Ferrite sheet production method and ferrite sheet using same

Abstract

A ferrite sheet manufacturing method according to the present invention includes (1) stacking a plurality of molded ferrite sheets to prepare a ferrite stack having gas discharge passages between adjacent molded ferrite sheets, and (2) sintering the ferrite stack. According to the present invention, productivity can be increased, and manufacturing costs can be reduced. In addition, a gas generated during combustion of a binder can be discharged using a gas discharge passage between repeatedly uneven portions disposed in one direction, thereby preventing wrinkles or waviness generated in a peripheral portion of a ferrite sheet. Furthermore, since it is possible to improve durability and reliability of an electromagnetic wave shielding material manufactured using the ferrite sheet, the ferrite sheet can be applied to various electronic products.

Claims

1. A ferrite sheet comprising uneven portions on at least one surface thereof so as to provide gas discharge passages, the at least one surface having a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge opposite the third edge, the uneven portions having triangular-shaped ridges and valleys that are alternatively formed from the first edge to the second edge, and each ridge and valley are continuous from the third edge to the fourth edge, the uneven portions each having a vertical section having a triangular shape when viewed from the third edge or when viewed from the fourth edge, wherein a width to height ratio of a cross section of each of the uneven portions is in a range of 1:0.2 to 1:1, an average width of each of the uneven portions is in a range of 0.5 m to 500 m, and an average height of each of the uneven portions is in a range of 0.5 m to 100 m.

2. The ferrite sheet of claim 1, wherein the ferrite sheet has an average roughness of 0.8 m to 20 m.

3. The ferrite sheet of claim 1, wherein the ferrite sheet is sintered to a second ferrite sheet such that the gas discharge passages are formed between the ferrite sheet and the second ferrite sheet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a ferrite sheet manufacturing method using a flat plate having uneven portions on one surface thereof as a transfer base material according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a ferrite sheet manufacturing method using a roller having uneven portions on an outer surface thereof as a transfer base material according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an uneven portion according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating a transfer base material according to a vertical cross-sectional shape of an uneven portion according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a graph showing a manufacturing yield of a ferrite sheet according to a size of an uneven portion according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of an upper surface of a ferrite sheet having uneven portions according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 7 shows a SEM image of a cross section of a ferrite sheet having the uneven portions according to the exemplary embodiment.

(8) FIG. 8 shows images of a cross section of a ferrite sheet according to reuse of a transfer base material according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(9) FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a side portion of a ferrite sheet stack having gas discharge passages according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

(10) FIGS. 10A and 10B show images of ferrite sheets, FIG. 10A is an image showing a ferrite sheet having a value outside of a numerical range of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is an image showing a ferrite sheet having a value within the numerical range of the present invention.

(11) FIGS. 11A and 11B show graphs of optical microscope analyses of ferrite sheets, FIG. 11A is a graph showing a ferrite sheet having a value outside of a numerical range of the present invention, and FIG. 11B is a graph showing a ferrite sheet having a value within the numerical range of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so as to be easily practiced by a person of ordinary skill in the art. However, the present invention may be achieved in various different ways and is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Any redundant descriptions of well-known parts will be omitted in drawings for clarity, and like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

(13) A method for manufacturing a ferrite sheet according to the present invention includes (1) stacking a plurality of molded ferrite sheets to prepare a ferrite stack having gas discharge passages between adjacent molded ferrite sheets, and (2) sintering the plurality of stacked molded ferrite sheets.

(14) Meanwhile, in order to increase manufacturing yield and productivity of ferrite sheets, molded ferrite sheets are not separately sintered, and after the molded ferrite sheets are stacked, a sintering process is performed on the molded ferrite sheets. A binder is combusted to essentially generate a combustion gas in the sintering process. In this case, since the binder combustion gas is not easily discharged from closely stacked molded ferrites, the binder combustion gas may remain in the form of a gas in inner spaces between the stacked molded ferrites and thus may cause wrinkles or waviness of ferrite sheets after the sintering process.

(15) That is, unlike the original purpose of performing stacking and sintering processes in order to increase the manufacturing yield and productivity of ferrite sheets, due to a discharge failure of the binder combustion gas generated in the stacking and sintering processes, a desired yield may be difficult to expect, and a processing issue of lowering productivity may rather occur.

(16) Thus, the present invention provides the ferrite sheet manufacturing method capable of solving a discharge failure of a binder combustion gas in a subsequent sintering process by bringing a molded ferrite sheet into contact with a transfer base material having repeatedly uneven portions on a surface thereof disposed in one direction, pressing the molded ferrite sheet and the transfer base material to transfer a reverse image of the uneven portions onto a surface of the molded ferrite sheet and to form gas discharge passages, and then, stacking the molded ferrite sheets in which the gas discharge passages are formed.

(17) Operation (1) may include: (1-1) preparing the molded ferrite sheets; (1-2) bringing each of the molded ferrite sheets into contact with a transfer base material having repeatedly uneven portions on a surface thereof disposed in one direction, and then, pressing each of the molded ferrite sheets and the transfer base material to transfer a reverse image of the uneven portions onto a surface of each of the molded ferrite sheets and to form the gas discharge passages; and (1-3) stacking the plurality of molded ferrite sheets to prepare the ferrite stack.

(18) The molded ferrite sheets to be stacked in operation (1-1) are in a state yet to be stacked and sintered, and in order to easily form uneven portions on the surface of the molded ferrite sheets, a known pre-treatment process may be performed without limitation within a range not affecting magnetic properties of the ferrite.

(19) Next, operation (1-2) is an operation of forming the uneven portions on the molded ferrite sheet to provide the gas discharge passages. The transfer base material for forming the uneven portions on the molded ferrite sheet may be a flat plate having uneven portions on one surface thereof or may be a roller having uneven portions on an outer surface thereof. The uneven portions may have ridges and valleys which are alternately formed from one edge to an edge facing the one edge of the molded ferrite sheet. The ridges and the valleys may extend in a direction in which the other two edges face each other. In the ferrite stack having the uneven portions as formed above, as shown in FIG. 9, a binder combustion gas generated in a sintering process can be easily discharged through a gap (region A) formed between uneven portions provided on one molded ferrite sheet and a molded ferrite sheet on an upper portion of the uneven portions, thereby preventing processing issues such as the aforementioned wrinkles or waviness.

(20) In this case, a vertical section of the uneven portions may have a polygonal shape or an arc shape with respect to the reverse image of the uneven portions transferred onto the molded ferrite sheet. The polygonal shape may include a triangular shape, a trapezoidal shape, and a quadrangular shape, and the arc shape may include a semicircular shape (see FIG. 4).

(21) Referring to FIG. 1, when the transfer base material is the flat plate having the uneven portions on one surface thereof, the transfer base material may be brought into contact with an upper surface of the molded ferrite sheet, and then the molded ferrite sheet and the transfer base material may be pressed in a direction perpendicular thereto to form repeatedly uneven portions disposed in one direction on a surface of the molded ferrite sheet. Here, the flat plate having the uneven portions may be reused 20 times or more. When the flat plate is reused multiple times, the same effect can be obtained, thereby improving processing speed and economic efficiency. In addition, when uneven portions having the same shape are provided and repeatedly transferred, uneven portions having repeated patterns may be formed on the surface of the molded ferrite sheet.

(22) In addition, referring to FIG. 2, when the transfer base material is the roller having the uneven portions on the outer surface thereof, the transfer base material may be brought into contact with the upper surface of the ferrite sheet, and then the roller may be rolled to form uneven portions on the surface of the molded ferrite sheet. In this case, the roller may have uneven portions on the outer surface thereof, which are composed of an optical film made of a thermosetting resin material.

(23) Here, a width to height ratio of a cross section of each of the uneven portions formed through FIGS. 1 and 2 may be in a range of 1:0.2 to 1:1, and desirably in the range of 1:0.4 to 1:1. When the width to height ratio of each of the uneven portions is less than 1:0.2, a space formed due to the uneven portions may be narrow and may not sufficiently function as a gas passage. Accordingly, a gas generated during combustion of a binder may not be discharged to generate wrinkles or waviness of ferrite sheets, resulting in a reduction in sheet formability and product yield. When the width to height ratio of each of the uneven portions is greater than 1:1, the uneven portions may be difficult to form during a process. Even when the uneven portions are formed, the uneven portions may be easily damaged when ferrites are separated after being stacked and sintered, and process reliability may be lowered due to damaged foreign substances.

(24) In addition, each of the uneven portions may have an average width of 0.5 m to 500 m and an average height of 0.5 m to 100 m, and desirably have an average width of 0.5 m to 30 m and an average height of 0.5 m to 15 m. Each of the uneven portions may more desirably have an average width of 2 m to 20 m and an average height of 0.5 m to 10 m. When the average width of each of the uneven portions is less than 0.5 m, manufacturing process yield of ferrite sheets may be significantly lowered. When the average width is greater than 500 m, there is little effect on uneven portion formation. Thus, when a large amount of ferrite sheets are stacked and sintered, the ferrite sheets are attached to one another and thus are difficult to separate. In addition, when the average height is less than 0.5 m, the manufacturing process yield of ferrite sheets may be significantly lowered. When the average height is greater than 100 m, the height of each of the uneven portions may be greater than a thickness of the ferrite sheets, thereby damaging the ferrite sheets.

(25) In the ferrite sheet manufacturing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pressing may be performed at a pressure in a range of 10 Mpa to 100 Mpa, and desirably in the range of 30 Mpa to 80 Mpa. When the pressing is performed at a pressure less than 10 Mpa, uneven surface portions are not transferred onto the molded ferrite sheet or, despite being transferred, are insignificantly transferred, resulting in a reduction in an effect on the uneven portion formation. When the pressing is performed at a pressure greater than 100 Mpa, due to excessively strong pressure, the uneven surface portions are excessively transferred onto the molded ferrite sheet, thereby damaging the molded ferrite sheet.

(26) Here, in an example, in operation (1-2), a carrier material may be further provided on a surface opposite to a pressurized surface of the molded ferrite sheet. For example, the molded ferrite sheet may be provided on an upper portion of the carrier material. The transfer base material may be manufactured by forming paper or a film into a rolled shape and the film may be coated with at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyimide (PI), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polycarbonate (PC). When the transfer base material moves on the same plane as the ferrite sheet to press and transfer uneven portions on a surface of the transfer base material onto the upper surface of the ferrite sheet, the transfer base material may be used as a tool for continuously transferring the ferrite sheet.

(27) Next, operation (1-3) of stacking the plurality of molded ferrite sheets to prepare the ferrite stack is performed. Operation (1-3) is an operation of preparing the ferrite stack by stacking the plurality of molded ferrite sheets having gas discharge passages formed by forming the uneven portions in operation (1-2). In this case, since the gas discharge passages are disposed between the molded ferrite sheets, the binder combustion gas generated in the sintering process to be performed later can be efficiently discharged, thereby effectively preventing wrinkles and waviness of the ferrite sheets.

(28) Next, operation (2) of sintering the stacked molded ferrite sheets is performed.

(29) The sintering process may be performed at a temperature of 900 C. to 1,300 C. for about 1-5 hours and may be performed in an atmosphere such as an atmospheric environment or an atmosphere having oxygen partial pressure higher than that of the atmospheric environment. After a manufactured ferrite sheet is sintered, a sintered body may have, for example, a density of 5.0 g/cm.sup.3 to 5.3 g/cm.sup.3.

(30) In addition, according to the present invention, in order to provide a passage of a gas generated during combustion of a binder, it is possible to implement a ferrite sheet having uneven portions formed on at least one surface thereof, of which a vertical section has a polygonal shape or an arc shape. The ferrite sheet according to the present invention may be manufactured according to the above-described manufacturing method. Since the ferrite sheet is the same as that described above, redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

(31) Here, a width to height ratio of a cross section of each of the uneven portions may be in a range of 1:0.2 to 1:1, and desirably in the range of 1:0.4 to 1:1. When the width to height ratio of each of the uneven portions is less than 1:0.2, a space formed due to the uneven portions may be narrow and may not sufficiently function as a gas passage. When the width to height ratio of each of the uneven portions is greater than 1:1, the uneven portions may be difficult to form during a process, and ferrite sheets may be easily damaged during separation due to an excessive height of the uneven portions.

(32) Each of the uneven portions may have an average width of 0.5 m to 500 m and an average height of 0.5 m to 100 m, and desirably have an average width of 0.5 m to 30 m and an average height of 0.5 m to 15 m. Each of the uneven portions may more desirably have an average width of 2 m to 20 m and an average height of 0.5 m to 10 m. When the average width of each of the uneven portions is less than 0.5 m, the manufacturing process yield of ferrite sheets may be significantly lowered. When the average width of each of the uneven portions is greater than 500 m, there is little effect on the uneven portion formation. Thus, when a large amount of ferrite sheets are stacked and sintered, the ferrite sheets are attached to one another and thus are difficult to separate. When the average height is less than 0.5 m, the manufacturing process yield of ferrite sheets may be significantly lowered. When the average height is greater than 100 m, the height of each of the uneven portions may be greater than a thickness of the ferrite sheets, thereby damaging the ferrite sheets.

(33) In addition, the ferrite sheet may have an average roughness of 1 m to 20 m and more desirably have an average roughness of 1 m to 10 m. When the average roughness of the ferrite sheet is less than 1 m, a contact area between a plurality of stacked ferrite sheets is relatively increased, and the plurality of stacked ferrite sheets may not be easy to separate after being sintered and thus may be damaged during separation, resulting in a yield reduction. Furthermore, when the average roughness of the ferrite sheet is greater than 20 m, electrical characteristics according to surface roughness are rather lowered, resulting in a reduction in reliability of an electrical component using the ferrite sheet.

(34) In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to implement a transfer base material for manufacturing a ferrite sheet, the transfer base material having uneven portions including ridges and valleys which are alternately formed from one edge to an edge facing the one edge thereof and extend in a direction in which the other two edges face each other. The transfer base material may be composed of an optical film made of a thermosetting resin material and may be an optical film having uneven portions in a microunit on a surface thereof. A width to height ratio of a cross section of each of the uneven portions may be in a range of 1:0.2 to 1:1, an average width of each of the uneven portions may be in a range of 0.5 m to 500 m, and an average height of each of the uneven portions may be in a range of 0.5 m to 100 m.

EXAMPLES

(35) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail through the following Examples. The following Examples are provided to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Example 1: Preparation of Molded Ferrite Sheet

(36) A molded ferrite sheet was prepared by applying a ferrite solution on an upper portion of a PET film and drying the ferrite solution. Subsequently, a molded ferrite sheet having gas discharge passages was prepared by bringing a thin film-type transfer base material into contact with an upper surface of the molded ferrite sheet and pressing the transfer base material, having repeatedly uneven portions which each may have a vertical section having a triangular shape, an average width of 10 m, and an average height of 3 m, and the molded ferrite sheet at a pressure of 38 Mpa to transfer uneven portions onto the molded ferrite sheet by using an isotropic pressure press.

Examples 2-4: Preparation of Molded Ferrite Sheet

(37) Molded ferrite sheets were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that transfer base materials having uneven portions of the same shape as in Table 1 were used in Example 1.

Comparative Examples 1-4: Preparation of Molded Ferrite Sheet

(38) Molded ferrite sheets were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that transfer base materials having uneven portions of the shame shape as in Table 1 were used in Example 1.

Experimental Example 1: Measurement of Separation Yield

(39) The molded ferrite sheets prepared in Examples and Comparative Examples were manually separated from the transfer base material and were cut to a certain size. Then, 30 sheets were simultaneously stacked and sintered at a temperature of 1,000 C. for 3 hours, and separation yield was measured.

(40) The separation yield was measured in such a manner that an appearance of a ferrite sheet was visually observed and the ferrite sheet was determined as being a defective product when defects such as cracks and holes were generated. When wrinkles were generated in an amount of 10% or more with respect to a width and a length of the ferrite sheet, the ferrite sheet was determined as being a defective product due to imperfect combustion of a binder gas. A final quantity of a ferrite sheet meeting a standard of high quality, rather than low quality, was measured and results of the measurement were shown in Table 1 and FIG. 5.
Separation yield (%)=Final quantity of ferrite sheet/Initial input quantity of ferrite sheet100[Formula 1]

(41) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Transfer base material Average Average width of height of Ratio of Width Ferrite Sheet Cross-sectional Uneven Uneven to Height of Average Separation shape of Transfer portion portion Uneven portion roughness yield Classification base material (m) (m) (m) (m) (%) Example 1 Triangular shape 10 3 0.3 3 98.2 Example 2 Triangular shape 10 5 0.5 5 99.4 Example 3 Triangular shape 20 10 0.5 10 94.5 Example 4 Triangular shape 5 1 0.2 1 91.2 Comparative Triangular shape 5 0.04 0.008 0.04 8.3 Example 1 Comparative Triangular shape 5 0.35 0.07 0.35 22.0 Example 2 Comparative Irregular 1.51 67.3 Example 3 Comparative Irregular 2.73 69.8 Example 4

(42) Referring to Table 1 and FIG. 5, in the case of Examples 1 to 4 in which a height, a width, and a width to height ratio of an uneven portion of a molded ferrite sheet are included in a numerical range of the present invention, it can be seen that separation yield is considerably high.

(43) To the contrary, in the case of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in which a height, a width, and a width to height ratio of an uneven portion of a molded ferrite sheet have values outside of the numerical range of the present invention, it can be seen that separation yield is considerably lowered. Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, in comparison with FIG. 10B corresponding to Example 1, in the case of FIG. 10A corresponding to Comparative Example 1, fine wrinkles are generated to be considerably visible to the naked eye, it can be confirmed that a binder combustion gas is not smoothly discharged in a sintering process and remains as wrinkles in a ferrite stack, and thus a ratio of high quality is determined as being only 8.3%.

(44) In the case of Comparative Examples 3 and 4 prepared using a transfer base material having uneven portions in an irregular shape, although Comparative Examples 3 and 4 meet an average roughness range of the present invention, it can be seen that separation yield is considerably lowered. That is, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, it can be seen that sheets are damaged due to an irregular surface shape of ferrite sheets during separation or a binder combustion gas is not smoothly discharged.

(45) As a result, when ferrite sheets are prepared using a transfer base material in which uneven portions have a shape having a width, a height, and a width to height ratio according to the numerical range of the present invention, it can be seen that the ferrite sheets are easy to separate. Although ferrite sheets have average roughness according to the present invention, when a shape of uneven portions does not meet the numerical range of the present invention, it can be seen that a desired yield is not obtained.

Examples 5 to 8: Preparation of Molded Ferrite Sheet

(46) Molded ferrite sheets were prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the number of reuse of transfer base material of Example 1 was as shown in Table 2.

Experimental Example 2: Fine Structure Observation of Uneven Portions Provided in Ferrite Sheet

(47) Fine structures of the molded ferrite sheets prepared in Examples 1 and 5 to 8 were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and observation results were shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. In this case, FIG. 6 shows a SEM image of an upper surface of the molded ferrite sheet of Example 1, and FIG. 7 shows a SEM image of a vertical section of a ferrite sheet of Example 1. FIG. 8 shows images of a cross section of each of uneven portions of a molded ferrite sheet according to a number of reuse of a transfer base material. In addition, a size of uneven portions according to the number of reuse was shown in Table 2.

(48) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Number of reuse Width of of Transfer Uneven portion Classification base material (m) Example 1 (FIG. 8 (a)) Once 4.05 Example 5 (FIG. 8 (b)) 5 times 4.05 Example 6 (FIG. 8 (c)) 10 times 4.15 Example 7 (FIG. 8 (d)) 15 times 4.06 Example 8 (FIG. 8 (e)) 20 times 3.96

(49) Referring to Table 2 and FIG. 8, even when the transfer base material according to the present invention is reused multiple times, it can be confirmed that an influence on a size of a formed uneven portion is small, and even when the transfer base material according to the present invention is reused 20 times, it can be confirmed that a change in the size is still small.