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US-12628558-B2 - Thermoelectric module

US12628558B2US 12628558 B2US12628558 B2US 12628558B2US-12628558-B2

Abstract

A thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first substrate; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate; a semiconductor structure disposed on the first electrode; a second electrode disposed on the semiconductor structure; a second substrate disposed on the second electrode; and a heat sink disposed on the second substrate, wherein the heat sink includes, on the surface thereof, a plurality of grooves extending in a first direction through which fluid passes, the plurality of grooves have the same first width in the direction parallel to the surface of the heat sink and perpendicular to the first direction and have the same depth in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the heat sink, and the first width is 1 to 10 μm and the depth is 1 to 10 μm.

Inventors

  • Jong Hyun Kim

Assignees

  • LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230203
Priority Date
20220203

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A thermoelectric module, comprising: a first substrate; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate; a semiconductor structure disposed on the first electrode; a second electrode disposed on the semiconductor structure; a second substrate disposed on the second electrode; and a heat sink disposed on the second substrate, wherein a surface of the heat sink includes a plurality of grooves extending in a first direction in which a fluid passes, wherein each of the plurality of grooves has a first width in a direction parallel to the surface of the heat sink and perpendicular to the first direction and has a depth in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the heat sink, and wherein the first width is in the range of 1 to 10 μm, and the depth is in the range of 1 to 10 μm.
  2. 2 . The thermoelectric module of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink includes: a first surface disposed on the second substrate; a second surface connected to the first surface and disposed in a direction perpendicular to the second substrate; a third surface connected to the second surface and disposed to face the second substrate; and a fourth surface connected to the third surface and disposed perpendicular to the second substrate and to face the second surface, a distance between the second substrate and the third surface is greater than a distance between the second substrate and the first surface, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface each extend in the first direction, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface are connected by being sequentially repeated multiple times, and the plurality of grooves are disposed in the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface.
  3. 3 . The thermoelectric module of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of grooves are formed in a surface opposite to a surface facing the second substrate of both surfaces of the first surface, both surfaces of the second surface, both surfaces of the third surface, and both surfaces of the fourth surface.
  4. 4 . The thermoelectric module of claim 3 , wherein a second width of a wall portion disposed between two adjacent grooves among the plurality of grooves is smaller than the first width.
  5. 5 . The thermoelectric module of claim 4 , wherein the second width is in the range of 0.1 to 0.9 times the first width.
  6. 6 . The thermoelectric module of claim 4 , wherein a shortest distance between a wall portion of the second surface and a wall portion of the third surface is in the range of 1 to 10 μm in a corner region in which a surface disposed in a space formed by the second substrate, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of both surfaces of the second surface meets a surface disposed to face the second substrate of both surfaces of the third surface.
  7. 7 . The thermoelectric module of claim 4 , wherein a shortest distance between a wall portion of a surface disposed in a space formed by the second substrate, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of both surfaces of the second surface and the second substrate is in the range of 1 to 10 μm.
  8. 8 . The thermoelectric module of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first width and the depth is in the range of 0.03 to 0.1 times a thickness of the third surface.
  9. 9 . The thermoelectric module of claim 1 , wherein the first width is greater than or equal to the depth.
  10. 10 . The thermoelectric module of claim 4 , wherein the second width is in a range of 0.01 to 0.1 times a thickness of the third surface.
  11. 11 . The thermoelectric module of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of intersecting grooves extending in a direction intersecting a direction in which the plurality of grooves extend in the surface of the heat sink.
  12. 12 . The thermoelectric module of claim 4 , wherein a region in which a bottom surface of the groove meets a side surface of the wall portion has a rounded shape.
  13. 13 . The thermoelectric module of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink further includes a protrusion disposed on at least one surface on a path through which the fluid passes.
  14. 14 . The thermoelectric module of claim 2 , wherein the first surface is disposed in contact with the second substrate by an adhesive layer.
  15. 15 . A power generator, comprising: a cooling part; and a thermoelectric module disposed on the cooling part, wherein the thermoelectric module includes: a first substrate; a first electrode disposed on the first substrate; a semiconductor structure disposed on the first electrode; a second electrode disposed on the semiconductor structure; a second substrate disposed on the second electrode; and a heat sink disposed on the second substrate, wherein a surface of the heat sink includes a plurality of grooves extending in a first direction in which a fluid passes, wherein each of the plurality of grooves has a first width in a direction parallel to the surface of the heat sink and perpendicular to the first direction and has a depth in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the heat sink, and wherein the first width is in the range of 1 to 10 μm, and the depth is in the range of 1 to 10 μm.
  16. 16 . The power generator of claim 15 , wherein the heat sink includes: a first surface disposed on the second substrate; a second surface connected to the first surface and disposed in a direction perpendicular to the second substrate; a third surface connected to the second surface and disposed to face the second substrate; and a fourth surface connected to the third surface and disposed perpendicular to the second substrate and to face the second surface, a distance between the second substrate and the third surface is greater than a distance between the second substrate and the first surface, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface each extend in the first direction, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface are connected by being sequentially repeated multiple times, and the plurality of grooves are disposed in the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface.
  17. 17 . The power generator of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of grooves are formed in a surface opposite to a surface facing the second substrate of both surfaces of the first surface, both surfaces of the second surface, both surfaces of the third surface, and both surfaces of the fourth surface.
  18. 18 . The power generator of claim 17 , wherein a second width of a wall portion disposed between two adjacent grooves among the plurality of grooves is smaller than the first width.
  19. 19 . The power generator of claim 18 , wherein the second width is in the range of 0.1 to 0.9 times the first width.
  20. 20 . The thermoelectric module of claim 18 , wherein a shortest distance between a wall portion of the second surface and a wall portion of the third surface is in the range of 1 to 10 μm in a corner region in which a surface disposed in a space formed by the second substrate, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface of both surfaces of the second surface meets a surface disposed to face the second substrate of both surfaces of the third surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. National Stage Application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/KR2023/001571, filed Feb. 3, 2023, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0014204, filed Feb. 3, 2022, whose entire disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a thermoelectric module, and more specifically, to a heat sink of a thermoelectric element. BACKGROUND ART A thermoelectric phenomenon is a phenomenon caused by the movement of electrons and holes inside a material and means direct energy conversion between heat and electricity. A thermoelectric element is a general term for an element using the thermoelectric phenomenon and has a structure in which a P-type thermoelectric material and an N-type thermoelectric material are bonded between metal electrodes to form a pair of a PN junction. Thermoelectric elements may be classified into elements using a temperature change in electrical resistance, elements using the Seebeck effect, which is a phenomenon in which an electromotive force is generated due to a temperature difference, elements using the Peltier effect, which is a phenomenon in which heat absorption or heat generation occurs due to a current, and the like. Thermoelectric elements are widely applied to home appliances, electronic components, communication components, and the like. For example, the thermoelectric elements may be applied to cooling devices, heating devices, power generation devices, and the like. Therefore, the demand for the thermoelectric performance of the thermoelectric element is gradually increasing. The thermoelectric element includes a substrate, an electrode, and a thermoelectric leg, the thermoelectric leg is disposed between an upper substrate and a lower substrate, an upper electrode is disposed between the thermoelectric leg and the upper substrate, and a lower electrode is between the thermoelectric leg and the lower substrate. Meanwhile, a heat sink is disposed on at least one of the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the thermoelectric element, and a fluid may pass through the heat sink. When the fluid passing through the heat sink is exhaust gas, fine particles generated by incomplete combustion in the exhaust gas may be adsorbed on a surface of the heat sink. When the fine particles are accumulated and adsorbed on the surface of the heat sink, a flow path of the fluid passing through the heat sink is blocked, the heat exchange performance of the heat sink is reduced, or heat is accumulated in the heat sink, increasing the risk of fire. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem The present invention is directed to providing a thermoelectric module with improved heat exchange performance between heat sinks. Technical Solution A thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate, a first electrode disposed on the first substrate, a semiconductor structure disposed on the first electrode, a second electrode disposed on the semiconductor structure, a second substrate disposed on the second electrode, and a heat sink disposed on the second substrate, wherein a surface of the heat sink includes a plurality of grooves extending in a first direction in which a fluid passes, the plurality of grooves have the same first width in a direction parallel to the surface of the heat sink and perpendicular to the first direction and have the same depth in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the heat sink, and the first width is in the range of 1 to 10 μm, and the depth is in the range of 1 to 10 μm. The heat sink may include a first surface disposed on the second substrate, a second surface connected to the first surface and disposed in a direction perpendicular to the second substrate, a third surface connected to the second surface and disposed to face the second substrate, and a fourth surface connected to the third surface and disposed perpendicular to the second substrate and to face the second surface, a distance between the second substrate and the third surface may be greater than a distance between the second substrate and the first surface, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface each extend in the first direction, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface may be connected by being sequentially repeated multiple times, and the plurality of grooves may be disposed in the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface. The plurality of grooves may be formed in a surface opposite to a surface facing the second substrate of both surfaces of the first surface, both surfaces of the second surface, both surfaces of the third surface, and both surfaces of the fourth surface. A second width of a wall portion disposed between two adjacent grooves among the plurality of grooves may be smaller tha