Peltier element provided with heat flow sensor

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a Peltier element provided with an ultra-low-heat-resistance heat flow sensor that can quickly detect a heat flow passing through the Peltier element and that has such a low heat resistance as to be ignored. [Solution] The present invention is structured to form an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 directly on at least one of the top and the bottom of an insulating substrate forming a Peltier element 10.　The present invention is preferably characterized in that: each fine line (22a) of a power generating body is formed of a magnetic body having remanent magnetization even without an external magnetic field and is magnetized in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the fine line; and each fine line (23a) of a connection body is formed of a ferromagnetic body magnetized in the opposite direction to the direction in which each fine line (22a) is magnetized, a magnetic body having a Nernst coefficient with an opposite sign to that of the fine line (22a), or a non-magnetic body.

Description

Peltier element with heat flow sensor

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

[0002] The Seebeck effect, a common thermoelectric effect, is a phenomenon in which an electric field is generated parallel to a temperature gradient when a temperature gradient is applied to a conductive material (Fig. 6(A)). A Seebeck-type heat flow sensor has a structure in which thermoelectric materials with positive and negative Seebeck coefficients are alternately aligned, with the top and bottom connected in series in the direction of the temperature gradient generated by the heat flow passing through the sensor (Fig. 7(A)). Although heat flow sensors using the Seebeck effect have already been commercialized, their applications have been limited due to various issues, such as their complex structure, high thermal resistance, low flexibility, and high cost.

[0003] On the other hand, the anomalous Nernst effect in magnetic materials is characterized by the appearance of an electric field perpendicular to the temperature gradient caused by the heat flow passing through the sensor and the magnetization of the magnetic material (Figure 6(B)). Recently, the inventors have demonstrated that by utilizing this special thermoelectric effect, the "anomalous Nernst effect," which occurs in magnetic materials, voltage can be amplified using an extremely simple in-plane connection structure, thereby functioning as a heat flow sensor (see Non-Patent Document 1). An anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor, for example, has a series-connected structure of magnetic wires stretched perpendicular to the temperature gradient (Figure 7(B)). This anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor can be fabricated on an extremely thin flexible sheet, and is therefore expected to have low thermal resistance, high flexibility, and low manufacturing cost.

[0004] On the other hand, the Peltier effect (a phenomenon in which heat flows when an electric current is passed through it and the direction of the heat flow changes depending on the direction of the electric current), which is the opposite effect of the Seebeck effect, is a rare device that can both heat and cool an object using a single module, and is widely used in Peltier coolers, CCD cooling, CPU cooling, temperature control of silicon wafers in semiconductor chip manufacturing, microbial culture devices, and thermal devices (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Because Peltier elements are devices that control heat flow, if the heat flow can be quantitatively detected and controlled using Peltier elements, even more precise temperature control should be possible. Furthermore, attempts have been made to use Peltier elements to control the human body's temperature sensation (see Non-Patent Document 2), and it is expected that more precise control of temperature sensation will be possible by detecting heat flow.

[0005] JP 2003-46144 A JP 2003-282796 A

[0006] W. Zhou et al. , Appl Phys. Express 13, 043001 (2020). Yukiko Osawa, et al. , "Control of Thermal Conductance with Detection of Single Contacting Part for Rendering Spatial Sensation," IEEJ Journal of Industry Applications, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 101-107, Mar. 2016

[0007] However, the density of the heat flow passing through the Peltier element is not determined solely by the magnitude and direction of the current flow, but is dependent on a complex thermal circuit including the thermal boundary conditions on the cooling and heating sides, so it is not easy to quantitatively measure the amount of heat flow generated by the Peltier element. When the Seebeck heat flow sensor described above is attached to the Peltier element and an attempt is made to measure the heat flow, the thermal resistance is 10 －１ ~10 －２ m ２Because the heat flux is so large, on the order of K / W, the use of a heat flux sensor would significantly impair the cooling and heating efficiency of the Peltier element, making the use of a Seebeck heat flux sensor impractical.

[0008] On the other hand, heat flow sensors utilizing the anomalous Nernst effect are known devices [see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1] and have been fabricated on insulating substrates such as thermally oxidized Si or MgO, or flexible ultrathin sheets such as polyimide or polyethylene naphthalate. Because the magnetic thin film contributes to thermoelectric conversion, the thermal resistance of the sensor is 10 －３ ~10 －６ m ２ K / W, which is a thermal resistance that is 1 to 4 orders of magnitude smaller than that of a Seebeck-type heat flow sensor. However, even in this case, when attached to a Peltier element, there is an unavoidable problem of thermal resistance that reduces the efficiency of heat flow control. The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and aims to provide a Peltier element with an ultra-low thermal resistance heat flow sensor that can quickly detect heat flow passing through the Peltier element and has a thermal resistance so small that it can be ignored.

[0009] (1) The Peltier element with heat flow sensor of the present invention has a structure in which an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is formed directly on the upper or lower part, or both, of an insulating substrate on which a Peltier element 10 is formed, as shown in FIG.

[0010] (2) In the Peltier element with heat flow sensor (1) of the present invention, preferably, the Peltier element has a PN junction element sandwiched between insulating substrates, and the insulating substrates are provided with electrodes, and the electrodes on the bottom surface of the package are abutted against and directly connected to the electrodes of the Peltier element, as shown in Fig. 2. (3) In the Peltier element with heat flow sensor (2) of the present invention, preferably, the insulating substrate is either a ceramic substrate or a flexible sheet.

[0011] (4) In the Peltier elements with heat flow sensor of the present invention (1) to (3), preferably, the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor comprises, as shown in FIG. 3, a power generator 22 consisting of a plurality of thin wires 22a arranged parallel to one another (y direction) along the surface of an insulating substrate 21, and a connecting body 23 consisting of a plurality of thin wires 23a arranged parallel to and between the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22 along the surface of the insulating substrate 21, wherein the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22 are made of a magnetic material that has residual magnetization even in the absence of an external magnetic field and are magnetized in the same direction (x direction), and the thin wires 23a of the connecting body 23 electrically connect one end of each thin wire 22a of the power generator 22 to the other end of the thin wire 22a adjacent on one side of each thin wire 22a, The connecting member 23 may be made of a magnetic material magnetized in the opposite direction to the magnetization direction of each of the thin wires 22a, a magnetic material having a Nernst coefficient of the opposite sign to that of each of the thin wires 22a, or a non-magnetic material. (5) In the Peltier element with heat flow sensor (4) of the present invention, the magnetic material of the thin wires 22 and 23 is preferably Fe—Al, Fe—Ga, Fe—Sn, Fe—Pt, Mn—Ga, Mn—Ge, Mn—Sn, Ni—Pt, Co—Gd, Fe ４ N, Mn ３ AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co ２ YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L1 ０ Pattern ordered alloy, FePd L1 ０ Pattern ordered alloy, CoPt L1 ０ (6) In the Peltier element with heat flow sensor (4) of the present invention, the non-magnetic material is preferably any one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Rh, W, Mo, Pt, Pd, and alloy materials containing these.

[0012] (7) In the Peltier element with heat flow sensor of any of (1) to (6) of the present invention, it is preferable to have a heat dissipation fin attached to the Peltier element.

[0013] In the present invention, a metal thin film (a plurality of thin wires constituting the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor) having a thickness of several tens to several thousands of nm is formed directly on the Peltier element and patterned, so the thermal resistance is 10 －８ ~10 －１０ m ２ This has an extremely small effect of only 1000 kJ / W, which has absolutely no effect on the cooling or heating efficiency of the Peltier element, making it possible to measure the heat flow density passing through the Peltier element in extremely high speed and in real time.Since the heat flow is detected using the anomalous Nernst effect, which is a thermoelectric effect, no external power supply is required, and measurement is possible by measuring the voltage at two terminals.

[0014] 1 is a perspective view of the configuration of a Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of a cooling / heating module using a Peltier element; 3 (A) is a perspective view showing the basic structure of a heat flow sensor utilizing the anomalous Nernst effect used in the present invention; 4 (B) is an example of evaluation results of an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor, showing the change in the anomalous Nernst voltage output with respect to an external magnetic field when the heat flow density in the z direction is changed; 5 (C) is a diagram showing the dependence of the anomalous Nernst voltage on the heat flow density; 6 (A) is a perspective view of the configuration of an experimental device in which an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is patterned on top of a Peltier element according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the heat flow and temperature measurements using a thermocouple attached to a copper plate; 7 (B) is a diagram showing the heat flow and temperature measurements using a thermocouple attached to a copper plate when the input voltage to the Peltier element is changed when an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is patterned on top of a Peltier element according to one embodiment of the present invention; 8 (A) shows the input current to the Peltier element; 9 (B) shows the detected heat flow density; and 10 (C) shows the time change of the detected temperature. 1A is an explanatory diagram of the Seebeck effect, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of the anomalous Nernst effect. FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram of a Seebeck-type heat flow sensor, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram of an anomalous Nernst-type heat flow sensor.

[0015] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below. Note that the upper and lower limits of a range indicated by "to" are inclusive unless otherwise specified. For example, "AA to BB" indicates a range from AA to BB.

[0016] [Overview of Peltier Element 100 with Heat Flow Sensor] The Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by the use of a single substrate that serves both as the insulating base 12 constituting the Peltier element 10 and the insulating substrate 21 constituting the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the configuration of the Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention. The Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor has a structure in which the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is formed directly on the upper or lower part, or both, of the insulating substrate 21 (insulating base 12) of the Peltier element 10 (i.e., on at least one of the heat absorption surface and heat generation surface of the Peltier element 10). Due to its physical function, the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is also referred to as a thermoelectric conversion element or a thermoelectric power generation device. The basic configuration of the Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the single Peltier element 10 and the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 according to the reference example described below. The Peltier element 10 and the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "heat flow sensor 20") will be described below.

[0017] [Configuration of Unit According to Reference Example] (Peltier Element 10 According to Reference Example) The Peltier element 10 typically includes a pair of opposing insulating bases 12 having a pair of outer surfaces 12a and a pair of inner surfaces 12b, a plurality of N-type elements 11N and P-type elements 11P (PN junction elements) sandwiched between the pair of inner surfaces 12b of the pair of insulating bases 12, and a pair of electrode patterns 15 formed on the inner surfaces 12b of the pair of insulating bases 12 so as to alternately connect the N-type and P-type elements 11N and 11P in series. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a cooling / heating module 19 using the Peltier element 10. The Peltier element 10, which is a thermoelectric conversion element, is an element in which P-type elements made of P-type semiconductors and N-type elements made of N-type semiconductors are alternately electrically connected, and when electricity is applied, generates a cooling / heating effect known as the Peltier effect at the junctions between the P-type elements and the N-type elements. This Peltier element 10 is typically used for cooling and temperature control of semiconductor devices and the like as a heating / cooling module 19 incorporating multiple P-type elements 11P and N-type elements 11N. In the Peltier element 10 used in such a heating / cooling module 19, the outer surfaces 12a of a pair of insulating bases 12 function as heat absorption and heat generation surfaces. As shown in FIG. 2 , the heating / cooling module 19 is constructed by sandwiching multiple N-type elements 11N and P-type elements 11P between a pair of Peltier element-mounting wiring boards 18, each consisting of an insulating base 12 and an electrode pattern 15 formed on its inner surface 12b. The N-type elements 11N and P-type elements 11P are sandwiched alternately on the electrode pattern 15 so as to be electrically connected in series and thermally in parallel. Alternatively, the heating / cooling module 19 may be configured such that electrodes (electrode patterns 15) provided on the bottom surface (inner surface 12b of the insulating base 12) inside the package are directly connected to electrodes serving as external terminals of the Peltier element 10. That is, the Peltier element 10 may have an external connection electrode 17 connected to one of the pair of electrode patterns 15, and may have this as an external configuration.

[0018] In addition, the insulating base 12 is responsible for holding the N-type and P-type elements 11N and 11P, wiring between the N-type and P-type elements 11N and 11P, and heat exchange between the N-type and P-type elements 11N and 11P and semiconductor devices (not shown) and heat dissipation substrates (not shown) mounted on the cooling / heating module 19.

[0019] Porcelain such as aluminum nitride sintered body or alumina sintered body, which has excellent thermal conductivity, is used for the pair of insulating bases 12. In order to reduce the thermal resistance of the insulating bases 12 and increase the heat exchange efficiency of the cooling / heating module 19, the use of aluminum nitride sintered body, which can be made thinner and has high thermal conductivity, is increasingly being used for the porcelain used for the insulating bases 12.

[0020] The Peltier element 10 utilizes the Peltier effect, where heat is generated and absorbed at the metal surface when an electric current is passed through two types of metal that have been joined together. Currently, P-type and N-type semiconductors are used instead of metals. This type of heat conversion also occurs at the junction between P-type and N-type semiconductors. Since energy must be taken in from the outside in order for electrons to move from the P-type semiconductor, which has a low energy level, to the N-type semiconductor, which has a high energy level, heat is absorbed (on one of the outer surfaces 12a of the Peltier element 10) at this time, allowing the temperature to drop.

[0021] Common thermoelectric materials used for the semiconductors that make up the N-type and P-type elements 11N and 11P include bismuth telluride, lead telluride, silicon germanium, and bismuth-antimony alloys, of which bismuth telluride is the most commonly used.

[0022] (Heat flow sensor 20 according to a reference example) Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a conceptual configuration for explaining a heat flow sensor 20 (thermoelectric conversion device) based on the anomalous Nernst effect used in the present invention, and is a perspective view showing the basic structure of the heat flow sensor 20 (thermoelectric power generation device) utilizing the anomalous Nernst effect. As shown in Fig. 3, the heat flow sensor 20 has an insulating substrate 21, a power generation body 22, and a connection body 23.

[0023] The insulating substrate 21 generally has at least a surface layer made of an electrical insulator. The insulating substrate 21 is made of, for example, a ceramic material such as aluminum nitride, a silicon substrate with a thermal oxide film, or an MgO single crystal substrate. The power generator 22 extends along the surface (xy plane) of the insulating substrate 21 in the y direction (first direction) and is composed of multiple thin wires 22a arranged parallel to each other in the x direction (second direction) perpendicular to the y direction. Each thin wire 22a is a magnetic material with remanent magnetization (i.e., magnetization even without an external magnetic field) and is magnetized in the same direction in the x direction (width direction of the thin wires 22a). In a specific example of the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 fabricated on a substrate shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), each thin wire 22a is formed by thinning an FeAl thin film deposited on a flexible sheet (insulating substrate 21) and is made of a magnetic material with remanent magnetization in the width direction (x direction) of the thin wire 22a. The power generator 22 is configured to generate electricity in a direction (y direction) perpendicular to the magnetization direction (x direction) of the thin wire 22a and the temperature difference direction (z direction) by generating a temperature difference in a direction (z direction: thickness direction of the insulating base 12) perpendicular to the magnetization direction (x direction) of the thin wire 22a due to the anomalous Nernst effect.

[0024] The magnetic material of the power generating body 22 may be Fe—Al, Fe—Ga, Fe—Sn, Fe—Pt, Mn—Sn, or Co. ２ YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, FePt L1 ０ Pattern ordered alloy, FePd L1 ０ Pattern ordered alloy, CoPt L1 ０ Examples include magnetic materials with positive thermoelectric power, such as ordered alloys, and magnetic materials with negative thermoelectric power, such as Mn-Ga, Mn-Ge, and Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet materials, but it is known that the sign of the thermoelectric power of the above materials is not determined solely by their elemental composition. That is, even within the same material system, the thermoelectric power can have both positive and negative signs (for example, Fe-Ga can have negative thermoelectric power at low Ga concentrations). In this case, it is best to prioritize the cases where the thermoelectric power has a positive or negative sign when determining the combination of magnetic materials.

[0025] The connector 23 is configured to connect the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22 in series so that current flows through the thin wires 22a in the same direction in the y direction (first direction). For example, the connector 23 is composed of a plurality of thin wires 23a arranged along the surface (xy plane) of the insulating substrate 21, parallel to and between the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22. Each thin wire 23a of the connector 23 is configured to electrically connect one end of a first thin wire to the other end of a second thin wire of adjacent first and second thin wires of each thin wire 22a of the power generator 22. This allows the connector 23 to electrically connect the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22 in series. However, the connector 23 is not limited to the above configuration, as long as it is capable of electrically connecting the thin wires 22a of the power generator 22 in series so that current flows in the same direction. If the connecting body 23 is a magnetic material (e.g., a ferromagnetic material) having the same sign of the Nernst coefficient as the power generator 22, the detection sensitivity can be improved by magnetizing it in the opposite magnetization direction to that of the power generator 22 (in the x direction) (i.e., by making it a magnetic material having residual magnetization in the opposite direction to that of the power generator 22). If the connecting body 23 is a magnetic material (e.g., a ferromagnetic material) having the opposite sign of the Nernst coefficient to that of the power generator 22, the detection sensitivity can be improved by magnetizing it in the same magnetization direction as that of the power generator 22 (in the x direction) (i.e., by making it a magnetic material having residual magnetization in the same direction as that of the power generator 22). The connecting body 23 can also be made of a non-magnetic material that provides electrical connection. In a specific example shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), the connecting body 23 is made of the non-magnetic material Au. Figure 3(B) shows the change in the anomalous Nernst voltage output with respect to the external magnetic field when the heat flow density in the z direction (thickness direction of the insulating substrate 21) is changed. Figure 3(C) shows the dependence of the anomalous Nernst voltage on the heat flow density. In this specific example, the insulating substrate 21 is a polyimide (flexible sheet) measuring 10 mm x 10 mm, and each of the fine wires 22a of the power generating body 22 is made of FeAl, with ten fine wires 22a. Each of the fine wires 23a of the connecting body 23 is made of Au.Even in the absence of an external magnetic field, an anomalous Nernst voltage is output, demonstrating the function as a heat flow sensor that responds linearly to a given heat flow density. The thickness of the power generating body 22 and the thin wires 22a, 23a of the connecting body 23 is, for example, several tens to several thousands of nanometers.

[0026] The heat flow sensor 20 utilizes the anomalous Nernst effect, and therefore can detect heat flow by utilizing residual magnetization without applying an external magnetic field.

[0027] [Details of Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor] In the Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention, the insulating base 12 of the Peltier element 10 is used as the insulating substrate 21 of the heat flow sensor 20. This allows the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 to be fabricated directly on the Peltier element 10. In this case, the only thermal resistance applied to the Peltier element 10 is the metal thin film (plurality of thin wires 22a, 23a) that constitutes the power generation body 22 and the connector 23. Therefore, when the thickness is about 0.1 to 10 μm, the thermal resistance of 10 －８ ~10 －１０ m ２ The effect of the anomalous Nernst effect on the K / W is extremely small. Therefore, the increase in thermal resistance due to the fabrication of the heat flow sensor 20 is extremely small, and in addition to not affecting the cooling and heating performance of the Peltier element 10, high-speed heat flow detection is possible. By utilizing the anomalous Nernst effect, a potential difference is generated in a direction perpendicular to the temperature difference, so that the structure can be made simpler than that of a sensor using the Seebeck effect, and therefore the sensor can be easily fabricated.

[0028] In the Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor of the present invention, the above-described configuration of the single Peltier element 10 and heat flow sensor 20 can typically be used, but the following configuration is preferable.

[0029] The pair of insulating substrates 21 (insulating bases 12) constituting the Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention may be either ceramic substrates or flexible sheets.

[0030] The magnetic material of the power generating body 22 according to one embodiment of the present invention is Fe—Al, Fe—Ga, Fe—Sn, Fe—Pt, Mn—Ga, Mn—Ge, Mn—Sn, Ni—Pt, Co—Gd, Fe ４ N, Mn ３ AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co ２ YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L1 ０ Regular pattern alloy, FePd L1 ０ Type ordered alloys, and CoPt L1 ０ It is preferable that the alloy be any one of the ordered alloys.

[0031] The non-magnetic material of the connector 23 according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably any one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Rh, W, Mo, Pt, Pd, and alloy materials containing these.

[0032] The Peltier element 100 with a heat flow sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention may have heat dissipation fins on the heat generating surface of the Peltier element 10. Also, heat dissipation fins may be provided on the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20.

[0033] [Example] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an experimental device in which an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is patterned on the upper part (outer surface 12a) of a Peltier element 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and shows the heat flow and temperature measurement using a thermocouple attached to a copper plate. Note that Fig. 4 shows a state in which the heat dissipation fins have been removed. Preferably, heat dissipation fins are further attached to the Peltier element.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 using Fe-Ga magnetic wire and Au wire was directly patterned and formed on the ceramic plate of a commercially available Peltier element 10. The thickness of the Fe-Ga and Au film was 50 nm, and the resulting increase in the thermal resistance of the Peltier element 10 was 10 －１０ m ２The heat flow sensor-equipped Peltier element 100 was attached to a copper plate via a heat dissipation sheet, and a thermocouple for temperature monitoring was attached to the copper plate. A power supply to the Peltier element 10 and a digital multimeter for measuring the voltages of the thermocouple and heat flow sensor were then wired.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows the results of measuring the heat flow and the temperature using a thermocouple attached to a copper plate when an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 is patterned on the top (outer surface 12 a) of a Peltier element 10 representing one embodiment of the present invention and the input voltage to the Peltier element 10 is changed.

[0036] The temperature of the copper plate is heated and cooled by the heat flow control using the Peltier element 10, but this change is detected gradually. On the other hand, the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 detects the sudden change in heat flow immediately after changing the input voltage to the Peltier element 10 with an extremely high response speed of less than one second. It has been demonstrated that the use of the present invention makes it possible to quickly and accurately detect heat flow fluctuations caused by the Peltier element 10.

[0037] The Peltier element 10 is a rare device capable of both heating and cooling, and is widely used in air conditioners, electronic devices, cameras, medical equipment, and the like. The Peltier element 10 is a device that controls heat flow by applying an electric current through the thermoelectric effect. However, the degree of heat flowing in and out through the Peltier element 10 is generally estimated indirectly through the temperature of the object being cooled or heated. The heat flow of the Peltier element 10 itself is not directly measured, and there are limitations to high-precision temperature control. The present invention relates to a "Peltier element with an ultra-low thermal resistance heat flow sensor" that exerts negligibly small thermal resistance and can quickly detect the heat flow passing through the Peltier element 10 by forming a thin-film anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor 20 directly on a ceramic or other plate that forms the Peltier element 10.

[0038] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims.

[0039] The Peltier element 100 with heat flow sensor of the present invention can be used in any application device that uses a Peltier element, and for example, in a Peltier cooler, it is expected that temperature changes due to heat flow can be predicted more accurately, enabling precise temperature control to within 0.1° C. In a thermal device that utilizes a Peltier element, advanced control is possible by matching the direction and magnitude of heat flow with the thermal sensation of the human body.

[0040] The present invention can also adopt the following configurations: [1] A Peltier element with a heat flow sensor, in which an anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is formed directly on at least one of the heat absorption surface and the heat generation surface of the Peltier element. [2] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to [1] above, comprising: a pair of insulating bases having a pair of outer surfaces constituting the heat absorption surface and the heat generation surface and a pair of inner surfaces facing each other, a P-type element and an N-type element sandwiched between the pair of inner surfaces of the pair of insulating bases, a pair of electrode patterns formed on the pair of inner surfaces of the pair of insulating bases so as to alternately connect the P-type element and the N-type element in series, and an external connection electrode connected to one of the pair of electrode patterns. [3] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to [2] above, in which the pair of insulating bases are either ceramic substrates or flexible sheets. [4] The anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor is a Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to any one of [1] to [3] above, characterized in that it comprises: a power generator arranged along at least one of the heat absorption surface and the heat generation surface, extending along a first direction, and consisting of a plurality of thin wires arranged parallel to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a connector configured to connect the plurality of thin wires in series so that current flows through the plurality of thin wires in the same direction in the first direction; wherein the power generator is made of a magnetic material having residual magnetization in the second direction, and the connector is made of a magnetic material having a Nernst coefficient of the same sign as the power generator and having residual magnetization in the opposite direction to the residual magnetization direction of the power generator, a non-magnetic material, or a magnetic material having a Nernst coefficient of the opposite sign to that of the power generator and having residual magnetization in the same direction as the residual magnetization direction of the power generator. [5] The magnetic material of the power generating body is Fe—Al, Fe—Ga, Fe—Sn, Fe—Pt, Mn—Ga, Mn—Ge, Mn—Sn, Ni—Pt, Co—Gd, Fe ４ N, Mn ３ AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co ２ YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L1 ０ Regular pattern alloy, FePd L1０ Type ordered alloys, and CoPt L1 ０ The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to the above [4], wherein the non-magnetic material of the connector is any one of Cu, Ag, Au, Al, Rh, W, Mo, Pt, Pd, and alloy materials containing these. [7] The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to any one of the above [1] to [6], further comprising a heat dissipation fin attached to the anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor.

[0041] 11N·11P N-type element·P-type element 12 Insulating base 15 Electrode pattern 18 Wiring board for mounting Peltier element 19 Cold / heat module / Peltier element 20 Thermoelectric power generation device / heat flow sensor 21 Insulating substrate 22 Power generation body (magnetic wire) 22a Thin wire 23 Connection body (ferromagnetic material, non-magnetic material) 23a Thin wire 100 Peltier element with heat flow sensor

Claims

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

2. The Peltier element is A PN junction element is sandwiched between the insulating substrates, 2. A Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to claim 1, wherein electrodes provided on a bottom surface inside the package and electrodes of the Peltier element are directly connected by contacting each other.

3. 3. The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to claim 2, wherein the insulating substrate is either a ceramic substrate or a flexible sheet.

4. The anomalous Nernst heat flow sensor includes: A power generator consisting of a plurality of thin wires (22a) arranged parallel to each other (y direction) along the surface of the insulating substrate; a connector including a plurality of thin wires (23a) arranged between the thin wires (22a) of the power generating body in parallel with the thin wires (22a) along the surface of the insulating substrate; Each of the thin wires (22a) of the power generating body is made of a magnetic material that has residual magnetization even in the absence of an external magnetic field, and is magnetized in the same direction in the width direction (x direction) of each of the thin wires (22a) of the power generating body, each thin wire (23a) of the connecting body electrically connects one end of each thin wire (22a) of the power generating body to the other end of an adjacent thin wire (22a) on one side of each thin wire (22a); 4. A Peltier element with a heat flow sensor as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connecting body is made of a magnetic material magnetized in a direction opposite to the magnetization direction of each of the thin wires (22 a), a non-magnetic material, or a magnetic material having a Nernst coefficient of an opposite sign to that of each of the thin wires (22 a).

5. The magnetic material of the power generating body is Fe-Al, Fe-Ga, Fe-Sn, Fe-Pt, Mn-Ga, Mn-Ge, Mn-Sn, Ni-Pt, Co-Gd, Fe ４ N, Mn ３ AN (A=Mn, Pt, Ni), Co ２ YZ (Y=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Z=Ga, Ge, Al, Si, Sn, Sb) Heusler alloy, Sm-Co permanent magnet material, Nd-Fe-B permanent magnet material, FePt L1 ０ Pattern ordered alloy, FePd L1 ０ Pattern ordered alloy, CoPt L1 ０ 5. The Peltier element with a heat flow sensor according to claim 4, wherein the alloy is any one of the ordered alloys.

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

7. 2. The Peltier element with heat flow sensor according to claim 1, A Peltier element with a heat flow sensor, the Peltier element comprising a heat dissipation fin attached on the heat flow sensor.