Thermal conductors and bonding bodies

Abstract

To provide a heat conductor which is excellent in substantial heat conductivity between a member to which the heat conductor is applied and the heat conductor, and a joined body which is excellent in substantial heat conductivity.SOLUTION: A heat conductor 1 has a heat conductor body 2 which is composed of a material containing a resin material 21 and has a gap part 4 therein, and an adhesive layer 3 provided on at least a part of at least one main surface of the heat conductor body 2, wherein at least a part of the adhesive layer 3 is embedded inside the heat conductor body 2. Flatness measured according to JIS B 0621 in a region of 5.0 mm2 on the surface of the adhesive layer 3 is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 10 μm or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a heat conductor and a bonding body. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, heat dissipation measures for heat-generating components in electronic devices, vehicle headlights, and automotive batteries have become an urgent necessity. For example, the miniaturization and high integration of electronic components such as central processing units in computers, image processing processors, SoCs in smartphones, DSPs and microcontrollers in embedded devices, semiconductor elements such as transistors, laser diodes, light-emitting diodes, electroluminescent devices, and liquid crystals have led to a tendency for greater heat generation. The reduced lifespan and malfunctions of devices and systems due to the heat generated by these electronic components are becoming a problem, and the demand for heat dissipation measures for electronic components is increasing year by year.

[0003] One method for efficiently dissipating heat generated by electronic components involves attaching the electronic component (heat-generating element) to a metal component such as aluminum or copper (heat-dissipating element) with a heat conductor in between.

[0004] In the process of mounting a heat conductor between a heat-generating component and a heat-dissipating component, temporary fixing is performed using an adhesive.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a thermal conductive sheet comprising a base sheet containing thermal conductive particles and an organic polymer compound, and an adhesive component localized on at least one surface of the base sheet, wherein the thermal conductive particles include particles oriented perpendicularly or obliquely along the thickness direction of the base sheet, and the average thickness of the adhesive component region where the adhesive component exists is 0.5 μm to 1.0 μm. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6852266 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, in the thermal conductive sheet described in Patent Document 1, the thermal conductive sheet and the member to which the thermal conductive material is applied do not adhere sufficiently, and the adhesive component tends to peel off unintentionally from the base sheet, making it impossible to achieve sufficiently excellent thermal conductivity between the member to which the thermal conductive sheet is applied and the thermal conductive material.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a heat conductor that can achieve excellent substantial thermal conductivity between the member to which the heat conductor is applied and the heat conductor, and to provide a joint with excellent substantial thermal conductivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The heat conductor of the present invention is made of a material including a resin material and comprises a heat conductor body having voids inside, and an adhesive layer provided on at least a portion of at least one main surface of the heat conductor body. When pressed, at least a portion of the adhesive layer is the same as the heat conductor body. The aforementioned void It is characterized by being implanted.

[0010] The joint of the present invention is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned heat conductor and a member joined to the heat conductor by the adhesive layer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat conductor that can achieve excellent substantial thermal conductivity between the member to which the heat conductor is applied and the heat conductor, and to provide a joint with excellent substantial thermal conductivity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the thermal conductor of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state where the adhesive layer of the heat conductor is pressed. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the heat conductor of the present invention in a state protected by a protective sheet. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the heat conductor body. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an enlarged view of the laminated heat conduction part and the joint part. [Figure 6] It is a plan view schematically showing an example of the heat conduction part constituting the heat conductor body. [Figure 7] It is a schematic partial exploded perspective view showing the laminated plurality of heat conduction parts disassembled. [Figure 8] It is a conceptual diagram of an example of a cured product of the curable resin material constituting the joint part. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a sheet for forming a heat conduction part composed of flaky graphite. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state where a composition for forming a joint part is applied to a sheet for forming a heat conduction part provided with a concave part. [Figure 11] It is a view schematically showing an example of an apparatus used in the step of applying a composition for forming a joint part and the winding step. [Figure 12] It is a view schematically showing the cut body obtained in the cutting step. [Figure 13] It is a view schematically showing a state where the cut body is pressed to make the flatness of the cut body higher. [Figure 14] It is a view schematically showing the state of the cutting step. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view schematically showing another example of the heat conductor body. [Figure 16] It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the heat conductor body shown in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] It is a plan view schematically showing a state where a plurality of heat conductors are arranged side by side on a plane. [Figure 18] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the bonded body of the present invention. [Figure 19]This is a schematic perspective view showing how two heat conductors are joined together. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. [1] Thermal conductor First, the thermal conductor of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the heat conductor of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state in which the adhesive layer of the heat conductor is pressed. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the heat conductor of the present invention protected by a protective sheet. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the heat conductor body. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the laminated heat conducting part and joint part. Figure 6 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the heat conducting part constituting the heat conductor body. Figure 7 is a schematic partially exploded perspective view showing a plurality of laminated heat conducting parts in disassembled form. Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram of an example of a cured product of the curable resin material constituting the joint part. Note that the resin fibers 22 are not shown in Figure 5.

[0014] In the drawings referenced herein, some parts may be reduced or enlarged to make the relationships between components easier to understand, and the size ratios between components shown in the drawings do not represent the actual size ratios between components. Furthermore, in this specification, "natural state" refers to a state in which no external forces other than gravity are applied, and in particular, a state in which there is no history of external forces other than gravity being applied within the last 24 hours. In addition, it is preferable that there is no history of stress application of 0.1 MPa or more after the manufacture of the heat conductor. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the measurements and processes described herein shall be performed at 20°C.

[0015] The heat conductor 1 of the present invention is made of a material including a resin material and comprises a heat conductor body 2 having a void portion 4 inside, and an adhesive layer 3 provided on at least a part of at least one main surface of the heat conductor body 2, wherein at least a part of the adhesive layer 3 is embedded inside the heat conductor body 2 when pressed.

[0016] Since the heat conductor body 2 is made of a material including a resin material and has an internal void 4, the heat conductor body 2 is flexible. This allows for excellent adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member to which it is joined, thereby keeping the interfacial thermal resistance low and increasing the effective thermal conductivity.

[0017] Furthermore, by providing an adhesive layer 3 on at least a portion of at least one main surface of the heat conductor body 2, peeling at the bonding interface between the heat conductor 1 and the bonded member can be effectively suppressed, thereby improving the effective thermal conductivity between the member and the heat conductor 1.

[0018] In particular, since the heat conductor body 2 is made of a material including a resin material and has a void 4 inside, at least a portion of the adhesive layer 3 can be embedded inside the heat conductor body 2 when pressed, which increases the adhesion between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3, prevents unintended peeling at the interface between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3, and as a result, the above-mentioned effects are exhibited more effectively.

[0019] Furthermore, since the heat conductor body 2 is made of a material including a resin material, the affinity between the resin material and the adhesive layer 3 can be made excellent, resulting in excellent adhesion between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3 when the adhesive layer 3 penetrates into the interior of the heat conductor body 2.

[0020] Furthermore, in the heat conductor 1 of the present invention, when pressed, at least a portion of the adhesive layer 3 is embedded inside the heat conductor body 2, effectively preventing the formation of unintended gaps between the heat conductor 1 and the member to be joined, thereby achieving excellent adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member to be joined. In addition, when the heat conductor 1 and the member to be joined are in close contact, a portion of the adhesive layer 3 is embedded in the void 4 of the heat conductor body 2, thereby removing low-thermal-conductivity gases (such as air) present inside the void 4 from the inside of the heat conductor body 2. As a result, the substantial thermal conductivity between the heat conductor 1 and the member in contact with the heat conductor 1 can be made particularly excellent. Moreover, even when the surface of the member in contact with the heat conductor 1 (the contact surface with the heat conductor 1) is not only smooth, but also curved or bent, or has relatively large surface irregularities, good adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member in contact with the heat conductor 1 can be achieved, and the effects described above can be obtained.

[0021] The excellent effects of the present invention are obtained when the heat conductor has the above-described configuration, and cannot be obtained if it does not have such a configuration. For example, even if the heat conductor body 2 is made of a material including a resin material, if it does not have a void 4 inside, at least a portion of the adhesive layer 3 cannot be embedded inside the heat conductor body 2 when pressed, and the effects targeted by the present invention cannot be obtained.

[0022] [1-1] Heat conductor body The heat conductor body 2 only needs to be flexible as a whole, but the heat conductor body 2 shown in Figure 4 is composed of a plurality of heat conducting parts 10 and a joint part 20 made of a material including a resin material, which is flexible and joins each heat conducting part 10. In other words, the heat conductor body 2 shown in Figure 4 is a composite laminate having a plurality of heat conducting parts 10 and a joint part 20.

[0023] This makes it possible to improve the overall flexibility of the heat conductor 1 and the adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member used in contact with the heat conductor 1, thereby improving the effective thermal conductivity between the member and the heat conductor 1.

[0024] The following description will primarily focus on the case where the heat conductor body 2 is composed of a plurality of heat conducting parts 10 and a material including a flexible resin material 21, and includes a joint 20 that connects each heat conducting part 10.

[0025] The heat conductor body 2 only needs to have at least one joint 20, but in the example shown in Figure 4, it has multiple heat conducting parts 10 and multiple joint 20, with heat conducting parts 10 positioned at both ends in the stacking direction.

[0026] As will be described in more detail later, such a heat conductor body 2 can be suitably manufactured by winding a heat conductor forming sheet (heat conductor forming member) 10', which is used to form a heat conductor 10 and has a joint forming composition 20' used to form a joint 20 applied to at least one surface, onto the circumferential surface of a winding roll R2, thereby alternately laminating the heat conductor 10 and the joint 20.

[0027] In this specification, the stacking direction of the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20 in the heat conduction body 2 is defined as the stacking direction of the heat conduction body 2, and the in-plane direction of the heat conduction portion forming sheet 10' is defined as the in-plane direction of the heat conduction portion 10. For example, in the configuration shown in Figure 4, the left-right direction is the stacking direction of the heat conduction body 2, and the vertical depth direction is the in-plane direction of the heat conduction portion 10. Also, in Figures 9 and 10, which will be described later, the horizontal depth direction is the in-plane direction of the heat conduction portion forming sheet 10' and the in-plane direction of the heat conduction portion 10.

[0028] Furthermore, in this specification, the direction in which the heat conduction portion 10 extends within the plane of the upper surface of the heat conductor body 2 is defined as the extension direction of the heat conduction portion 10. For example, in the configuration shown in Figure 4, the depth direction within the plane of the upper surface of the heat conductor body 2 is the extension direction of the heat conduction portion 10.

[0029] With the above configuration, the heat conductor body 2 has anisotropic thermal conductivity. Because the heat conductor body 2 has anisotropic thermal conductivity, it can more efficiently transfer heat in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, unintended heat conduction can be prevented.

[0030] In the heat conductor body 2 with the configuration shown in Figure 4, it is preferable that the thermal conductivity in the first direction perpendicularly connecting the top surface and the bottom surface is higher than the thermal conductivity in a predetermined in-plane direction of the pair of surfaces. As a result, the heat conductor body 2 can transfer heat more efficiently in the first direction perpendicular to the pair of surfaces compared to a predetermined in-plane direction of the pair of surfaces, and the above-mentioned effects are exhibited more significantly.

[0031] The above conditions can be satisfied, for example, by setting the in-plane direction of the heat conduction portion 10 to a first direction that perpendicularly connects a pair of planes, and setting the stacking direction of the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20 to a predetermined in-plane direction of the pair of planes. In this specification, "perpendicular" does not mean strictly perpendicular in a mathematical sense, but rather allows for some degree of deviation.

[0032] Furthermore, the heat conductor body 2 also exhibits anisotropy in its thermal conductivity on its upper surface. That is, within the plane of the upper surface of the heat conductor body 2, the thermal conductivity in the stacking direction between the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20 is lower than the thermal conductivity in the extension direction of the heat conduction portion 10.

[0033] As will be described later, by arranging the heat conductor body 2 while controlling the direction of extension between the heat conducting portion 10 and the joint portion 20, and the stacking direction between the heat conducting portion 10 and the joint portion 20, anisotropy can be imparted to the heat conductivity of the heat conductor body 2.

[0034] The shape of the heat conductor body 2 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to set it appropriately according to the shape of the member to which the heat conductor 1 is joined. This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced.

[0035] The shape of the heat conductor body 2 when viewed from above, and the cross-sectional shape of the heat conductor body 2, can be, for example, circular, elliptical, polygonal, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the heat conductor body 2 can be, for example, one that has a constant width in the first direction, or one that has a portion where the width changes in the first direction.

[0036] When the shape of the heat conductor body 2 when viewed from above, or the cross-sectional shape of the heat conductor body 2, is polygonal, for example, quadrilateral, the length of the longest side of the quadrilateral is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 100 mm or less, and more preferably 0.3 mm or more and 50 mm or less. This ensures a sufficient contact area between the heat conductor 1 and the member to which it is joined, thereby more reliably and significantly demonstrating the effects described above.

[0037] Specifically, for example, it is preferable that the shape of the heat conductor body 2 when viewed from above is a rectangle larger than 5 mm x 5 mm. This will allow the effects described above to be even more pronounced.

[0038] Furthermore, if the shape of the heat conductor body 2 when viewed from the side, or the shape of the heat conductor body 2 in its longitudinal section, is polygonal, for example, quadrilateral, the length of the longest side of the quadrilateral is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 200 mm or less, and more preferably 0.3 mm or more and 100 mm or less.

[0039] The size of the heat conductor body 2 may or may not be constant in the first direction. If the heat conductor body 2 has parts of different sizes in the first direction, it is preferable that the value of one side of the heat conductor body 2 at the part where the length of one side is maximum is within the range described above.

[0040] For example, in the illustrated configuration, the shape and size of the heat conductor body 2 are kept constant in the first direction. Specifically, the heat conductor body 2 is shaped like a rectangular prism. This makes it possible to maintain a constant thermal conductivity in the first direction by the heat conductor body 2, thereby making the above-mentioned effects more pronounced.

[0041] The natural length of the heat conductor body 2 in the first direction, i.e., the length shown as T4 in Figure 4, is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.3 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.3 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less. This makes it possible to achieve particularly excellent thermal conductivity between the member joined to the heat conductor 1 and the heat conductor 1. For this reason, for example, when the member joined to the heat conductor 1 is a heat-generating member, heat dissipation can be improved.

[0042] The following explanation will primarily focus on the case where the heat conductor body 2 is in the shape of a rectangular prism. In the figures referenced herein, the interface between the heat conduction part 10 and the joint part 20 is clearly shown. However, the interface between the heat conduction part 10 and the joint part 20 may be unclear, for example, if a part of the heat conduction part 10 penetrates the joint part 20.

[0043] [1-1-1] Heat conduction section The multiple heat conduction sections 10 are the parts that primarily contribute to the overall heat conductivity of the heat conductor body 2, and in particular to the in-plane heat conductivity of the heat conduction sections 10.

[0044] Preferably, at least a portion of the multiple heat conduction parts 10 are continuously provided inside the heat conductor body 2, particularly in a first direction perpendicular to a pair of surfaces, and are exposed to two different surfaces of the heat conductor body 2, in particular two different surfaces to which the heat conductor 1 is joined with other members. This allows for improved effective thermal conductivity in the first direction.

[0045] In particular, the heat conductor body 2 in the illustrated configuration has at least one pair of parallel surfaces, and at least a portion of the plurality of heat conducting sections 10 are provided continuously inside the heat conductor body 2 and are through-heat conducting sections exposed on two surfaces. This allows the member to be joined to the heat conductor 1 to be more closely bonded to the heat conductor 1, thereby improving the effective thermal conductivity between the two parallel surfaces, or in other words, between the pair of surfaces. In this specification, "parallel" does not mean strictly parallel in a mathematical sense, but rather allows for a slight deviation.

[0046] The heat conduction section 10 is not particularly limited as long as it has thermal conductivity. Examples of materials constituting the heat conduction section 10 include ceramic materials such as aluminum nitride, boron nitride, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and alumina; carbon materials such as graphite and carbon fiber; and metallic materials such as copper and aluminum. However, it is preferable that the heat conduction section 10 be composed of a material containing carbon material, and more preferably that it be composed of a material containing graphite. This makes it possible to improve the effective thermal conductivity between the heat conductor 1 and the member to which it is joined, while suppressing the manufacturing cost of the heat conductor 1. Furthermore, if the heat conductor portion 10 is made of a material containing graphite, it is possible to suitably bring the graphite particles into close contact while providing appropriate space between the graphite particles. This provides an anchoring effect, making the adhesion between the adhesive layer 3 and the heat conductor body 2 particularly excellent. As a result, the effects described above are exhibited more significantly.

[0047] [1-1-1-1] Carbon materials In particular, if the heat conduction section 10 is formed from a heat conduction section forming sheet 10' containing a carbon material such as graphite or carbon fiber, in addition to the effects described above, the following effects can be obtained. That is, the flexibility and suppleness of the heat conduction body 2 can be improved, for example, the restoring force when the heat conduction body 2 is bent, as well as the cushioning effect due to the internal voids and the improved adhesion due to appropriate deformation when joined to the member to which the heat conduction 1 is joined can be improved. In particular, these effects are more pronounced when graphite is used as the carbon material.

[0048] It is preferable to use flake graphite as the graphite constituting the heat conduction section 10. By using flake graphite, the flake graphite can be suitably oriented in the in-plane direction of the heat conduction section 10 by the method described later, making the in-plane thermal conductivity of the heat conduction section 10 particularly excellent. Furthermore, by using flake graphite, voids 12 can be suitably provided in parts of the heat conduction section 10 other than the holes 11 described later, particularly in the area near the center of the heat conduction section 10 in the thickness direction, which is the normal direction to the in-plane direction of the heat conduction section 10, and the effects described later can be obtained.

[0049] [1-1-1-2] Ceramic materials Furthermore, if the heat conduction part 10 is made of a ceramic material, the effective heat conductivity between the member joined to the heat conductor 1 and the heat conductor 1 can be improved, while the dust generation of the heat conductor body 2 can be further reduced.

[0050] [1-1-1-3] Metal material Furthermore, if the heat conduction section 10 is formed from a heat conduction section forming sheet 10' made of a metal material, in addition to the effects described above, the following effects can be obtained. Specifically, the dust generation of the heat conductor body 2 can be further reduced due to the strength of the bonding force inside the metal material. Also, even when a relatively large load is applied to the heat conductor 1, irreversible deformation of the heat conductor 1, such as collapse of the heat conductor body 2 due to buckling, can be prevented more effectively.

[0051] Examples of metal materials constituting the heat conduction section 10 include various elemental metals and alloys, and one or more selected from these can be used in combination. More specifically, examples of metal materials constituting the heat conduction section 10 include those containing one or more selected from the group consisting of Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Mg, and Zn, but it is preferable that they contain Al. This makes it possible to further improve the thermal conductivity of the heat conduction section 10. Examples of alloys containing the aforementioned metallic elements include duralumin, which is an aluminum alloy containing Al, Cu, and Mg.

[0052] The heat conduction section 10 is preferably composed of substantially a single component. This makes it possible to further improve the thermal conductivity of the heat conduction section 10. Furthermore, it is generally advantageous in reducing the manufacturing cost of the heat conductor 1. Furthermore, "substantially composed of a single component" means that the proportion of the main component in the target area is 95% by weight or more. Preferably, the proportion of the main component is 97% by weight or more, and more preferably 99% by weight or more.

[0053] However, if the heat conduction part 10 contains gases such as air, the amount of such gases shall be disregarded. Furthermore, if the heat conduction part 10 is made of a metallic material, an oxide film of the metal constituting the heat conduction part 10, such as a passivation film, may be formed on its surface. Even if such an oxide film is formed, it shall be treated as "substantially composed of a single component." The same applies to the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', which will be described in detail later.

[0054] The in-plane thermal conductivity of the heat conduction part 10 at 20°C is preferably 7 W / (m·K) or more and 2500 W / (m·K) or less, and more preferably 20 W / (m·K) or more and 1800 W / (m·K) or less. The thermal conductivity can be determined by measurement using a transient hot-wire method compliant with the laser flash method.

[0055] t in Figure 4 10 The thickness of the heat conduction portion 10 shown in the lamination direction is preferably 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably 15 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and even more preferably 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less. This makes it possible to ensure a sufficiently high proportion of the heat conduction portion 10 within the heat conductor body 2, while also improving the overall flexibility of the heat conductor body 2, thereby more reliably and significantly achieving the aforementioned effects. However, the thickness of the heat conduction portion 10 here refers to the thickness in the area where the holes 11 described below are not provided.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5, each heat conducting portion 10 constituting the heat conductor body 2 may be provided with a recess in the thickness direction. This makes it possible to improve the bonding strength between the heat conduction part 10 and the joint part 20.

[0057] In particular, in each heat conduction section 10 shown in Figure 5, the recess is a hole 11 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the heat conduction section 10. This makes the aforementioned effects even more pronounced.

[0058] The following explanation will focus primarily on cases where the recessed area is a hole. The number of holes (recesses) 11 provided in each heat conduction section 10 may be as few as one, depending on the size of the heat conduction section 10 in the in-plane direction, but it is preferable to have multiple holes. This further enhances the aforementioned effects.

[0059] When multiple holes 11 are provided in a single heat conduction section 10, the spacing between adjacent holes 11 in the in-plane direction of the heat conduction section 10 is preferably 300 μm or more and 6000 μm or less, and more preferably 500 μm or more and 4000 μm or less. This makes the effects described above even more pronounced. Herein, in this specification, "spacing of holes 11" means the distance between the centers of adjacent holes 11.

[0060] In the configuration shown in Figure 6, the multiple holes 11 provided in a single heat conduction section 10 are arranged in a staggered pattern. However, the arrangement pattern of the multiple holes 11 in the in-plane direction of the single heat conduction section 10 is not limited to this and can be any pattern, for example, they may be arranged randomly.

[0061] At least a portion of the hole 11 is penetrated by the resin material 21. In other words, the cured resin material penetrates through the recess into the interior of the heat conduction section 10 where the recess is provided. As a result, in particular, the resin material 21 penetrates into the holes 11 provided in the heat conduction part 10, which strengthens the bond between the heat conduction part 10 and the joint part 20, thereby improving the shape conformity to the surface shape of the member to which the heat conductor 1 is joined, such as a heat generating member or a heat dissipating member, and the durability of the heat conductor 1.

[0062] As shown in Figure 7, when the heat conduction portion 10 is observed from the stacking direction with respect to the joint portion 20, it is preferable that there are multiple non-overlapping holes 11 in the heat conduction portion 10. If there are overlapping holes 11 in multiple heat conduction parts 10, the resin material 21 of the joint 20 that penetrates the overlapping holes 11 will become pierced through the multiple heat conduction parts 10. In such a case, the resin material 21 may slip through the holes 11, potentially resulting in insufficient bonding between the heat conduction parts 10.

[0063] In contrast, when the heat conduction section 10 is observed from the stacking direction with respect to the joint section 20, the presence of non-overlapping holes 11 in multiple heat conduction sections 10 prevents the resin material 21 of the joint section 20 from passing through the holes 11, thereby making the bond between the heat conduction sections 10 stronger.

[0064] Note that in Figure 7, only the heat conduction section 10 is shown, and the joint section 20 is omitted. The shape of the hole 11 is not particularly limited. Examples of the shape of the hole 11 when viewed from above the heat conduction section 10, and the cross-sectional shape of the hole 11 relative to the heat conduction section 10, include circular, elliptical, and polygonal shapes. Furthermore, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the heat conduction section 10 may, for example, have a constant width in the depth direction of the hole 11, or have portions where the width changes in the depth direction of the hole 11.

[0065] When the shape of the hole 11 in the heat conduction section 10 is viewed from above, and the cross-sectional shape of the hole 11 in the heat conduction section 10 is circular, the diameter of the hole 11 is preferably 30 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and more preferably 50 μm or more and 300 μm or less. This makes the effects described above even more pronounced.

[0066] The size (diameter) of the holes 11 may or may not be constant in the thickness direction of the heat conduction section 10. If the heat conduction section 10 has parts with different sizes (diameters) of holes 11 in the thickness direction, it is preferable that the diameter value at the part with the largest diameter of the holes 11 is within the range described above.

[0067] The proportion of the heat conductive portion 10 in the heat conductive body 2 (excluding the void portion 4) is preferably 15% by volume or more and 80% by volume or less, and more preferably 20% by volume or more and 70% by volume or less. This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced.

[0068] The proportion of the heat conduction portion 10 in the heat conduction body 2 (excluding the void portion 4) is preferably 35% to 95% and more preferably 45% to 87% in terms of area ratio in the cross-section in the stacking direction of the heat conduction body 2. This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced.

[0069] [1-1-2]Joint part The joint 20 is positioned between two adjacent heat conduction parts 10 to join the heat conduction parts 10 together, and is composed of a flexible resin material 21. The resin material 21 is, for example, a cured product of a curable resin material 21', which will be described later.

[0070] The inclusion of a flexible resin material 21 in the joint 20 improves the adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member to be joined. Furthermore, the heat conductor body 2 improves its shape conformity to the surface shape of the member to be joined with the heat conductor 1. In addition, the inclusion of a flexible resin material 21 in the joint 20 effectively prevents damage to the heat conductor body 2 when it deforms.

[0071] [1-1-2-1] Resin materials The resin material 21 constituting the joint 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is flexible, and examples include flexible epoxy resin, rubber resin, urethane resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, acrylic resin, thermoplastic elastomer, etc. However, as shown in Figure 8, the resin material 21 preferably includes a polyrotaxane 50 having a cyclic molecule 51, a first polymer 52 having a linear molecular structure that encloses the cyclic molecule 51 in a skewer-like manner, and sealing groups 53 provided near both ends of the first polymer 52, and a second polymer 60, wherein the polyrotaxane 50 and the second polymer 60 are bonded via the cyclic molecule 51. This results in better adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member to which it is joined. Furthermore, it improves the bonding strength between the heat conducting portion 10 and the joining portion 20 in the heat conductor body 2, thereby improving the durability of the heat conductor body 2. Additionally, it allows for particularly excellent flexibility and heat resistance of the heat conductor body 2.

[0072] In particular, when a stress in the direction of the arrow is applied to the resin material 21 in the state shown in Figure 8(A), the resin material 21 can take the form shown in Figure 8(B). That is, in the resin material 21, the cyclic molecule 51 is movable along the first polymer 52, or in other words, the first polymer 52 is movable within the cyclic molecule 51, so that deformation stress can be efficiently absorbed within the resin material 21. Therefore, even when a large external force such as a torsional deformation force is applied, the joint 20 is not destroyed, and the joint between the heat conduction parts 10 is not destroyed, which is effectively prevented. In addition, the adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member to be joined becomes even better.

[0073] The resin material 21 containing polyrotaxane 50 and a second polymer 60 will be described in detail below. The cyclic molecule 51 constituting the polyrotaxane 50 may be movable along the first polymer 52, but is preferably a substituted cyclodextrin molecule, and is particularly preferably selected from the group consisting of α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, γ-cyclodextrin, and their derivatives.

[0074] At least a portion of the cyclic molecules 51 in the polyrotaxane 50 are bonded to at least a portion of the second polymer 60, as described above. Examples of functional groups (functional groups that bond with the second polymer 60) that the cyclic molecule 51 possesses include -OH groups, -NH2 groups, -COOH groups, epoxy groups, vinyl groups, thiol groups, and photocrosslinking groups. Examples of photocrosslinking groups include cinnamic acid, coumarin, chalcone, anthracene, styrylpyridine, styrylpyridinium salts, and styrylquinolium salts.

[0075] When the amount of cyclic molecule 51 that is encapsulated in the first polymer 52 in a skewer-like manner is defined as 1, the amount of cyclic molecule 51 encapsulated in the first polymer 52 in a skewer-like manner is preferably 0.001 or more and 0.6 or less, and more preferably 0.05 or more and 0.4 or less. Note that two or more different types of cyclic molecules 51 may be used.

[0076] The first polymer 52 constituting polyrotaxane 50 may include, for example, cellulosic resins such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(meth)acrylic acid, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylcellulose; polyacrylamide, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyvinyl acetal resins, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyamine, polyethyleneimine, casein, gelatin, starch, etc. and / or copolymers thereof; polyolefin resins such as copolymer resins with polyethylene, polypropylene, and other olefin monomers; polyester resins; polyvinyl chloride resins; polystyrene resins such as polystyrene and acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer resins; and polymethyl methacrylate. Examples include acrylic resins such as poly(meth)acrylic acid ester copolymers and acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate copolymer resins, polycarbonate resins, polyurethane resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resins, polyvinyl butyral resins, etc., and their derivatives or modified forms, polyamides such as polyisobutylene, polytetrahydrofuran, polyaniline, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, nylon, polyimides, polyisoprene, polydienes such as polybutadiene, polysiloxanes such as polydimethylsiloxane, polysulfones, polyimines, polyacetic anhydride, polyureas, polysulfides, polyphosphazenes, polyketones, polyphenylenes, polyhaloolefins, and their derivatives, with polyethylene glycol being particularly preferred.

[0077] The weight-average molecular weight of the first polymer 52 is preferably 10,000 or more, and more preferably 35,000 or more. Two or more different types of the first polymer 52 may also be used.

[0078] The combination of the cyclic molecule 51 and the first polymer 52 is preferably such that the cyclic molecule 51 is an α-cyclodextrin which may be substituted, and the first polymer 52 is polyethylene glycol.

[0079] The suffocating group 53 constituting the polyrotaxane 50 is not particularly limited as long as it has the function of preventing the cyclic molecule 51 from being removed from the first polymer 52. Examples include dinitrophenyl groups, cyclodextrins, adamantane groups, trityl groups, fluoresceins, pyrenes, substituted benzenes (substituents include alkyl, alkyloxy, hydroxy, halogen, cyano, sulfonyl, carboxyl, amino, phenyl, etc. There may be one or more substituents), substituted polynuclear aromatics, steroids, etc.

[0080] Substituents that constitute substituted benzenes and substituted polynuclear aromatics include alkyl, alkyloxy, hydroxy, halogen, cyano, sulfonyl, carboxyl, amino, and phenyl groups. One or more substituents may be present. Furthermore, two or more different suffix groups 53 may be used.

[0081] In the resin material 21, at least some of the polyrotaxane 50 are bonded to the second polymer 60 via a cyclic molecule 51. However, the resin material 21 may also contain polyrotaxane 50 that is not bonded to the second polymer 60, or polyrotaxane 50 that are bonded to each other.

[0082] The second polymer 60 is bonded to the polyrotaxane 50 via a cyclic molecule 51. Examples of functional groups that the second polymer 60 has to bond to the cyclic molecule 51 include -OH groups, -NH2 groups, -COOH groups, epoxy groups, vinyl groups, thiol groups, and photocrosslinking groups. Examples of photocrosslinking groups include cinnamic acid, coumarin, chalcone, anthracene, styrylpyridine, styrylpyridinium salt, and styrylquinolium salt.

[0083] The second polymer 60 may include, for example, cellulosic resins such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(meth)acrylic acid, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, polyacrylamide, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyvinyl acetal resins, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyamine, polyethyleneimine, casein, gelatin, starch, etc. and / or copolymers thereof, polyolefin resins such as copolymer resins with polyethylene, polypropylene, and other olefin monomers, polyester resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, polystyrene resins such as polystyrene and acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer resins, polymethyl methacrylate, and Examples include acrylic resins such as (meth)acrylic acid ester copolymers and acrylonitrile-methyl acrylate copolymer resins, polycarbonate resins, polyurethane resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resins, polyvinyl butyral resins, etc., and derivatives or modified versions thereof, polyamides such as polyisobutylene, polytetrahydrofuran, polyaniline, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, polyimides, polyisoprene, polybutadiene and other polydienes, polysiloxanes such as polydimethylsiloxane, polysulfones, polyimines, polyacetic anhydride, polyureas, polysulfides, polyphosphazenes, polyketones, polyphenylenes, and polyhaloolefins, which have the aforementioned functional groups as their backbone.

[0084] Furthermore, the second polymer 60 and the cyclic molecule 51 may be chemically bonded together by a crosslinking agent. The molecular weight of the crosslinking agent is preferably less than 2000, and more preferably less than 400.

[0085] Examples of crosslinking agents include cyanuryl chloride, trimethoyl chloride, terephthaloyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, dibromobenzene, glutaraldehyde, phenylenediisocyanate, trilein diisocyanate, divinyl sulfone, 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole, and alkoxysilanes. Two or more different crosslinking agents may also be used.

[0086] Furthermore, the second polymer 60 may be a homopolymer or a copolymer. In the resin material 21, at least a portion of the second polymer 60 is bonded to the polyrotaxane 50 via the cyclic molecule 51, but the resin material 21 may also contain second polymer 60 that is not bonded to the polyrotaxane 50, or the second polymers 60 may be bonded to each other. In addition, two or more different types of second polymer 60 may be used. The ratio of the polyrotaxane 50 content to the second polymer 60 content in the resin material 21 is preferably 1 / 1000 or more by weight.

[0087] The content of the resin material 21 in the joint 20 is preferably 5% by volume or more and 90% by volume or less, and more preferably 25% by volume or more and 75% by volume or less. This makes the bonding strength of the heat conduction portion 10 by the joint portion 20 even better, and when the joint portion 20 contains resin fibers 22 as shown in Figures 1 to 4, it is possible to ensure a sufficient content of resin fibers 22 in the joint portion 20, thereby fully demonstrating the effects of including resin fibers 22.

[0088] [1-1-2-2] Resin fiber The joint 20 may also contain resin fibers 22 along with the resin material 21 as described above. This effectively prevents the heat conductor 1 from deforming even when used for a long period of time, and effectively prevents problems such as decreased adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the joined material, which can lead to increased thermal and electrical resistance.

[0089] The thickness of the resin fibers 22 contained in the joint portion 20 is preferably 1.0 μm or more and 30 μm or less, more preferably 2.0 μm or more and 25 μm or less, even more preferably 3.0 μm or more and 20 μm or less, and most preferably 4.0 μm or more and 15 μm or less. This makes the aforementioned effects even more pronounced.

[0090] The resin fiber 22 may be composed mainly of a resin material. Examples of resin materials that make up the resin fiber 22 include polyethylene, polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, polyamides, ethylene vinyl acetate resin, and polyvinyl alcohol. However, the resin fiber 22 is preferably composed of polyester, and more preferably of polyethylene terephthalate. This makes it possible to improve the strength of the resin fibers 22 themselves, allowing the effects of including the resin fibers 22 in the joint 20 as described above to be more effectively realized, as well as improving the adhesion between the resin fibers 22 and the resin material 21, thereby improving the durability and reliability of the heat conductor 1.

[0091] The resin fiber 22 only needs to be present as at least one fiber in the joint 20, but it is preferable that it be present as multiple fibers. This makes the aforementioned effects even more pronounced.

[0092] Furthermore, each resin fiber 22 may be included in the joint 20 in an independent state, or multiple resin fibers 22 may be included in an intertwined state. More specifically, the resin fibers 22 may be made of, for example, woven fabric or nonwoven fabric.

[0093] In particular, because the resin fibers 22 are included as a nonwoven fabric in the joint 20, the resin fibers 22 can be distributed more uniformly within the joint 20, effectively suppressing undesirable compositional variations, and the aforementioned effects are exhibited more significantly.

[0094] The content of resin fibers 22 in the joint portion 20 is preferably 2% by volume or more and 70% by volume or less, more preferably 4% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less, and even more preferably 6% by volume or more and 30% by volume or less. This makes it possible to more clearly demonstrate the effects of including the aforementioned resin fibers 22, and to ensure a sufficient content of resin material 21 in the joint 20, thereby achieving excellent bonding strength of the heat conducting portion 10 by the joint 20.

[0095] When the content of resin material 21 in the joint 20 is X1 [volume %] and the content of resin fiber 22 in the joint 20 is X2 [volume %], it is preferable that the relationship 0.04 ≤ X2 / X1 ≤ 10.0 is satisfied, more preferably that the relationship 0.07 ≤ X2 / X1 ≤ 5.0 is satisfied, and even more preferably that the relationship 0.10 ≤ X2 / X1 ≤ 3.0 is satisfied. This makes the aforementioned effects even more pronounced.

[0096] [1-1-2-3] Metal particles The joint 20 may contain metal particles (not shown) in addition to the resin material 21 and resin fibers 22. As mentioned above, the heat conduction portion 10 is the part that primarily contributes to the in-plane thermal conductivity of the heat conduction portion 10. However, since metal particles generally have higher thermal conductivity than the resin material 21 that constitutes the joint portion 20, the inclusion of metal particles in the joint portion 20 can improve the thermal conductivity of the joint portion 20, thereby further improving the thermal conductivity of the entire heat conductor body 2.

[0097] In particular, when adjacent heat conduction parts 10 are connected by one or more metal particles contained in the joint 20, these metal particles form a "thermal path" that thermally connects the heat conduction parts 10, further improving the overall thermal conductivity of the heat conductor body 2.

[0098] Furthermore, by including metal particles made of a metal material with electromagnetic shielding properties, the thermal conductor 1 can also be given an electromagnetic shielding function. In particular, it is possible to suitably provide a shielding function against high-frequency electromagnetic waves, such as those used in fifth-generation mobile communications.

[0099] The metal particles preferably consist of one or more selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ag, Pt, Cu, Sn, Al, and Ni, with iron particles being more preferred.

[0100] The average particle size of the metal particles is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.01 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and more preferably 0.1 μm or more and 3.0 μm or less. In this specification, the average particle size refers to the particle size at which the cumulative total from the smallest diameter side reaches 50% in the weight-based particle size distribution measured by a laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer.

[0101] If the joint portion 20 contains metal particles, the metal particle content in the joint portion 20 is preferably 1% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less, and more preferably 10% by volume or more and 30% by volume or less.

[0102] [1-1-2-4] Ceramic particles The joint 20 may also contain ceramic particles (not shown) in addition to the materials described above. This stabilizes and homogenizes the structure of the joint 20, and also stabilizes the proportion and size of the voids 4 within the joint 20. As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent unintended variations in the properties of each part of the heat conductor body 2.

[0103] Various ceramics can be used as constituent materials for the ceramic particles. When using ceramic materials such as nitride-based ceramics like aluminum nitride, boron nitride, and silicon nitride, carbide-based ceramics like silicon carbide, or oxide-based ceramics like alumina, the overall thermal conductivity of the heat conductor body 2 can be further improved. In particular, when adjacent heat conductors 10 are connected by one or more ceramic particles contained in the joint 20, these ceramic particles form a "thermal path" that thermally connects the heat conductors 10, further improving the overall thermal conductivity of the heat conductor body 2.

[0104] If the joint 20 contains the aforementioned metal particles in addition to ceramic particles, the heat path may be formed of ceramic particles and metal particles. Furthermore, the ceramic particles may be composed of silica. This allows for the stabilization and homogenization of the structure of the joint 20, as described above, while suppressing the production cost of the thermal conductor 1.

[0105] The average particle size of the ceramic particles is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 μm to 200 μm, and more preferably 20 μm to 70 μm.

[0106] If the joint portion 20 contains ceramic particles, the content of ceramic particles in the joint portion 20 is preferably 1% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less, and more preferably 10% by volume or more and 30% by volume or less. This makes it possible to achieve a good balance between the effects of including the resin material 21 and the effects of including ceramic particles, as described above.

[0107] [1-1-2-5] Other ingredients The joint portion 20 may contain components other than those described above. Examples of such components include plasticizers, colorants, antioxidants, UV absorbers, light stabilizers, softeners, modifiers, rust inhibitors, fillers, electromagnetic wave absorbers such as ferrite, surface lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, heat stabilizers, lubricants, primers, antistatic agents, polymerization inhibitors, crosslinking agents, catalysts, leveling agents, thickeners, dispersants, anti-aging agents, flame retardants, hydrolysis inhibitors, and spacers.

[0108] However, the content of these components in the joint portion 20 is preferably 5% by weight or less, and more preferably 1% by weight or less.

[0109] In Figure 4, t 20 The thickness of the joint portion 20 in the stacking direction between the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20 shown is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, and more preferably 5.0 μm or more and 100 μm or less. This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced. However, the thickness of the joint portion 20 here refers to the thickness of the heat conduction portion 10 in contact with the joint portion 20 in the portion where the hole portion 11 is not provided.

[0110] The proportion of the joint portion 20 in the heat conductor body 2 (excluding the void portion 4) is preferably 15% to 80% by volume, more preferably 20% to 70% by volume, and even more preferably 25% to 60% by volume. This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced.

[0111] [1-1-3]Void part The heat conductor body 2 has a heat conducting portion 10 and a joint portion 20, as well as a void portion 4 where the heat conducting portion 10 and the joint portion 20 are not present. The void 4 is a portion of the heat conductor body 2 where the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20 are not present. The void 4 typically contains air or gases such as those generated when the resin material 21 constituting the joint portion 20 hardens.

[0112] Having such voids 4 makes it possible to impart suitable flexibility to the heat conductor body 2, resulting in excellent adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member to which it is joined, and thus excellent adhesion, effective thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity between the member and the heat conductor 1. In particular, by including the aforementioned resin fibers 22 together with the resin material 21 that functions as a binder in the joint 20, relatively small voids 4 can be dispersed and formed. This makes it possible to further improve the adhesion between the heat conductor 10 and the joint 20, and to further improve the durability and reliability of the heat conductor 1. Furthermore, it is possible to further improve the reliability of the joint between the heat conductor 1 and the member.

[0113] The void 4 typically contains air or gases such as gases generated when the curable resin material 21' (see Figure 10, described later), which is used to form the resin material 21, hardens. Within the heat conductor body 2, the void portion 4 is provided at least in a portion adjacent to the joint portion 20.

[0114] The proportion of the void portion 4 within the heat conductor body 2 (proportion in the natural state; the same applies hereinafter) is preferably 5% to 65% by volume, more preferably 5% to 50% by volume, even more preferably 6% to 40% by volume, and most preferably 7% to 32% by volume. This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced.

[0115] When the proportion of the heat conduction portion 10 in the heat conductor body 2 is VC [volume %], the proportion of the joint portion 20 in the heat conductor body 2 is VJ [volume %], and the proportion of the void portion 4 in the heat conductor body 2 is VV [volume %], it is preferable that the relationship 25 ≤ [(VJ + VV) / (VC + VJ + VV)] × 100 ≤ 90 is satisfied, more preferably that the relationship 25 ≤ [(VJ + VV) / (VC + VJ + VV)] × 100 ≤ 70 is satisfied, even more preferably that the relationship 31 ≤ [(VJ + VV) / (VC + VJ + VV)] × 100 ≤ 65 is satisfied, and most preferably that the relationship 37 ≤ [(VJ + VV) / (VC + VJ + VV)] × 100 ≤ 62 is satisfied. This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced.

[0116] The density of the heat conductor body 2 in its natural state is 0.6 g / cm³. 3 More than 2.5g / cm 3 Preferably, it is 0.9 g / cm³. 3 More than 2.0g / cm 3 The following is more preferable:

[0117] By using the materials described above as the materials constituting the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20 of the heat conductor body 2, the overall density can be reduced. This makes it possible to make the heat conductor 1 particularly lightweight.

[0118] [1-2] Method for manufacturing the heat conductor body Next, we will explain the manufacturing method of the heat conductor body. Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat conduction part forming sheet composed of flake graphite. Figure 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat conduction part forming sheet with recesses provided, to which a joint forming composition has been applied. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of an example of an apparatus used in the joint forming composition application process and the winding process. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a cut body obtained in the cutting process. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a cut body that has been pressed to further improve its flatness. Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the cutting process.

[0119] The method for manufacturing the heat conductor body of this embodiment includes a winding step of winding a heat conductor forming sheet 10', which is used to form a heat conductor 10 having a recess (hole) 11 formed thereon, onto the circumferential surface of a winding roll R2 to obtain a cylindrical winding body 30; an incision step of cutting open the winding body 30 in a direction not perpendicular to the axial direction of the winding roll R2 to obtain an incision body 40; and a curing step of curing the curable resin material 21' contained in the incision body 40 to form a joint 20.

[0120] By winding the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', to which the joint forming composition 20' has been applied, around the circumferential surface of the winding roll R2, the heat conductor body 2 can be manufactured more efficiently than, for example, when using a single sheet-like raw material. Furthermore, by curing the curable resin material 21' after cutting the wound body 30, it can be cut in a softer state compared to the joint 20 containing the resin material 21. As a result, the strain generated by winding can be effectively corrected, and when creating a cut body 40 that is flatter than the wound body 30, peeling or a decrease in adhesion between the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', which corresponds to the heat conduction part 10, and the joint forming composition 20', which corresponds to the joint 20, can be effectively prevented. As a result, the final heat conductor body 2 is subjected to optimal strain removal, and peeling, reduced adhesion, fracture of the joint 20, and fracture of the joint between the heat conductors 10 are effectively prevented, resulting in a strong bond between the heat conductors 10 and the joint 20.

[0121] Furthermore, the manufacturing method for the heat conductor body may include, for example, a step of applying a joint-forming composition 20' to a heat conductor-forming sheet 10' provided with recesses (holes) 11, prior to the winding step.

[0122] [1-2-1] Sheet for forming heat conduction section The heat conduction sheet 10' used in the step of applying the composition for forming the joint is intended to become the heat conduction part 10 in the heat conductor body 2. Typically, a sheet material made of a material corresponding to the heat conduction portion 10 to be formed is used as the heat conduction portion forming sheet 10'.

[0123] The heat conduction sheet 10' is preferably composed of substantially a single component. This makes it possible to further improve the thermal conductivity of the formed heat conduction portion 10. In addition, it is generally advantageous in suppressing the manufacturing cost of the heat conductor 1.

[0124] By using a graphite-containing sheet material as the heat conduction sheet 10', the effective thermal conductivity between the heat conduction body 1 and the member joined to it can be improved, while the manufacturing cost of the heat conduction body 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, the flexibility and suppleness of the heat conduction body 2 can be improved, allowing the aforementioned effects to be exhibited more significantly. In addition, the graphite particles can be suitably brought into close contact while providing appropriate spaces between the graphite particles. This provides an anchoring effect, resulting in particularly excellent adhesion between the adhesive layer 3 and the heat conduction body 2. As a result, the aforementioned effects are exhibited more significantly. Hereinafter, the graphite-containing sheet material will also be referred to as "graphite sheet material".

[0125] Furthermore, by using a sheet material made of metal as the sheet 10' for forming the heat conduction section, the effective thermal conductivity between the member joined to the heat conductor 1 and the heat conductor 1 can be improved while suppressing the manufacturing cost of the heat conductor 1. In addition, the dust generation of the heat conductor body 2 can be further reduced due to the strong bonding force within the metal material. Moreover, even when a relatively large load is applied to the heat conductor 1, irreversible deformation of the heat conductor 1, such as collapse of the heat conductor body 2 due to buckling, can be more effectively prevented. Hereinafter, the sheet material made of metal will also be referred to as "metal sheet material".

[0126] [1-2-1-1] Graphite sheet material While graphite sheet materials may include components other than graphite, such as binders or resin fibers, it is preferable that they be substantially composed of graphite only, that is, substantially composed of a single component. Such graphite sheet materials can be manufactured, for example, by compressing powdered graphite into a sheet.

[0127] The graphite is preferably in the form of flaky graphite. This allows the flake-like graphite to be suitably oriented in the in-plane direction of the heat conduction section 10, resulting in particularly excellent in-plane thermal conductivity of the heat conduction section 10.

[0128] More specifically, when flake graphite is compressed into a sheet, the flake graphite FG is oriented in the in-plane direction of the sheet, as shown in Figure 9. That is, the thickness direction of the flake graphite FG is suitably oriented along the thickness direction of the sheet. When used as the heat conductor body 2, the in-plane thermal conductivity of the heat conduction portion 10 can be made particularly excellent.

[0129] Graphite sheet material is preferably manufactured by a method comprising, for example, a pressurizing step of pressurizing flake graphite to form a sheet, a drying step of drying the sheet-shaped graphite, and a heating and pressing step of heating and pressing (hot pressing) the sheet-shaped graphite.

[0130] In the pressurization process, graphite is compressed and formed into a sheet. The pressurization process can preferably be carried out at a temperature of, for example, 10°C to 35°C. The press pressure at this time can be, for example, 1 MPa to 30 MPa.

[0131] In the drying process, the graphite, which has been formed into a sheet, is subjected to a drying treatment. This removes excess moisture and other volatile components, improving handling. It also improves the shape stability and strength of the graphite sheet material.

[0132] The drying process can be carried out by reduced pressure, heating, or natural drying. When heating is used, the heating temperature can be between 40°C and 100°C.

[0133] In the heating and pressing process, the sheet-shaped graphite is subjected to heating and pressing treatment in the thickness direction of the sheet. This allows for a more favorable orientation of the flake-like graphite. Furthermore, the stability of the shape and strength of the graphite sheet material are improved.

[0134] The heating temperature in the heating and pressing process can be, for example, between 100°C and 400°C. This more effectively prevents moisture, binders, etc., from unintentionally remaining in the final graphite sheet material. Furthermore, the pressing pressure in the heating and pressing process can be, for example, between 10 MPa and 40 MPa.

[0135] As shown in Figure 9, when flake graphite FG is compressed into a sheet, the flake graphite FG is densely compressed and hardened near the surface of the graphite sheet material, while the flake graphite FG is coarsely compressed and relatively soft near the center in the thickness direction of the graphite sheet material, and has voids 12. When a graphite sheet material made by compressing flake graphite into a sheet is used as the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', and holes 11 are provided in the graphite sheet material as the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' and the heat conduction part 10 formed by the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', only the holes 11 penetrate from one surface to the other surface, and in other parts, there are no voids 12 penetrating from one surface to the other surface of the graphite sheet material or the heat conduction part 10.

[0136] Thus, if the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' has voids 12 inside, particularly near the center in the thickness direction, the curable resin material 21' can penetrate not only into the holes 11 but also into the voids 12 inside the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', which can further improve the adhesion between the heat conduction part 10 and the joint 20 in the manufactured heat conduction body 2, as well as the durability of the heat conduction body 1.

[0137] Also, regarding the density, the density is relatively high near the surface of the graphite sheet material and relatively low inside the graphite sheet material. The density of the entire graphite sheet material is preferably 0.3 g / cm 3 or more and 2.1 g / cm 3 or less, more preferably 0.7 g / cm 3 or more and 2.1 g / cm 3 or less. Thereby, while making the thermal conductivity and strength in the plane direction of the graphite sheet material alone particularly excellent, it is possible to have a more suitable void portion 12 near the center in the thickness direction of the graphite sheet material, and the effects as described above can be more significantly exhibited.

[0138] <� [1-2-1-2] Metal sheet material As the metal sheet material, in addition to the metal material, those containing components other than the metal material, for example, a binder or resin fibers, can also be used, but it is preferably composed substantially only of the metal material, that is, preferably composed of substantially a single component. As the metal sheet material, for example, a metal foil obtained by rolling a metal material into a sheet shape can be preferably used.

[0139] The thickness of the sheet 10' for forming the heat conduction part is preferably 5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0140] The sheet 10' for forming the heat conduction part to be subjected to the step of applying the composition for forming the joint part is preferably provided with a recess (hole part) 11 in its thickness direction in advance. Thereby, in the step of applying the composition for forming the joint part, the composition 20' for forming the joint part can more preferably penetrate into the recess (hole part) 11, and the penetration form of the resin material 21 into the recess (hole part) 11 in the finally obtained heat conductor body 2 can be made more suitable.

[0141] The method for forming recesses (holes) 11 in the heat conduction sheet 10' is not particularly limited, but for example, the recesses (holes) 11 can be efficiently formed by rotating a roll body having multiple protrusions corresponding to recesses (holes) 11 formed on its circumferential surface, while pressing it against the surface of the heat conduction sheet 10' with a predetermined force.

[0142] The recesses (holes) 11 in the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' are not limited to those provided by the method described above, but may be provided by other methods. For example, the recesses (holes) 11 may be formed using a member with multiple protrusions corresponding to the recesses (holes) 11 formed on a flat plate, or using an awl or the like. Alternatively, the recesses (holes) 11 may be provided on a heat conduction part forming sheet 10' that does not have recesses (holes) 11 as described above, or they may be formed simultaneously with the molding of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10'.

[0143] The recesses (holes) 11 in the heat conduction sheet 10' can satisfy the same conditions as those described in the description of the recesses (holes) 11 in the heat conduction part 10. This will provide the same effects as described above.

[0144] [1-2-2] Composition for forming joints The joint-forming composition 20' used in the joint-forming composition application step is intended to form a joint 20 in the heat conductor body 2, and is a composition containing a curable resin material 21'.

[0145] The curable resin material 21' is not particularly limited as long as the resin material 21 obtained by curing the curable resin material 21' is flexible, and the precursor of the aforementioned resin material 21, such as an uncured or semi-cured product, can be used. This will provide the same effects as described above.

[0146] Furthermore, it is preferable that the curable resin material 21' generates gas during the curing process described later. This allows for the formation of suitable voids 4 within the heat conductor body 2.

[0147] The joint-forming composition 20' may also contain resin fibers 22 in addition to the curable resin material 21'. As a result, when manufacturing the heat conductor body 2, it is not necessary to prepare resin fibers 22 separately from the joint-forming composition 20', and a relatively simple structure can be used as the equipment used in manufacturing the heat conductor body 2 (especially the equipment used in the joint-forming composition application process and the winding process).

[0148] In addition to the components described above, the joint-forming composition 20' may also contain metal particles, ceramic particles, spacers, and the like.

[0149] If the joint-forming composition 20' contains the above-mentioned components, it is preferable to adjust the content in the joint-forming composition 20' so that the content in the joint 20 of the final heat conductor body 2 falls within the range described above.

[0150] The joint-forming composition 20' may contain components other than those described above. Examples of such components include plasticizers, colorants, antioxidants, UV absorbers, light stabilizers, softeners, modifiers, rust inhibitors, fillers, electromagnetic wave absorbers such as ferrite, surface lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, heat stabilizers, lubricants, primers, antistatic agents, polymerization inhibitors, crosslinking agents, catalysts, leveling agents, thickeners, dispersants, anti-aging agents, flame retardants, and hydrolysis inhibitors.

[0151] However, the content of these components in the joint-forming composition 20' is preferably 5% by weight or less, and more preferably 1% by weight or less.

[0152] Furthermore, it is preferable that the joint-forming composition 20' does not contain solvent components. This prevents solvent components from unintentionally remaining in the final heat conductor body 2, thereby improving the reliability of the heat conductor 1.

[0153] [1-2-3] Process of applying composition for joint formation In the step of applying the joint-forming composition, a joint-forming composition 20' containing a curable resin material 21' is applied to at least one surface of the heat-conducting sheet 10'.

[0154] Methods for applying the joint-forming composition 20' to the surface of the heat-conducting sheet 10' include, for example, applying it using a bar coater, roll coater, reverse roll coater, gravure coater, die coater, kiss coater, rod coater, dip coater, or spray coater. This allows the bonding composition 20' to be continuously and appropriately applied to the surface of the heat conduction sheet 10', which is advantageous in improving the reliability of the manufactured heat conductor 1 and the productivity of the heat conductor 1.

[0155] The joint-forming composition 20' may be applied to only one side of the heat-conducting sheet 10' or to both sides. However, if the heat-conducting sheet 10' has holes 11, it is preferable to apply the joint-forming composition 20' from one side of the heat-conducting sheet 10', as shown in Figure 11. This allows the curable resin material 21' to penetrate favorably into the interior of the holes 11. More specifically, by applying the bonding composition 20' from one side of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', the air present in the holes 11 can be pushed out to the other side of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', allowing the curable resin material 21' to penetrate the holes 11 more favorably. Furthermore, if the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' has voids 12 in addition to the holes 11, the curable resin material 21' can also penetrate favorably into the voids 12 inside the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' through the holes 11.

[0156] In this case, it is preferable to apply the joint-forming composition 20' using a kiss coater. In Figure 10, the heat conduction sheet 10' is shown as a graphite sheet material composed of flake graphite FG, but the above effects can be obtained even with other heat conduction sheet 10'.

[0157] However, by using the above-described graphite sheet material as the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', the following effects can also be obtained. That is, when the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' is the above-described graphite sheet material, the flaky graphite FG is densely compressed and hardened near the surface of the graphite sheet material, while near the center in the thickness direction of the graphite sheet material, the flaky graphite FG is coarsely compressed and relatively soft, and has voids 12. For this reason, the curable resin material 21' can suitably penetrate into the voids 12 inside the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' through the holes 11. This makes it possible to further improve the adhesion between the heat conduction part 10 and the joint part 20 in the manufactured heat conductor body 2, and the durability of the heat conductor 1.

[0158] This process can be carried out, for example, using the apparatus shown in Figure 11. More specifically, a raw material roll R1 is prepared by winding a pre-fabricated heat conduction part forming sheet 10' into a roll shape. Then, one end of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' is pulled out from the raw material roll R1, and the joint forming composition 20' is applied to one side of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' using a kiss coater M10.

[0159] The Kiss Coater M10 is a device that applies coating to a sheet using one or more rolls, and is capable of applying coating only to the areas where the coating roll M11 is in contact with the sheet.

[0160] The Kiss Coater M10 comprises a coating roll M11 that is rotated in the direction of the arrow by a motor (not shown), a liquid receiving pan M12 that holds the joint-forming composition 20', and a squeegee M13 that maintains a constant film thickness of the joint-forming composition 20' on the surface of the coating roll M11 by bringing its tip into contact with the surface of the coating roll M11. Approximately the lower half of the coating roll M11 is immersed in the joint-forming composition 20' in the liquid receiving pan M12. The heat-conducting sheet 10' is guided and conveyed by guide rolls M14, M14, so that it comes into contact with the upper surface of the coating roll M11 when the joint-forming composition 20' is applied. As a result, when the coating roll M11 rotates, the joint-forming composition 20' in the liquid receiving pan M12 is drawn up by the coating roll M11, adjusted to a predetermined amount by the squeegee M13, and then applied to the surface of the heat-conducting sheet 10'. The joint-forming composition 20' is supplied to the liquid receiving pan M12 by a pump from a supply tank (not shown), and the height of the joint-forming composition 20' in the liquid receiving pan M12 is controlled to be kept constant.

[0161] By using the Kiss Coater M10, the heat conduction sheet 10' can be coated with the bonding composition 20' without immersing it in the bonding composition 20'. Therefore, in the coating process, a constant amount of bonding composition 20' can be efficiently applied continuously.

[0162] In the step of applying the composition for forming the joint, it is preferable to include air bubbles between the heat conduction sheet 10' and the joint-forming composition 20'. This allows for the formation of a suitable void 4 between the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20 after the resin material 21 has hardened.

[0163] Methods for incorporating air bubbles between the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' and the bonding part forming composition 20' include, for example, adjusting the surface shape of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10', the viscosity of the bonding part forming composition 20', and the wettability of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10'. Furthermore, after attaching the bonding composition 20' to the heat conduction sheet 10', the gas generated during the curing reaction can be used to form bubbles (formation of voids 4).

[0164] This process is preferably carried out using a heated joint-forming composition 20' such that its viscosity is lower than its viscosity at room temperature (20°C). As a result, after the completion of this process, for example in the winding process, the bonding composition 20' applied to the heat conduction sheet 10' is cooled, and the viscosity of the bonding composition 20' can be made lower than the viscosity in this process. Consequently, it is possible to more effectively prevent the bonding composition 20' applied to the heat conduction sheet 10' from unintentionally flowing out in processes after the bonding composition application process.

[0165] The heating temperature of the joint-forming composition 20' in this process is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to set it so that the viscosity of the joint-forming composition 20' satisfies the following conditions. When applying the bonding composition 20' to the heat conduction sheet 10', the viscosity of the bonding composition 20' is preferably 500 mPa·s or more and 50,000 mPa·s or less, and more preferably 2,000 mPa·s or more and 40,000 mPa·s or less.

[0166] This allows the joint-forming composition 20' to be more preferably applied to the heat-conducting sheet 10' at a predetermined thickness. Furthermore, if the heat-conducting sheet 10' has recesses (holes) 11, the joint-forming composition 20' can be more preferably penetrated into these recesses (holes) 11. The viscosity of the joint-forming composition 20' can be determined by measurement in accordance with JIS Z8803:2011.

[0167] Furthermore, for example, in this process, multiple types of joint-forming compositions 20' may be used, or a material containing only some of the components of the aforementioned joint-forming composition 20' and a material containing other components may be used separately in combination.

[0168] [1-2-4] Winding process In the winding process, the heat conductive part forming sheet 10', to which the joint forming composition 20' has been applied, is wound around the circumferential surface of the winding roll R2 to obtain a cylindrical winding body 30.

[0169] The wound body 30 obtained in this manner has a structure in which portions composed of heat conduction sheet 10' and portions composed of joint formation composition 20' are alternately arranged from the center toward the outer circumference.

[0170] In Figure 11, the heat conduction sheet 10' is shown being transported guided by guide rolls M14, M14. However, the heat conduction sheet 10' may also be transported by guide rolls other than M14, M14 (not shown), and the transport direction may be changed by the guide rolls as needed.

[0171] In the illustrated configuration, the heat conduction sheet 10' to which the joint-forming composition 20' is applied is wound around the circumferential surface of a winding roll R2 with a circular cross-section. However, the system is not limited to this, and the sheet may be wound around the circumferential surface of a roll with an elliptical, polygonal, or track-shaped cross-section.

[0172] Furthermore, in the winding process, a resin fiber sheet (woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, etc.) containing resin fibers 22 may be wound onto the winding roll R2 together with the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' described above. In this case, the resin fiber sheet may be coated with the joint-forming composition 20' in the same manner as described above, or it may not be coated with the joint-forming composition 20'.

[0173] When using a resin fiber sheet to which the joint-forming composition 20' has been applied, the heat-conducting sheet 10' may be one to which the joint-forming composition 20' has been applied as described above, or one to which the joint-forming composition 20' has not been applied. In other words, in the joint-forming composition application step, the joint-forming composition 20' may be applied to the resin fiber sheet instead of the heat-conducting sheet 10'. Furthermore, when using a resin fiber sheet, it may be used with adhesive applied to at least a portion of its surface.

[0174] By using a resin fiber sheet in the manufacture of the heat conductor body, the resin fibers 22 can be suitably oriented in the in-plane direction of the joint 20. This allows for more uniform dispersion of the resin fibers 22 and also makes the overlapping state of the resin fibers 22 more uniform. As a result, the tensile strength of the joint 20 is improved, and the thickness of the joint 20 can be made more uniform. When using a resin fiber sheet, the thickness of the resin fiber sheet is preferably 3 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and more preferably 5 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

[0175] [1-2-5] Incision process In the cutting process, the wound body 30 is cut open in a direction not perpendicular to the axial direction of the winding roll R2 to obtain the cut body 40.

[0176] By cutting the wound body 30 before the curing process in which the curable resin material 21' is cured, the joint 20 containing the resin material 21 (cured product of the curable resin material 21') can be cut in a softer state compared to cutting the joint 20.

[0177] In this process, an incision is made in the stacking direction of the winding body 30, in a direction not perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrical winding roll R2, and extending from one end to the other in the axial direction of the winding roll R2. The winding body 30 is then removed from the winding roll R2 while being opened at the incision, resulting in a cut body 40.

[0178] The direction in which the winding body 30 is cut open is not particularly limited, as long as it is not perpendicular to the axial direction of the winding roll R2. For example, it may be in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the winding roll R2, or it may be in a direction oblique to the axial direction of the winding roll R2. Furthermore, the winding body 30 may have portions that are cut open in different directions. For example, it may have portions that are cut open in a direction substantially parallel to the axial direction of the winding roll R2 and portions that are cut open obliquely to the axial direction of the winding roll R2.

[0179] The method for cutting the coiled body 30 is not particularly limited, but examples include using a band saw, saw, cutter, trimming cutter, laser, ultrasonic cutter, water cutter, etc.

[0180] [1-2-6]Curing process In the curing process, the curable resin material 21' contained in the joint-forming composition 20' is cured in the cut body 40. After the incision process, a curing process may be performed to cure the curable resin material 21' contained in the incised body 40.

[0181] As shown in Figure 12, when the wound body 30 is cut open to form the cut body 40, the cut body 40 is usually in a curved state. If the curable resin material 21' is cured before the wound body 30 is cut open, attempting to improve the flatness of the curved cut body 40 will result in strain caused by the difference in curvature between the inner and outer circumferences of the cut body 40, which can easily lead to delamination or reduced adhesion between the heat conduction part 10 and the joint 20, fracture of the joint 20, and fracture of the joint between the heat conduction parts 10. In contrast, by applying the curable resin material 21' to the cut body 40, which has been cut open to improve its flatness, the occurrence of the above problems can be effectively prevented.

[0182] This process can be carried out, for example, by curing the curable resin material 21' while the inner and outer circumferential sides of the incised body 40 are in contact with a flat surface. More specifically, as shown in Figure 13, for example, by sandwiching the cut body 40 between two flat plates 90 and applying pressure, the flatness of the heat conduction part forming sheet 10' and the joint forming composition 20' is improved, and the curable resin material 21' is cured to form the resin material 21.

[0183] The pressure at this time is not particularly limited, but is preferably greater than 0 MPa and less than or equal to 100 MPa, and more preferably between 1 MPa and 20 MPa. If the pressure is below the lower limit, it may become difficult to sufficiently improve the flatness of the heat conduction portion 10 and the joint portion 20. On the other hand, if the pressure exceeds the upper limit, significant leakage of the curable resin material 21' from between adjacent heat conduction portion forming sheets 10' may occur, making it difficult to form a joint portion 20 of the desired thickness.

[0184] Furthermore, by performing the hardening process while pressing the cut body 40, peeling or a decrease in adhesion between the heat conducting part 10 and the joint part 20, the destruction of the joint part 20, and the destruction of the joint between the heat conducting parts 10 can be more effectively prevented, thereby improving the durability of the heat conductor 1.

[0185] When the curable resin material 21' is a thermosetting resin, the heating temperature varies depending on the conditions of the curable resin material 21', but is preferably 80°C to 220°C, and more preferably 100°C to 190°C. This allows the curable resin material 21' to be cured effectively.

[0186] Through the above-described processes, the heat conductor body 2 is obtained by processing it into a predetermined shape as needed.

[0187] [1-2-7] Cutting process If the heat conductor body 2 to be manufactured is in the shape of a block, after the hardening process described above, a cutting process is performed to cut the block into a shape in which the heat conducting portion 10 and the joint portion 20 are exposed on both sides. This makes it possible to obtain, for example, a block-shaped heat conductor body 2 having a desired thickness.

[0188] After the curing process, a block-shaped heat conductor body 2 with a thickness of T5 can be obtained by cutting along, for example, the cutting lines A-A' and B-B' in Figure 14. Here, even if the thickness T5 of the heat conductor body 2 to be manufactured is relatively small, the heat conductor body 2 can be easily cut because, after the curing process, the curable resin material 21' becomes a resin material 21 with higher shape stability.

[0189] The cutting method is not particularly limited, but examples include using a cutter, trimming cutter, laser, ultrasonic cutter, water cutter, etc. The cutting direction may be approximately parallel to the layering direction (thickness direction of the cut body 40), or it may be oblique to the layering direction (thickness direction of the cut body 40). Figure 14 shows how the cut body 40 is cut approximately parallel to the layering direction.

[0190] The surface of the heat conductor body 2, particularly the surface where the heat conducting portion 10 and the joint portion 20 are exposed, may be polished. This allows for a suitable adjustment of the surface roughness of the heat conductor body 2.

[0191] In its natural state, i.e., without any external force applied, the surface roughness Ra of the heat conductor body 2 is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 80 μm or less, and more preferably 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less. This allows the thermal conductor 1 to more effectively conform to the surface shape of the member joined to it, thereby improving the effective thermal conductivity between the member and the thermal conductor 1. The surface roughness Ra of the heat conductor body 2 can be measured, for example, by a method compliant with JIS B 0601-2013.

[0192] [1-3] Other configurations of the heat conductor body Next, we will describe other configuration examples for the heat conductor body. Figure 15 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the heat conductor body. Figure 16 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the heat conductor body shown in Figure 15, where Figure 16(a) is a cross-sectional view at the cutting line C-C' and Figure 16(b) is a cross-sectional view at the cutting line D-D'.

[0193] In the heat conductor body 2 shown in Figures 15 and 16, when viewed from the second direction, that is, the upper side in Figure 15, or in other words, from the z-axis direction, multiple heat conducting sections 10 are arranged in an island-like manner. This makes it easier to suppress variations in thermal conductivity at each part of the thermal conductor body 2 within its plane (in the xy-plane direction shown in Figure 15), while also improving the overall flexibility of the thermal conductor body 2, thereby more significantly demonstrating the effects of the present invention described above.

[0194] In this specification, "island-like" refers to a state in which multiple heat conduction parts 10 are scattered and not continuous within the joint 20. In other words, the heat conduction parts 10 are independent of each other in both the x and y directions.

[0195] In the heat conductor body 2 shown in Figure 15, when viewed from a plan view from a second direction, multiple heat conduction sections 10 are arranged in a staggered pattern. In other words, the heat conduction sections 10 are arranged alternately in the y direction in a first row 10a, which is aligned in the x direction, and in a second row 10b (which is the row adjacent to the first row 10a). This allows the aforementioned effects to be more pronounced.

[0196] It is preferable that the heat conduction portion 10 of the first row 10a and the heat conduction portion 10 of the second row 10b overlap in the y direction, at least in part. This will allow the effects described above to be even more pronounced.

[0197] w in Figure 15 when viewed from the second direction in plan view. 10The width of the heat conduction section 10 shown is preferably 1 mm or more and 30 mm or less, more preferably 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less, and even more preferably 7 mm or more and 15 mm or less. This makes it possible to ensure a sufficiently high proportion of the heat conduction portion 10 within the heat conductor body 2, while also improving the overall flexibility of the heat conductor body 2, thereby more reliably and significantly achieving the aforementioned effects.

[0198] Figure 15 shows g when the heat conductor body 2 is viewed from a second direction in a plan view. 10 The spacing between adjacent heat conduction portions 10, as shown by the symbol, is preferably 1 μm or more and 2000 μm or less, more preferably 2 μm or more and 1500 μm or less, and even more preferably 3 μm or more and 1000 μm or less. This makes it possible to ensure a sufficiently high proportion of the heat conduction portion 10 within the heat conductor body 2, while also making the overall flexibility of the heat conductor body 2 more pronounced, thereby allowing the aforementioned effects to be exhibited more clearly.

[0199] In this specification, "the distance between adjacent heat conduction parts 10" means the gap between adjacent heat conduction parts 10 as the shortest distance.

[0200] Furthermore, although Figure 15 shows a case where multiple heat conduction units 10 are arranged in a staggered pattern, the multiple heat conduction units 10 may be arranged in a manner other than a staggered pattern. The multiple heat conduction units 10 may be arranged regularly or randomly.

[0201] As shown in Figure 16, the inclination direction of the heat conduction section 10 (through heat conduction section 10c) with respect to the surface normal direction V1 is reversed between the first row 10a and the second row 10b of the heat conduction section 10.

[0202] The inclination direction of the through-heat conduction portion 10c of the first row 10a with respect to the surface normal direction V1 is set to the positive (+) direction, and the inclination direction of the through-heat conduction portion 10c of the second row 10b with respect to the surface normal direction is set to the negative (-) direction.

[0203] In other words, the through-heat conduction portion 10c of the first row 10a is inclined at an angle θ1 in the positive direction with respect to the surface normal direction V1, and the through-heat conduction portion 10c of the second row 10b is inclined at an angle θ2 in the negative direction with respect to the surface normal direction V1.

[0204] In this way, by providing through-heat conduction sections 10c that are inclined in different directions, and in particular by providing through-heat conduction sections 10c that are inclined in a positive direction with respect to the surface normal direction V1, as well as through-heat conduction sections 10c that are inclined in a negative direction with respect to the surface normal direction V1, it is possible to more effectively suppress irreversible deformation of the heat conductor 1, such as the collapse of the heat conductor body 2 due to buckling, even when a relatively large load is applied to the heat conductor 1, and to further improve the durability of the heat conductor 1.

[0205] In particular, by arranging through-heat conduction sections 10c that are inclined in a positive direction with respect to the surface normal direction V1 and through-heat conduction sections 10c that are inclined in a negative direction with respect to the surface normal direction V1 alternately, the aforementioned effects can be made even more pronounced.

[0206] As shown in Figure 16, the surface normal direction V1 and the extension direction e of the through-heat conduction portion 10c 10 The absolute values ​​of the angles θ1 and θ2 are preferably between 3° and 45°, more preferably between 5° and 40°, and even more preferably between 8° and 35°. This allows the aforementioned effects to be exhibited more dramatically. Note that angles θ1 and θ2 may have different sizes, but it is preferable that they be the same.

[0207] Furthermore, the angle is not a precise numerical value in a mathematical sense, and may include the usual errors in the technical field of the present invention. For example, a difference of less than 1° is considered an error and is interpreted as the same angle.

[0208] The inclination direction of the heat conduction portion 10 is not particularly limited, but if the heat conduction portion 10 (heat conduction portion forming member 10') is strip-shaped, it is preferable that the surface direction of the heat conduction portion 10 is inclined with respect to the normal direction V1 of the surface. As a result, even when a relatively large load is applied to the heat conductor 1, irreversible deformation of the heat conductor 1, such as the collapse of the heat conductor body 2 due to buckling, can be more effectively suppressed, and the durability of the heat conductor 1 can be further improved.

[0209] [1-4] Adhesive layer The adhesive layer 3 is made of a material containing an adhesive and has the function of adhering closely to the adherend, in other words, to the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied, and fixing the heat conductor 1 to the member. In this specification, "fixing" is a concept that includes temporary fixing, such as to prevent misalignment when applying the heat conductor 1 to the member, and the adhesive layer 3 may not substantially exert adhesive fixing force when the close contact between the heat conductor 1 and the member is maintained, for example by pressing. More specifically, for example, the adhesive layer 3 may be irreversibly embedded inside the heat conductor body 2 by pressing, and after pressing, it may not substantially exist on the contact surface between the heat conductor 1 and the member.

[0210] Examples of adhesives that make up the adhesive layer 3 include acrylic adhesives, synthetic rubber adhesives, urethane adhesives, silicone adhesives, and the like.

[0211] An acrylic adhesive may contain acrylic monomers as constituent monomers, and may also contain monomers other than acrylics. However, the proportion of acrylic monomers among the total monomers constituting the acrylic adhesive is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and even more preferably 90% by mass or more.

[0212] Specific examples of synthetic rubber adhesives include styrene-butadiene rubber, polyisobutylene rubber, isobutylene-isoprene, styrene-isoprene block copolymer, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer, styrene-butadiene block copolymer, and styrene-ethylene-butylene block copolymer.

[0213] Specific examples of urethane-based adhesives include reaction products of polyester polyols or polyether polyols with polyisocyanate compounds.

[0214] Specific examples of silicone-based adhesives include those containing silicone rubber and silicone resin.

[0215] The adhesive layer 3 only needs to be composed mainly of adhesive, but may also contain components other than adhesive. Examples of such components include UV absorbers, tackifiers, fillers, softeners, antioxidants, light stabilizers, crosslinking agents, colorants, modifiers, rust inhibitors, flame retardants, hydrolysis inhibitors, surface lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, heat stabilizers, lubricants, antistatic agents, polymerization inhibitors, catalysts, leveling agents, thickeners, dispersants, defoamers, and surfactants.

[0216] In a state where the surface of the adhesive layer 3 is exposed, that is, in a state where the heat conductor 1 and the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied are not in close contact, the surface of the adhesive layer 3 is 5.0 mm 2 In this region, the flatness obtained by measurement in accordance with JIS B0621 is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 10 μm or less, more preferably 0.2 μm or more and 7 μm or less, and even more preferably 0.3 μm or more and 5 μm or less. This improves the adhesion between the member joined to the heat conductor 1 and the heat conductor 1 via the adhesive layer 3, thereby improving the effective thermal conductivity between the member joined to the heat conductor 1 and the heat conductor 1.

[0217] In this specification, the region may be a circular region in plan view. In particular, for example, the area centered on the centroid of the adhesive layer 3 in plan view is 5.0 mm². 2 It can be a circular region.

[0218] In the natural state of the heat conductor 1, it is preferable that a portion of the adhesive layer 3 penetrates into the interior of the heat conductor body 2. This results in better adhesion between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3, and more reliably prevents unintended peeling at the interface between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3.

[0219] In a heat conductor 1 in its natural state, when the thickness of the adhesive layer 3 is T1 [μm] of the portion exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body 2 and the thickness of the portion penetrating into the interior of the heat conductor body 2 is T2 [μm], it is preferable that the relationship 0.5 ≤ T2 / T1 ≤ 20 is satisfied, more preferably that the relationship 1.0 ≤ T2 / T1 ≤ 15 is satisfied, and even more preferably that the relationship 2.0 ≤ T2 / T1 ≤ 10 is satisfied. This makes the effects described above even more pronounced. Furthermore, if the surface of the heat conductor body 2 is uneven, the average value of the thickness of the adhesive layer 3 (the thickness of the portion exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body 2) at the tops of each protrusion that protrudes to the outer surface side of the heat conductor body 2, as identified by measurement using a laser displacement meter, can be adopted as the value of T1. Furthermore, if the surface of the heat conductor body 2 is uneven, the average thickness of the portion of the adhesive layer 3 that penetrates into the interior of the heat conductor body 2 at the tops of each protrusion that protrudes to the outer surface side of the heat conductor body 2, as identified by measurement using a laser displacement meter, can be adopted as the value of T2.

[0220] In the natural state of the heat conductor 1, the thickness T1 of the portion of the adhesive layer 3 exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body 2 is preferably 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less, more preferably 0.5 μm or more and 20 μm or less, and even more preferably 1.0 μm or more and 15 μm or less. This makes it possible to make the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 3 more suitable, and improve the conformability and adhesion to the surface shape of the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied. For example, even if the surface of the member (the part to which the heat conductor 1 is joined) is a curved surface with a small radius of curvature or an uneven surface, excellent adhesion can be ensured, and the heat conductor 1 can be prevented from peeling off unintentionally, etc.

[0221] In the natural state of the heat conductor 1, the thickness T2 of the portion of the adhesive layer 3 that penetrates into the interior of the heat conductor body 2 is preferably 0.05 μm or more and 600 μm or less, more preferably 0.5 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 5 μm or more and 100 μm or less. This further improves the adhesion between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3, and more reliably prevents unintended peeling at the interface between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3.

[0222] In a heat conductor 1 in its natural state, the thickness of the portion of the adhesive layer 3 exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body 2 is T1 [μm]. When the portion of the heat conductor 1 provided with the adhesive layer 3 is pressed with a force of 0.5 MPa in a first direction perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the heat conductor body 2, the thickness of the portion of the adhesive layer 3 exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body 2 is T3 [μm]. In this case, it is preferable that the relationship T3 / T1 ≤ 0.3 is satisfied, more preferably that T3 / T1 ≤ 0.2 is satisfied, and even more preferably that T3 / T1 ≤ 0.1 is satisfied. This makes the effects mentioned above even more pronounced. Furthermore, if the surface of the heat conductor body 2 is uneven, the average value of the thickness of the adhesive layer 3 (the thickness of the portion exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body 2) at the tops of each protrusion that protrudes to the outer surface side of the heat conductor body 2, as identified by measurement using a laser displacement meter, can be adopted as the value of T3.

[0223] The adhesive layer 3 is provided on at least a portion of at least one main surface of the heat conductor body 2. The adhesive layer 3 may be provided on at least one main surface of the heat conductor body 2, or may be provided on a plurality of main surfaces of the heat conductor body 2. For example, the adhesive layer 3 may be provided on each of a pair of opposing main surfaces of the heat conductor body 2. Thereby, the substantial thermal conductivity between the member disposed on one main surface side of the heat conductor 1 and the member disposed on the other main surface side can be made suitable. The adhesive layer 3 may be provided only on a part of the main surface of the heat conductor body 2, or may be provided on the entire main surface.

[0224] When the adhesive layer 3 is provided only on a part of the main surface of the heat conductor body 2, its shape and arrangement are not particularly limited. For example, when observing the adhesive component region from the direction facing the surface of the heat conductor body 2, the shape may be dot-like, linear, irregular, or a combination of these shapes. Also, when the adhesive layer 3 is provided in a dot shape, its arrangement pattern is not particularly limited, and examples include staggered, checkered, random, etc.

[0225] When the portion of the adhesive layer 3 exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body 2 forms a dot shape, the diameter of the dot is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.7 mm or more and 4.0 mm or less. Thereby, good thermal conductivity and good adhesiveness between the heat conductor 1 and the member to which it is applied can be achieved at a higher level. In this specification, the dot shape is not limited to a perfect circle in plan view, and may be, for example, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, etc. However, it is preferable that the ratio of the length in the direction orthogonal to the length in the major axis direction of the dot in plan view is 0.4 or more. In other words, it is preferable that the aspect ratio is less than 2.5. In addition, as the value of the diameter when the dot is not a perfect circle, the value of the diameter of a perfect circle having the same area as the area of the dot when viewed in plan can be adopted.

[0226] When the portion of the heat conductor body 2 exposed from the surface of the adhesive layer 3 is linear, the width of the line is preferably 0.3 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.7 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. Thereby, good thermal conductivity and good adhesiveness between the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied can be achieved at a higher level.

[0227] When the main surface of the heat conductor 1 provided with the adhesive layer 3 is viewed in plan, when the exposed area of the heat conductor body 2 in the main surface is S1 [μm] and the area of the portion where the adhesive layer 3 is formed is S2 [μm], it preferably satisfies the relationship of 0.001 ≦ S2 / S1 ≦ 0.10, more preferably satisfies the relationship of 0.003 ≦ S2 / S1 ≦ 0.09, and even more preferably satisfies the relationship of 0.00 Thereby, good thermal conductivity and good adhesiveness between the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied can be achieved at a higher level.

[0228] The storage elastic modulus of the adhesive layer 3 at 25°C is preferably 10 MPa or more and 50 MPa or less, more preferably Thereby, the adhesive layer 3 has appropriate flexibility, can ensure good adhesion with the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied, and can be more preferably embedded in the heat conductor body 2 when pressed, and the substantial thermal conductivity between the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied and the heat conductor

[0229] The storage modulus of the adhesive layer 3 can be determined by measurement in accordance with JIS K7244-6. More specifically, it is the value measured using a viscoelasticity measuring device (e.g., Physica MCR300) at a measurement frequency of 1 Hz using the torsional shear method.

[0230] The adhesive layer 3 described above can be formed, for example, by applying an uncured adhesive composition to at least a portion of at least one main surface of the heat conductor body 2, flattening the surface of the adhesive composition by pressing it, and then curing the adhesive composition. Alternatively, the adhesive layer 3 described above can also be suitably formed by a transfer method, for example, by applying an uncured adhesive composition onto a release sheet, pressing the adhesive composition into contact with the heat conductor body 2, and then curing the adhesive composition.

[0231] [1-5] Protective Sheet As shown in Figure 3, it is preferable that the surface of the adhesive layer 3 is protected by a protective sheet P1. This allows for the convenient storage and transport of unused heat conductors 1, for example. As a result, handling of the heat conductors 1 becomes easier, and the adhesive layer 3 before the heat conductors 1 are attached to the member to which they are applied can be conveniently protected, effectively preventing the adhesion of dust and other contaminants during storage and transport, as well as adhesion to unintended areas. When the heat conductor 1 is joined to the member, the protective sheet P1 is peeled off from the adhesive layer 3.

[0232] As the protective sheet P1, for example, various release sheets can be used. More specifically, glassine paper coated with silicone, or glassine paper or fine paper laminated with polyethylene and coated with silicone can be used. Furthermore, the protective sheets P1 and P2 may support multiple individual heat conductors 1 together.

[0233] In the case where adhesive layers 3 are provided on both of a pair of opposing main surfaces of the heat conductor body 2 in the heat conductor 1, it is preferable that the surfaces of the adhesive layers 3 provided on both sides of the heat conductor body 2 are each protected by a protective sheet P1.

[0234] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, if the adhesive layer 3 is provided on only one of the pair of opposing main surfaces of the heat conductor body 2 in the heat conductor 1, the main surface of the heat conductor 1 that does not have the adhesive layer 3 may be protected by a protective sheet P2 having an adhesive layer on its surface.

[0235] In such cases, the protective sheet P2 can be, for example, one having a base material made of various plastics or paper and an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer constituting the protective sheet P2 can be, for example, one with the same configuration as the adhesive layer 3 described above, but it is preferable that the adhesion to the heat conductor body 2 is lower than that of the adhesive layer 3. Alternatively, the protective sheet P2 can also be, for example, one having a base material and a pseudo-adhesive layer.

[0236] When the heat conductor 1 is joined to the member, the protective sheets P1 and P2 are peeled off from the heat conductor body 2.

[0237] [1-6] Applications of thermal conductors Next, we will explain the applications of heat conductor 1. The heat conductor 1 can, for example, be in contact with a high-temperature member on one side and in contact with a heat dissipation member on the other side. This allows it to be used as a heat transfer member to efficiently dissipate heat from the heat dissipation member by transferring heat from the high-temperature member to the heat dissipation member, or as a heat transfer member that comes into contact with an object to be heated and a high-temperature member that is at a higher temperature than the object to be heated, transferring thermal energy from the high-temperature member to the object to be heated and efficiently heating the object.

[0238] High-temperature components are not particularly limited as long as they become hotter than the surrounding atmosphere. Examples include various electronic and electrical components, and more specifically, central processing units (CPUs) of computers, graphics processing units (GPUs), power devices, FPGAs, ASICs, SoCs of smartphones, DSPs and microcontrollers of embedded devices, or semiconductor elements such as transistors.

[0239] As for the high-temperature component, it is preferable that its maximum surface temperature is 40°C to 250°C, more preferably 50°C to 200°C, and even more preferably 60°C to 180°C. When the thermal conductor 1 is applied to such a high-temperature component, it can conduct and dissipate heat more effectively, and the effects of the present invention are exhibited even more significantly.

[0240] For example, in the manufacturing of electronic equipment, a heat conductor 1 is placed between an electronic component, which is a high-temperature component, and a heat dissipation component, and temporarily fixed in place with an adhesive layer 3. This allows for suitable temporary fixing without slipping, or in other words, without misalignment, even in cases where, for example, the area on which the electronic components are mounted is inclined.

[0241] Figure 17 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration in which multiple heat conductors are arranged side by side on a plane. In the configuration shown in Figure 17, multiple heat conductors 1 are arranged side by side on a plane, and adhesive portions A1 are placed between adjacent heat conductors 1.

[0242] This allows multiple heat conductors 1 connected by the adhesive portion A1 to be placed together at the desired location. Furthermore, if multiple heat conductors 1 are connected, the size and shape of the heat conductors 1 can be suitably adjusted according to the location where they should be placed by partially severing the connection by the adhesive portion A1. Also, by arranging the adhesive part A1 between adjacent heat conductors 1 to fill the gaps, the following effects can be obtained compared to the case where the adhesive part A1 is not arranged between the heat conductors 1. That is, when the adhesive part A1 is not arranged between the heat conductors 1, it is necessary to arrange the heat conductors 1 one by one. However, during this operation, it is difficult to closely contact a plurality of heat conductors 1 without gaps. If an attempt is made to arrange the adjacent heat conductors 1 so that no gaps occur, the heat conductors 1 are likely to partially overlap and partially float. When such gaps or floating occur, an air layer is formed at the corresponding site. Such an air layer has a significantly low thermal conductivity, which causes a decrease in the substantial thermal conductivity between the member to which the heat conductor 1 is applied. However, by arranging the adhesive part A1 between the heat conductors 1, it is possible to preferably prevent the formation of the above-mentioned air layer, and it becomes easier to make the substantial thermal conductivity more excellent.

[0243] As the constituent material of the adhesive part A1, for example, the same materials as those described for the adhesive layer 3 can be used. Also, in the illustrated configuration, the adhesive part A1 is provided so as to fill the entire space between adjacent heat conductors 1. However, for example, it may be provided in a plurality of dot shapes so as to partially fill the space between adjacent heat conductors 1.

[0244] [2] Bonded body Next, the bonded body of the present invention will be described. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of the bonded body of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a perspective view schematically showing the state of bonding between heat conductors.

[0245] As shown in FIG. 18, the bonded body 100 has the heat conductor 1 as described above and a member 110 bonded to the heat conductor 1 by the adhesive layer 3.

[0246] In such a joint 100, when pressed, at least a portion of the adhesive layer 3 is embedded inside the heat conductor body 2, resulting in excellent adhesion between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3. This prevents unintended peeling at the interface between the heat conductor body 2 and the adhesive layer 3, and also improves the adhesion between the heat conductor 1 and the member 110 to be joined. As a result, the joint 100 has excellent effective thermal conductivity between the member 110 and the heat conductor 1.

[0247] The member 110 joined to the heat conductor 1 may be made of any material, but it is preferable that it be made of a material including a metallic material or a ceramic material. This makes the effects described above even more pronounced.

[0248] The metallic material is not particularly limited and can be any elemental metal or alloy. More specifically, examples include copper, copper alloys, aluminum, and aluminum alloys.

[0249] The ceramic material is not particularly limited, and various oxide-based ceramics, various carbide-based ceramics, various nitride-based ceramics, or composites of two or more selected from these can be used.

[0250] In this embodiment, the member 110 joined to the heat conductor 1 may be another heat conductor 1. In other words, as shown in Figure 19, multiple heat conductors 1 may be joined together via an adhesive layer 3.

[0251] More specifically, for example, if the heat conductor 1 has anisotropy in its in-plane thermal conductivity, a two-stage configuration may be formed by stacking a heat conductor 1 with high thermal conductivity in the x-direction in the in-plane and a heat conductor 1 with high thermal conductivity in the y-direction in the in-plane. This allows for excellent thermal conductivity not only in the first direction (z-direction) perpendicularly connecting the pair of planes, but also in the x-direction and y-direction within the plane. In other words, heat can be conducted and dissipated in three dimensions.

[0252] One method for stacking heat conductors 1 with different in-plane thermal conductivity is to stack, for example, a heat conductor 1 arranged in a heat conductor body 2 such that the extension direction of the heat conduction portion 10 is in the x-direction in the plane, and a heat conductor 1 arranged such that the extension direction of the heat conduction portion 10 is in the y-direction in the plane.

[0253] Furthermore, by changing the angle at which the extending directions of the heat conduction parts 10 intersect in the multiple stacked heat conductors 1, it is possible to design spaces where heat is less likely to be conducted. This allows for effective protection of heat-sensitive components, such as electronic components, from heat.

[0254] The joint 100 may be joined to another member. In this case, an adhesive layer 3 may be provided on the outer surface of the joint 100, in other words, on at least a portion of the surface that is joined to the other member.

[0255] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0256] For example, the above explanation mainly described the case where the heat conduction part and joint part constituting the heat conductor are planar, but at least a part of the heat conduction part and joint part constituting the heat conductor may be non-planar, for example, curved surface or bent surface.

[0257] Furthermore, while the above explanation described a typical case where holes are provided in each heat conduction part constituting the heat conductor, some of the multiple heat conduction parts constituting the heat conductor do not need to have holes.

[0258] Furthermore, the heat conduction section may be provided with recesses that do not penetrate in the thickness direction of the heat conduction section, i.e., bottomed recesses, in place of or in addition to the aforementioned holes. Alternatively, the heat conduction section may not be provided with recesses at all.

[0259] Furthermore, the heat conductor body may have components other than the heat conducting portion, joint portion, and void portion described above.

[0260] Furthermore, the heat conductor is not limited to those manufactured by the method described above. For example, a heat conductor manufacturing method may include other steps (pre-treatment steps, intermediate treatment steps, post-treatment steps, etc.) in addition to the steps described above.

[0261] Furthermore, the formation of holes in the heat conduction part forming sheet may be performed after the heat conduction part forming sheet has been removed from the raw material roll. More specifically, for example, holes may be formed in the heat conduction part forming sheet after it has been removed from the raw material roll but before the bonding composition is applied, or holes may be formed in the heat conduction part forming sheet at the same time as the bonding composition is applied to the heat conduction part forming sheet that does not yet have holes.

[0262] Furthermore, although the above description explains a method for manufacturing a heat conductor using a method that includes a winding step, a cutting step, and a curing step in that order, the heat conductor may also be manufactured by methods that change the order of these steps, methods that omit some of these steps, or methods that substitute other steps. More specifically, for example, the heat conductor may be manufactured by stacking multiple heat conductor forming sheets to which a joint forming composition is applied, and then performing a curing step, instead of using a method that includes a winding step and a cutting step.

[0263] Furthermore, although the above description described a method of manufacturing a heat conductor by winding a heat conduction-forming sheet to which a joint-forming composition has been applied, and then cutting the winding body, the heat conductor may also be manufactured by, for example, laminating single-sheet heat conduction-forming members to which the joint-forming composition has been attached to form a laminate.

[0264] Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a heat conductor, at least some of the steps described above may be rearranged. [Explanation of symbols]

[0265] 1: Thermal conductor 2: Heat conductor body 3: Adhesive layer 4 :Void part 10: Heat conduction section 10a: First column 10b: Second column 10c: Through-heat conduction section 10': Sheet for forming a heat conduction part (member for forming a heat conduction part) 11: Hole (recess) 12:Void part 20: Joint 20': Composition for forming joints 21: Resin materials 21': Curable resin material 22: Resin fiber 30: Coiled body 40: Incision 50: Polyrotaxane 51: Cyclic molecules 52: The first polymer 53: Blocking group 60: Second polymer 90: Flat plate 100:zygote 110: Components A1: Adhesive part A-A': Cutting line B-B': Cutting line C-C': Cutting line D-D': Cutting line FG: Scale-like graphite e 10 :Extending direction g 10 :interval M10: Kiss Coater M11: Coating Roll M12: Liquid receiving pan M13: Squeegee M14: Guide Roll P1: Protective sheet P2: Protective sheet R1: Raw material roll R2: Winding Roll t 10 : thickness t 20 : thickness T1: Thickness T2: Length T3: Thickness T4: Thickness T5: Thickness V1: Normal direction w 10 :width θ1: angle θ2: angle

Claims

1. It comprises a heat conductor body made of a material including a resin material and having voids inside, and an adhesive layer provided on at least a portion of at least one main surface of the heat conductor body, The heat conductor is characterized in that, when pressed, at least a portion of the adhesive layer is embedded in the void of the heat conductor body.

2. 5.0 mm of the surface of the adhesive layer ２ The thermal conductor according to claim 1, wherein the flatness determined by measurement in accordance with JIS B0621 in the region is 0.1 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

3. The heat conductor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in its natural state, a portion of the adhesive layer penetrates into the interior of the heat conductor body.

4. The heat conductor according to claim 3, where T1 [μm] is the thickness of the adhesive layer that is exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body and T2 [μm] is the thickness of the portion that penetrates into the interior of the heat conductor body, and the relationship 0.5 ≤ T2 / T1 ≤ 20 is satisfied.

5. The heat conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the thickness of the portion of the adhesive layer exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body is 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less.

6. The heat conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the portion of the adhesive layer exposed from the surface of the heat conductor body is dot-shaped, and the diameter of the dots is 0.3 mm or more and 10.0 mm or less.

7. The thermal conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the storage modulus of the adhesive layer at 25°C is 10 MPa or more and 50 MPa or less.

8. The thermal conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the adhesive layer is protected on its surface by a protective sheet.

9. The thermal conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the resin material comprises a polyrotaxane having a cyclic molecule, a first polymer having a linear molecular structure that encloses the cyclic molecule in a skewer-like manner, and choke groups provided near both ends of the first polymer, and a second polymer, wherein the polyrotaxane and the second polymer are bonded via the cyclic molecule.

10. The heat conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the heat conductor body comprises a plurality of heat conducting parts and a joint part made of a material including the resin material, having flexibility, and joining the heat conducting parts.

11. The heat conductor according to claim 10, wherein the proportion of the heat conducting portion in the heat conductor body is 15 volume% or more and 80 volume% or less.

12. The heat conductor according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the proportion of the joint portion in the heat conductor body is 15 volume% or more and 80 volume% or less.

13. The heat conductor according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the void portion is a portion in which the heat conducting portion and the joint portion are not present.

14. A joint comprising a heat conductor according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and a member joined to the heat conductor by the adhesive layer.

15. The joint according to claim 14, wherein the member is made of a material including a metal material or a ceramic material.

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