Flexible Thermal Conductor Structure for Adhesion Without Overcompression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal conductors face challenges in achieving both high adhesiveness and preventing excessive deformation when compressed, leading to issues like electrical short circuits due to their material properties.
Innovation Solution
A thermal conductor with a specific structure comprising thermal conducting portions and joint portions made of flexible materials, arranged in a way that allows for voids, ensuring a condition of 0.5≤[(S1−S0)/S0]×100≤20 when pressed, providing both adhesiveness and deformation control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thermal conductor is made of a relatively soft material to improve adhesiveness, then the adhesiveness to the high temperature member and heat release member is improved, but the thermal conductor is excessively deformed when being pressed causing electrical short circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal conductor is constructed as a composite material consisting of a flexible base material (such as silicone rubber or fluororesin) combined with thermally conductive particles (such as metal particles, ceramic particles, or carbon particles). This composite structure provides both the flexibility needed for adhesiveness and the structural integrity to prevent excessive deformation and electrical short circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the thermal conductor material by controlling the particle size distribution, particle concentration, and crosslinking degree of the flexible base material. These parameter adjustments allow the material to achieve optimal balance between softness for adhesiveness and hardness for deformation resistance.
2Reliability
If the thermal conductor is made of a relatively hard material to prevent excessive deformation, then electrical short circuits are prevented, but it is difficult to provide sufficient adhesiveness to the high temperature member and heat release member
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible base material (such as silicone rubber or fluororesin) provides the necessary softness and adhesiveness, while the dispersed thermally conductive particles (metal, ceramic, or carbon particles) provide structural support and resistance to excessive deformation. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of both adhesiveness and deformation control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the thermal conductor material have different properties: the flexible base material matrix provides softness and adhesiveness at the contact surfaces, while the distributed rigid particles provide local reinforcement to prevent excessive deformation and maintain electrical insulation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The thermal conductor effectively maintains adhesiveness while preventing excessive deformation, enhancing thermal conductivity and preventing electrical short circuits, with a manufacturing method that efficiently produces this structure.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal conductor comprising a plurality of thermal conducting portions (10) and joint portions (20) made of a material having flexibility and configured to join the respective thermal conducting portions (10) with each other
Implementation Method 2
joint portions (20) made of a material having flexibility and configured to join the respective thermal conducting portions (10) with each other
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal conductor includes a plurality of thermal conducting portions; and joint portions made of a material having flexibility and configured to join the respective thermal conducting portions with each other, having voids where neither the thermal conducting portion nor the joint portion is present, and satisfying a condition of 0.5≤[(S1−S0)/S0]×100≤20 when an area of the thermal conductor in a planar view in a first direction is expressed by S0 [cm2] and an area of the thermal conductor in the planar view in the first direction in a pressed state that the thermal conductor is pressed by 0.2 MPa in the first direction is expressed by S1 [cm2]. Accordingly, the thermal conductor satisfies both ensuring adhesiveness to a member in contact with the thermal conductor in use and suppressing excessive deformation of the thermal conductor in a compressed state.