Heat spreader for emissive display device

• US 7,160,619 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• 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): McNeil; Jennifer C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/897,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20050079304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 428/408, 428/41, 423/448, 313/46, 257/707, 257751-756
• US Class Current: 428/408
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 43/006 Delaminating
• 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: H01J 2211/66 Cooling arrangements cooling or supporting means not being part of the tube H05K
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2217/492 Details
• 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: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• 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 428/1314 Contains fabric, fiber particle, or filament made of glass, ceramic, or sintered, fused, fired, or calcined metal oxide, or metal carbide or other inorganic compound [e.g., fiber glass, mineral fiber, sand, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

A heat spreader for an emissive display device, such as a plasma display panel or a light emitting diode, comprising at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite having a surface area greater than the surface area of that part of a discharge cell facing the back surface of the device.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising a heat spreader having two major surfaces, the heat spreader comprising at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite wherein substantially all of one of the major surfaces of the heat spreader direct thermal is in contact with the display device, and further wherein the heat spreader comprises a facing layer adhered to a major surface of the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite and interposed between the sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite and the display device.

2. The display device of claim 1 wherein the facing layer comprises a metal.

3. The display device of claim 1 wherein the heat spreader comprises a laminate comprising a plurality of sheets of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

4. The display device of claim 1 wherein the heat spreader comprises at least one layer of a non-graphitic material in addition to the facing layer.

5. The display device of claim 4 wherein the non-graphitic layer comprises a metal, a polymer or an insulating material.

6. The display device of claim 1, which comprises an emissive display device, and the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite has a surface area greater than the surface area of that part of a discharge cell facing the back surface of the emissive display device.

7. The display device of claim 6 wherein the emissive display device is a plasma display panel.

8. The display device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the major surfaces is coated with a protective coating sufficient to inhibit flaking of particles of graphite.

9. The display device of claim 8 wherein the protective coating comprises a metal or a thermoplastic material.

10. The display device of claim 8 wherein the protective coating is effective to electrically isolate the coated major surface of the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

11. The display device of claim 8 which further comprises a layer of adhesive interposed between the protective coating and the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

12. The display device of claim 8 which further comprises a layer of adhesive interposed between the protective coating and the display device.

13. The display device of claim 1 wherein the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite has edge surfaces, and at least one edge surface is coated with a protective coating sufficient to inhibit flaking of the particles of graphite.

14. The display device of claim 1 wherein the display device comprises light emitting diodes.

15. The display device of claim 1 wherein the heat spreader further comprises a layer of adhesive.

21. The display device of claim 9 wherein the protective coating is no more than about 0.025 mm in thickness.

16. A display device, comprising a heat spreader having two major surfaces, the heat spreader comprising at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite, wherein substantially all of one of the major surfaces of the heat spreader direct thermal is in contact with the display device wherein at least a portion of the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite is coated with a protective coating sufficient to inhibit flaking of particles of graphite.

17. The display device of claim 16 wherein the protective coating comprises a metal or a thermoplastic material.

18. The display device of claim 16 wherein the protective coating is no more than about 0.025 mm in thickness.

19. The display device of claim 16 wherein the protective coating is effective to electrically isolate the coated portion of the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

20. The display device of claim 16 wherein the heat spreader further comprises a layer of adhesive.

22. The display device of claim 16, which comprises an emissive display device, and the at least one sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite has a surface area greater than the surface area of that part of a discharge cell facing the back surface of the emissive display device.

23. The display device of claim 16 wherein the display device comprises light emitting diodes.

24. The display device of claim 22 wherein the emissive display device is a plasma display panel.