METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT

• US 20120263207A1
• Filed: 04/11/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: HIGASHIDA, Takaaki, MAESHIMA, Satoshi, KUBO, Takashi, TOYODA, Kaori
• Granted Patent: US 9,087,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 373/1
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 3/14 Charging or discharging liquid or molten material
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/01 Manufacture or treatment

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element. The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element that can easily realize a high-density array of thermoelectric conversion elements and secure connection reliability. This is an apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element that sucks a p-type or n-type thermoelectric conversion material into heat-resisting insulating tube 102 and includes preheating apparatus 205 that can heat tube 102 to a predetermined temperature before sucking the melted thermoelectric conversion element. Tube 102 whose temperature condition is adjusted by being heated by preheating apparatus 205 is inserted into crucible 204 and the molten thermoelectric conversion material is sucked into tube 102 by decompression apparatus 201.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element, comprising:

a crucible configured to store a molten thermoelectric conversion material;

a heating apparatus arranged on an outer perimeter of the crucible, the heating apparatus is configured to heat the thermoelectric conversion material in the crucible;

a preheating apparatus arranged above the crucible, having a passage configured to communicate inside part of the crucible and outside of the preheating apparatus, and insert the tube, having a heating source different from the heating apparatus, the preheating apparatus is configured to heat a tube made of heat-resisting insulating material, the one end of the tube arranged to be inserted in the crucible via the passage; and

a decompression apparatus connected to the other end of the tube.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer chamber connected to the decompression apparatus and the one end of the tube, the buffer chamber is configured to freely open/close independently of the decompression apparatus and the tube.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, further comprising an inner cover accommodated in the crucible, wherein the inner cover comprises a through-hole through which the tube is passed.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, wherein the heating apparatus is an induction heating apparatus that performs induction heating and the heating source of the preheating apparatus is a heating apparatus that performs heating other than induction heating.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 1, further comprising a chamber that accommodates the crucible.

10. The apparatus for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 2, further comprising an inner cover accommodated in the crucible, wherein the inner cover comprises a through-hole through which the tube is passed.

6. A method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element, comprising:

preheating one end of a tube made of a heat-resisting insulating material;

introducing one end of the tube into a crucible that stores a molten thermoelectric conversion material;

sucking the molten thermoelectric conversion material from the other end of the tube to fill the thermoelectric conversion material into the tube;

solidifying the thermoelectric conversion material filled in the tube; and

cutting the tube.

7. The method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 6, connecting a buffer chamber whose decompression degree is adjusted, to the other end of the tube and sucking the molten thermoelectric conversion material from the other end of the tube.

8. The method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 6, wherein the thermoelectric conversion material is a Bi₂Te₃-based material.

9. The method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 6, wherein the tube comprises a buffer section, which is a portion of the tube with an enlarged cross-sectional area.

11. The method for manufacturing a thermoelectric conversion element according to claim 7, wherein the thermoelectric conversion material is a Bi₂Te₃-based material.