mm × 10 mm, and each fine wire 22a of the power generation body 22 is composed of FeAl, and the number of fine wires 22a is 10. In addition, each fine wire 23a of the connector 23 is composed of Au. The anomalous Nernst voltage is output even in the absence of an external magnetic field, showing the function of a heat flux sensor that responds linearly to the applied heat flux density.

[0066] The thickness of the thin wires 22a and 23a of the power generator 22 and the connecting body 23 is formed to be, for example, on the order of tens to thousands of nanometers.

[0067] Since the heat flow sensor 20 uses the anomalous Nernst effect, it is possible to detect heat flow by utilizing residual magnetism even when no external magnetic field is applied.

[0068] [Details of Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor]

[0069] In the Peltier element 100 with a heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention, the insulating base 12 of the Peltier element 10 is used as the insulating substrate 21 of the heat flow sensor 20. Thus, the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 can be directly manufactured on the Peltier element 10.

[0070] In this case, since only the metal thin film (plural thin wires 22a, 23a) constituting the power generation body 22 and the connection body 23 is formed, when the thickness thereof is about 0.1 to 10 μm, the thermal resistance applied to the Peltier element 10 is 10 -8 ~10 - 10 m 2 K / W, the influence is minimal. Therefore, the increase in thermal resistance caused by manufacturing the heat flow sensor 20 is minimal, and the cooling and heating performance of the Peltier element 10 is not affected. In addition, high-speed heat flow detection can be performed. By utilizing the anomalous Nernst effect, since a potential difference is generated in a direction perpendicular to the temperature difference, it can be constructed with a simple structure compared to the case of utilizing the Seebeck effect, and can therefore be easily manufactured.

[0071] In the Peltier element 100 with a thermal flow sensor of the present invention, typically, the structure of the above-mentioned single Peltier element 10 and thermal flow sensor 20 can be used, but the following structure is preferable.

[0072] The pair of insulating substrates 21 (insulating base 12 ) constituting the Peltier element with a heat flow sensor 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be either a ceramic substrate or a flexible sheet.

[0073] The magnetic material of the power generator 22 of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably any one of Fe-Al, Fe-Ga, Fe-Sn, Fe-Pt, Mn-Ga, Mn-Ge, Mn-Sn, Ni-Pt, Co-Gd, Fe4N, Mn3AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co2YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L10 type ordered alloy, FePd L10 type ordered alloy, and CoPt L10 type ordered alloy.

[0074] The non-magnetic material of the connector 23 according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably any one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Rh, W, Mo, Pt, Pd, and alloy materials containing these.

[0075] The Peltier element 100 with a heat flux sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a heat sink on the heat generating surface of the Peltier element 10. In addition, the anomalous Nernst heat flux sensor 20 may include a heat sink.

[0076] [Example]

[0077] Figure 4 This is a structural perspective view showing an experimental device in which an anomalous Nernst heat flux sensor 20 is patterned on the upper part (outer surface 12a) of a Peltier element 10 representing one embodiment of the present invention, and temperature is measured by heat flux and a thermocouple attached to a copper plate. Figure 4 , a state where the heat sink is removed is shown. Preferably, a heat sink may be further mounted on the Peltier element.

[0078] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 using Fe-Ga magnetic wires and Au wires is formed by directly patterning the ceramic plate of the commercially available Peltier element 10. The film thickness of Fe-Ga and Au is 50 nm, so the corresponding increase in the thermal resistance of the Peltier element 10 is 10 -10 m 2 K / W level, so small that it can be ignored. After the manufactured Peltier element 100 with a heat flux sensor is pasted on a copper plate via a heat sink, a thermocouple for temperature monitoring is installed on the copper plate. A digital multimeter for measuring the voltage of the power supply, thermocouple and heat flux sensor for the Peltier element 10 is wired.

[0079] Figure 5The diagram shows the results of temperature measurement by heat flow and a thermocouple attached to a copper plate when an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is patterned on the upper part (outer surface 12a) of a Peltier element 10 representing one embodiment of the present invention and the input voltage to the Peltier element 10 is changed.

[0080] The temperature of the copper plate is heated and cooled by the heat flow control of the Peltier element 10, and the change is detected slowly. On the other hand, in the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20, the situation where the heat flow changes sharply immediately after the input voltage to the Peltier element 10 is changed is detected at an extremely high speed with a response speed of less than 1 second. It is confirmed that if the present invention is used, the heat flow change of the Peltier element 10 can be detected quickly and accurately.

[0081] The Peltier element 10 is a rare device that is responsible for heating and cooling and is widely used in coolers, electronic devices, cameras, medical equipment, etc. The Peltier element 10 is a device that controls heat flow by applying current based on the thermoelectric effect, but the degree of heat flow in and out of the Peltier element 10 is usually estimated indirectly based on the temperature of the object to be cooled or heated. Since the heat flow of the Peltier element 10 itself is not directly measured, there is a limit to high-precision temperature control.

[0082] The present invention relates to a "Peltier element with an ultra-low thermal resistance and a heat flux sensor", which generates only a negligible thermal resistance by directly forming a thin film anomalous Nernst heat flux sensor 20 on a plate such as a ceramic that forms the Peltier element 10, and can detect the heat flux passing through the Peltier element 10 at a high speed.

[0083] Several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0084] Industrial Applicability

[0085] The Peltier element 100 with a heat flow sensor of the present invention can be used in all application devices using Peltier elements. For example, in a Peltier cooler, a prediction of temperature change based on heat flow can be further established, and it is expected that a fine temperature control of less than 0.1°C can be achieved. In a temperature sensing device using a Peltier element, high-precision control can also be achieved by making the direction and size of the heat flow correspond to the temperature sense of the human body.

[0086] In addition, the present invention can also adopt the following structures.

[0087] [1] A Peltier element with a heat flow sensor, wherein:

[0088] The anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is directly formed on at least one of the heat absorbing surface and the heat generating surface of the Peltier element.

[0089] [2] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to [1] above, wherein:

[0090] The Peltier element has:

[0091] a pair of insulating substrates having a pair of outer side surfaces constituting the heat absorbing surface and the heat generating surface and a pair of inner side surfaces facing each other;

[0092] A P-type element and an N-type element, which are sandwiched by the pair of inner side surfaces of the pair of insulating substrates;

[0093] a pair of electrode patterns formed on the pair of inner side surfaces of the pair of insulating substrates in such a manner as to alternately connect the P-type elements and the N-type elements in series; and

[0094] An external connection electrode is connected to one of the pair of electrode patterns.

[0095] [3] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to [2] above, wherein:

[0096] The pair of insulating bases are any one of a ceramic substrate or a flexible sheet.

[0097] [4] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein:

[0098] The anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor has:

[0099] a power generator including a plurality of thin wires arranged along at least one of the heat absorbing surface and the heat generating surface, extending along a first direction and arranged parallel to each other along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and

[0100] a connecting body having a structure for connecting the plurality of thin wires in series in such a manner that current flows through the plurality of thin wires in the same direction in the first direction,

[0101] The power generator is composed of a magnet having residual magnetism in the second direction,

[0102] The connector is composed of a magnet having a Nernst coefficient with the same sign as that of the generator and having residual magnetism in the opposite direction of the residual magnetism of the generator, a non-magnetic body, or a magnet having a Nernst coefficient with an opposite sign to that of the generator and having residual magnetism in the same direction as the residual magnetism of the generator.

[0103] [5] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to [4] above, wherein:

[0104] The magnetic material of the generator is any one of Fe-Al, Fe-Ga, Fe-Sn, Fe-Pt, Mn-Ga, Mn-Ge, Mn-Sn, Ni-Pt, Co-Gd, Fe4N, Mn3AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co2YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L10 type ordered alloy, FePd L10 type ordered alloy, and CoPt L10 type ordered alloy.

[0105] [6] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to [4] above, wherein:

[0106] The non-magnetic material of the connector is any one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Rh, W, Mo, Pt, Pd and alloy materials containing these.

[0107] [7] A Peltier element with a heat flow sensor, wherein:

[0108] In the Peltier element with a heat flow sensor described in any one of [1] to [6] above,

[0109] A heat sink is mounted on the anomalous Nernst heat flux sensor.

[0110] Description of reference numerals:

[0111] 11N·11P: N-type component·P-type component;

[0112] 12: Insulation substrate;

[0113] 15: electrode pattern;

[0114] 18: Wiring substrate for mounting Peltier elements;

[0115] 19: Hot and cold module / Peltier element;

[0116] 20: Thermoelectric power generation device / heat flow sensor;

[0117] 21: Insulating substrate;

[0118] 22: generator (magnetic wire);

[0119] 22a: thin line;

[0120] 23: Connector (strong magnet, non-magnetic);

[0121] 23a: thin line;

[0122] 100: Peltier element with heat flow sensor.

Claims

1. A Peltier element with a heat flow sensor, the Peltier element having a structure in which an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is directly formed on an upper portion or a lower portion, or on both the upper portion and the lower portion, of an insulating substrate forming the Peltier element.

2. The Peltier element with a thermal flow sensor according to claim 1, wherein: In the Peltier element, the PN junction element is sandwiched between the insulating substrates, and the electrodes provided on the bottom surface in the package are brought into contact with the electrodes of the Peltier element for direct connection.

3. The Peltier element with a thermal flow sensor according to claim 2, wherein: The insulating substrate is any one of a ceramic substrate and a flexible sheet.

4. The Peltier element with a thermal flow sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor has: a power generating body composed of a plurality of thin wires (22a) arranged parallel to each other (y direction) along the surface of the insulating substrate; and A connector, which is composed of a plurality of thin wires (23a) arranged along the surface of the insulating substrate and parallel to the thin wires (22a) of the power generation body and between the thin wires (22a), Each of the thin wires (22a) of the power generator is composed of a magnet having residual magnetism even without an external magnetic field, and is magnetized in the same direction (x direction). Each thin wire (23a) of the connector electrically connects one end of each thin wire (22a) of the power generator to the other end of a thin wire (22a) adjacent to one side of each thin wire (22a). The connector is composed of a magnet magnetized in a direction opposite to the magnetization direction of each thin wire (22a), a non-magnetic body, or a magnet having a Nernst coefficient with an opposite sign to that of each thin wire (22a).

5. The Peltier element with a thermal flow sensor according to claim 4, wherein: The magnetic material of the magnetic wire is any one of Fe-Al, Fe-Ga, Fe-Sn, Fe-Pt, Mn-Ga, Mn-Ge, Mn-Sn, Ni-Pt, Co-Gd, Fe4N, Mn3AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co2YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L10 type ordered alloy, FePd L10 type ordered alloy, and CoPt L10 type ordered alloy.

6. The Peltier element with a thermal flow sensor according to claim 4, wherein: The non-magnetic material is any one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Rh, W, Mo, Pt, Pd and alloy materials containing the same.

7. The Peltier element with a thermal flow sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: A heat sink is mounted on the heat flow sensor.

Images