SELF-HEALING METAL STRUCTURES

• US 20200132400A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Joshi, Shailesh N., Take, Naoya
• Granted Patent: US 10,830,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/06 characterised by the deposition of metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 11/00 Arrangements for sealing leaky tubes and conduits stopping flow from or in pipes in general F16L55/10
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/06 of metal
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/085 from copper or copper alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/087 from nickel or nickel alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2255/00 Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2265/00 Safety or protection arrangements; Arrangements for preventing malfunction control or monitoring devices F28F27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2265/16 for preventing leakage
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2275/00 Fastening; Joining
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/08 Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/14 Protection against electric or thermal overload by cooling H01G2/08
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/015 Special provisions for self-healing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4871 Bases, plates or heatsinks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/2612 Auxiliary members for layer connectors, e.g. spacers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/33181 On opposite sides of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/209 : Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20909 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20936 : Liquid coolant with phase change

Abstract

A self-healing metal structure is provided for transferring heat between an electronics component and a substrate. The self-healing metal structure includes a base metal structural component. A phase change material is provided adjacent at least a portion of the base metal structural component. A protective component at least partially encapsulates the phase change material. Upon the presence of a spatial defect in the base metal structural component, the phase change material reacts with the base structural component to form an intermetallic compound to at least partially occupy the spatial defect. The phase change material at least partially encapsulated with the protective component may be disposed within the base metal structural component as a plurality of separate capsules incorporated therein, or the phase change material at least partially surrounds the base metal structural component.

Claims

1. A self-healing metal structure, comprising:

a base metal structural component;

a phase change material adjacent at least a portion of the base metal structural component; and

a protective component at least partially encapsulating the phase change material,

wherein, upon the presence of a spatial defect in the base metal structural component, the phase change material reacts with the base metal structural component to form an intermetallic compound to at least partially occupy the spatial defect.

2. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the base metal structural component comprises at least one of nickel, copper, and tin.

3. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of tin and indium.

4. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the base metal structural component defines a plurality of cooling structures configured for transferring heat from an electronics component to a substrate.

5. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the base metal structural component defines a mesh structure.

6. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the protective component comprises at least one of platinum, aluminum, and alumina.

7. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the intermetallic compound exhibits a melting point higher than a melting point of the phase change material.

8. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material at least partially encapsulated with the protective component is disposed within the base metal structural component.

9. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 8, wherein the phase change material is present as a plurality of separate capsules incorporated within the base metal structural component.

10. The self-healing metal structure according to claim 1, wherein the phase change material at least partially surrounds the base metal structural component.

11. A power module comprising the self-healing metal structure according to claim 1.

12. A self-healing metal structure assembly for transferring heat between an electronics component and a substrate, the self-healing metal structure assembly comprising:

an electronics component;

a substrate;

a base metal structural component providing thermal communication between the electronics component and the substrate;

a phase change material in contact with at least a portion of the base metal structural component; and

a protective metal component encapsulating the phase change material,

wherein, upon the presence of a spatial defect in the base metal structural component, the phase change material reacts with the base metal structural component to form an intermetallic compound to at least partially occupy the spatial defect.

13. The self-healing metal structure assembly according to claim 12, wherein the phase change material encapsulates at least a portion of the base metal structural component.

14. The self-healing metal structure assembly according to claim 12, wherein the phase change material exhibits a melting point lower than an operating temperature of the electronics component.

15. The self-healing metal structure assembly according to claim 12, wherein the base metal structural component comprises at least one of nickel, copper, and tin.

16. The self-healing metal structure assembly according to claim 12, wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of a post-transition metal and a metalloid.

17. The self-healing metal structure assembly according to claim 12, wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of tin and indium, and the protective metal component comprises at least one of platinum, aluminum, and alumina.

18. A method for making a self-healing metal structural component for transferring heat between components, the method comprising:

surrounding at least a portion of a base metal structural component with a phase change material having a melting point lower than a melting point of the base metal structural component;

encapsulating at least a portion of the phase change material with a protective metal component; and

upon the presence of a spatial defect in the base metal structural component, permitting the phase change material to react with the base metal structural component to form an intermetallic compound to at least partially occupy the spatial defect.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein encapsulating at least a portion of the phase change material comprises depositing at least one of platinum, aluminum, and alumina over the base metal structural component using an atomic layer deposition technique.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the base metal structural component comprises at least one of nickel, copper, and tin;

the phase change material comprises at least one of tin and indium; and

the protective metal component comprises at least one of platinum, aluminum, and alumina.