Heat spreader for plasma display panel

• US 7,138,029 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NeoGraf Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Energy Technology Inc. (Graftech International Limited)
• Inventors: Smalc, Martin David, Clovesko, Timothy, Norley, Julian, Capp, Joseph Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Fiorilla, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Sing P.
• Application Number:
  US10/685,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20050077000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 156/247, 156/249, 156/289, 428/40.1, 428/141, 428/143, 428/323, 428/408, 428/1.5, 428/1.6, 428/1.61, 313/40, 313/45, 313/46, 313/493, 313/573, 313/581, 313/582, 313/587, 313/634
• US Class Current: 156/249
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 43/006 Delaminating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/00 Layered products comprising a layer of a particular substance not covered by groups B32B11/00 - B32B29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/007 comprising carbon, e.g. graphite, composite carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2211/66 Cooling arrangements cooling or supporting means not being part of the tube H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 7/24 Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Means for circulating gas or vapour within the discharge space
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/20 Manufacture of screens on or from which an image or pattern is formed, picked up, converted or stored; Applying coatings to the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20963 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20972 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive

Abstract

The invention presented is a method for applying heat spreaders to a plurality of plasma display panels, including (a) providing a plurality of heat spreader composites, each of which comprises a heat spreader material having an adhesive thereon and a release material positioned such that the adhesive is sandwiched between the heat spreader material and the release material; (b) removing the release material from a plurality of the composites; and (c) applying at least one of the composites to each of the plurality of plasma display panels each such that the adhesive adheres the heat spreader material to the plasma display panel.

Claims

1. A method for providing heat spreading to a plasma display panel which comprises discharge cells, consisting essentially of (a) providing a substantially flat heat spreader which consists essentially of one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite having an adhesive thereon;

(b) providing a release material positioned such that the adhesive is sandwiched between the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite and the release material;

(c) removing the release material; and

(d) applying the heat spreader to a plasma display panel such that the heat spreader overlays a plurality of the discharge cells and the adhesive adheres the heat spreader to the plasma display panel sufficiently to maintain the heat spreader in position regardless of the orientation of the plasma display panel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the release material and adhesive are selected to permit a predetermined rate of release of the release material without causing undesirable damage to the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the average release load is no greater than about 10 grams per centimeter at a release speed of one meter per second.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive achieves an average lap shear adhesion strength of at least about 125 grams per square centimeter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive results in an increase in through thickness thermal resistance of not more than about 35% as compared to the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite itself.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the thickness of the adhesive is no greater than about 0.5 mils.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the thickness of the adhesive is no greater than about 0.25 mils.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite comprises a laminate comprising a plurality of sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat spreader is at least about 270 millimeters by about 500 millimeters in area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the image area of the plasma display panel is at least about 1 meter, measured from corner to corner.

11. A method for providing heat spreading to a display panel comprising a collection of heat sources, wherein the method of heat spreading consists of (a) providing a substantially flat heat spreader consisting of one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite having an adhesive thereon;

(b) providing a release material positioned such that the adhesive is sandwiched between the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite and the release material;

(c) removing the release material; and

(d) applying the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite such that it overlays a plurality of heat sources, wherein in the absence of a heat sink the heat spreader is effective at spreading heat across a plurality of the heat sources.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the adhesive and release material provide an average release load of no greater than about 40 grams per centimeter at a release speed of one meter per second.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the average release load is no greater than about 10 grams per centimeter at a release speed of one meter per second.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the adhesive achieves an average lap shear adhesion strength of at least about 125 grams per square centimeter.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the adhesive results in an increase in through thickness thermal resistance of not more than about 35% as compared to the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite itself.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the thickness of the adhesive is no greater than about 0.5 mils.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the thickness of the adhesive is not greater than about 0.25 mils.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite comprises a laminate comprising a plurality of sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the heat spreader is at least about 270 millimeters by about 500 millimeters in area.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the display panel comprises an emissive display device.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the display panel comprises a plasma display panel and the heat sources comprise discharge cells.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite comprises a laminate comprising a plurality of sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

23. A method for providing heat spreading to a display device comprising a collection of heat sources, the method consisting of applying a substantially flat heat spreader to the collection of heat sources so as to overlay a plurality of the heat sources, wherein the heat spreader consists of one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite which conduct heat along the plane of the one or more sheets of compressed particals of exfoliated graphite.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the display panel comprises an emissive display device.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the display panel comprises a plasma display panel and the heat sources comprise discharge cells.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the one or more sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite comprises a laminate comprising a plurality of sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.