Method for producing heat sink

Abstract

Provided is a method for producing a heat sink that can easily and effectively form a heat radiating film on the surface of a substrate without requiring enormous heat energy for increasing the temperature of the substrate. The method is a method for producing a heat sink having a substrate and a heat radiating film formed on the surface of the substrate, including a first step of casting a substrate by injecting molten metal into a cavity of molding dies; and a second step of applying a heat radiating coating to the substrate through spraying or dropping in the period from when the molding dies are opened after the casting until when the temperature of the substrate that has been cast becomes lower than the deposition temperature that is a temperature necessary to deposit the heat radiating coating on the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for producing a heat sink having a substrate and a heat radiating film formed on a surface of the substrate, comprising: a first step of casting a substrate by injecting molten metal into a cavity of molding dies; and a second step of applying a heat radiating coating to a surface of the substrate to be coated through spraying or dropping in a period from when the molding dies are opened after the casting until when a temperature of the substrate that has been cast becomes lower than a deposition temperature that is a temperature necessary to deposit the heat radiating coating on the substrate, wherein the heat radiating coating is applied to the surface of the substrate to be coated while the substrate is left in a part of the molding dies immediately after the molding dies are opened, and the surface of the substrate to be coated is thus exposed, and wherein the heat radiating coating is baked by heat of the surface of the substrate.

2. The method for producing a heat sink according to claim 1, wherein: the surface of the substrate molded through the casting in the first step has a fin structure, and in the second step, the heat radiating coating is applied to the fin structure of the substrate through spraying or dropping.

3. The method for producing a heat sink according to claim 1, wherein: the temperature of the substrate when the heat radiating coating is applied thereto in the second step is in a range of greater than or equal to the deposition temperature of the heat radiating coating and less than a preset temperature that is higher than the deposition temperature by a predetermined temperature.

4. The method for producing a heat sink according to claim 3, wherein: the heat radiating coating contains thermosetting resin, the deposition temperature is defined as a curing temperature at which the thermosetting resin cures, and the temperature of the substrate when the heat radiating coating is applied thereto in the second step is in a range of greater than or equal to the curing temperature and less than a preset temperature that is higher than the curing temperature by a predetermined temperature.

5. The method for producing a heat sink according to claim 3, wherein: the heat radiating coating contains thermoplastic resin, the deposition temperature is defined as a softening temperature at which the thermoplastic resin softens, and the temperature of the substrate when the heat radiating coating is applied thereto in the second step is in a range of greater than or equal to the softening temperature and less than a preset temperature that is higher than the softening temperature by a predetermined temperature.

6. The method for producing a heat sink according to claim 1, wherein a surface roughness Ra of the heat radiating film formed is greater than or equal to 5 m.

7. The method for producing a heat sink according to claim 1, wherein the method is free of a baking step in a baking furnace.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a production system applied to the method for producing a heat sink of the present disclosure, and a first step of the production method;

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the first step following FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second step of the method for producing a heat sink;

(4) FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the heat sink illustrating the second step following FIG. 3;

(5) FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the heat sink illustrating the second step following FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the experimental results of verifying the heat radiation performance of heat sinks;

(7) FIG. 6A is a graph illustrating the experimental results of verifying the relationship between the heat radiation performance and the temperature of a substrate during application of a heat radiating coating, which has been diluted by 44%, to the substrate;

(8) FIG. 6B is a graph illustrating the experimental results of verifying the relationship between the heat radiation performance and the temperature of a substrate during application of a heat radiating coating, which has been diluted by 50%, to the substrate;

(9) FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the experimental results of verifying the peel strength of a heat radiating film when a heat radiating coating diluted by 44% or 50% was applied to a substrate;

(10) FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the experimental results of verifying the relationship between the heat radiation performance and the transition temperature of a heat radiating coating;

(11) FIG. 9 illustrates SEM photographs of an area around the interface between a substrate and a heat radiating coating that has been formed by dipping the substrate in a heat radiating coating material and heating and baking it; and

(12) FIG. 10 illustrates SEM photographs of an area around the interface between a substrate and a heat radiating film that has been formed by heating the substrate, applying a heat radiating coating thereto through spraying, and baking it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) Hereinafter, embodiments of a method for producing a heat sink of the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with a production system, with reference to the drawings. Although the drawings illustrate examples in which a robot hand is used as means for transferring a substrate that has been released from molding dies, the transfer means may be a belt conveyer, hands of an operator, and the like besides the transfer means.

(14) (System for Producing Heat Sink)

(15) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system for producing a heat sink of the present disclosure. A production system 100 illustrated in the drawing includes molding dies 10, a transfer apparatus 20 including a robot hand, and a coating applicator 30.

(16) The molding dies 10 include a first die 1 and a second die 2, and a cavity C is defined in a state in which the first die 1 and the second die 2 illustrated in the drawing are closed. In addition, the first die 1 incorporates therein a substrate extruder 1a, and the second die 2 incorporates therein an injection hole 2a and a molten metal extruder 2b that slides in the injection hole 2a.

(17) Molten metal Y of aluminum or the like provided from a molten metal retaining furnace (not illustrated) is provided to a crucible 3, and the molten metal Y is flowed into the injection hole 2a via the crucible 3.

(18) The coating applicator 30 includes a coating storage container 5 that stores therein a heat radiating coating, a spray nozzle 4, and a coating supply pipe 4a that provides the heat radiating coating to the spray nozzle 4 from the coating storage container 5.

(19) The coating applicator 30 is disposed in a coating area PA including an open floor, and a substrate that has been cast with the molding dies 10 is transferred to the coating area PA by the robot hand 20 so that the surface of the substrate is coated with a heat radiating coating in the open coating area PA. Herein, the term open means that the relevant area should be distinguished from a state sealed by a mold, and the term open coating area PA refers to an area where a coating operation can be performed in an open state as the words suggest.

(20) Herein, examples of the heat radiating coating include polyamide-imide (PAI), epoxy coatings, and phenolic coatings.

(21) Next, a method for producing a heat sink using the production system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described.

(22) (Method for Producing Heat Sink)

(23) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the aforementioned system for producing a heat sink and a first step of the method for producing a heat sink of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the first step following FIG. 1. FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams sequentially illustrating a second step of the method for producing a heat sink.

(24) First, after the wall surface of the cavity C of the molding dies 10 is coated with a release agent, the molding dies 10 are closed as illustrated in FIG. 1, and molten metal Y is poured into the injection hole 2a of the second die 2 via the crucible 3. Herein, when the molten metal Y is molten aluminum, the temperature of the molten metal Y is about 700 C.

(25) Next, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the molten metal extruder 2b is pushed (in the X1 direction) to move the molten metal Y to the cavity C side so that the molten metal is poured into the cavity C and a substrate W is cast (hereinabove is the first step).

(26) Next, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the molding dies 10 are released (in the X2 direction), and further, the substrate extruder 1a is pushed (in the X3 direction) to extrude the cast substrate W from the molding dies 10.

(27) The substrate W extruded from the molding dies 10 is gripped with the robot hand 20 and is transferred to the open coating area PA to be placed thereon.

(28) As illustrated in FIG. 4, in the open coating area PA, a heat radiating coating is discharged (in the Z direction) to the substrate W from the spray nozzle 4, and the surface of the substrate W is thus coated with the heat radiating coating (second step). For example, of the entire surface of the substrate W, a surface of the substrate W that is not in contact with the surface of the coating area PA having the substrate W placed thereon is exposed, and the exposed surface is coated with a heat radiating coating. Alternatively, of the exposed surface, a region on which a coating is to be deposited is coated with a heat radiating coating.

(29) As shown in FIG. 4B, the substrate W may have a fin structure F including a plurality of projections and recesses on its surface, and a heat radiating coating may be applied to the fin structure through spraying. For example, in order to increase the specific surface area, a fin structure that has a plurality of projections arranged at intervals therebetween can be formed.

(30) Since a heat radiating coating is applied to the substrate through spraying as illustrated in the drawing, it is possible to stably form a heat radiating film on the surface of the substrate even when the surface of the substrate is not flat and has complex projections and recesses like a fin structure.

(31) In addition, though not illustrated, the method of applying a heat radiating coating to the substrate W may be a method of applying a heat radiating coating to the surface of the substrate W by dropping it besides the method of applying a heat radiating coating to the surface of the substrate W through spraying using the spray nozzle 4 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

(32) Specifically, such a method includes changing the drop position of a heat radiating coating while dropping it onto the substrate W or passing the substrate W below a heat radiating coating that is being dropped. Exemplary methods include a coating method such as curtain coating in which a heat radiating coating is applied by being dropped in a band-like (curtain-like) manner, or slot coating.

(33) With the method of applying a heat radiating coating to a substrate through dropping, it is also possible to stably form a heat radiating film on the surface of the substrate even when the surface of the substrate is not flat and has complex projections and recesses like a fin structure.

(34) When a heat radiating coating containing thermoplastic resin is applied to the substrate W, if polyamide-imide (PAI) is used as the heat radiating coating, the heat radiating coating is applied under the condition that the substrate W is at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 180 C. that is a temperature of greater than or equal to the deposition temperature of the heat radiating coating. Alternatively, the heat radiating coating is applied under the condition that the substrate W is at a temperature in the range of greater than or equal to about 180 C., which is greater than or equal to the deposition temperature (softening temperature) of the heat radiating coating, and less than a preset temperature that is higher than the deposition temperature by a predetermined temperature (for example, 280 C. that is the deposition temperature of 180 C. plus 100 C.). Meanwhile, if an epoxy coating or a phenolic coating is used as the heat radiating coating, the heat radiating coating is applied under the condition that the substrate W is at a temperature of greater than or equal to about 170 C., which is greater than or equal to the deposition temperature (curing temperature) of the heat radiating coating, and less than a preset temperature that is higher than the deposition temperature by a predetermined temperature (for example, 270 C. that is the deposition temperature of 170 C. plus 100 C.).

(35) When molten aluminum is used as the molten metal Y, the temperature of the substrate W immediately after being molded is greater than or equal to the aforementioned deposition temperature of the heat radiating coating since the heat of the molten metal Y is about 700 C. Therefore, if the heat radiating coating is applied to the substrate while the temperature of the substrate, which has been released from the molding dies 10 and has a temperature decrease during transfer to the coating area PA, is greater than or equal to the deposition temperature of the heat radiating coating, the heat radiating coating is deposited by the heat of the substrate W and a heat radiating film is thus formed.

(36) As described above, when a heat radiating coating is applied to the substrate W while the temperature of the substrate W is greater than or equal to the deposition temperature of the heat radiating coating, the heat radiating coating can be baked by the heat of the substrate W. Therefore, a baking furnace that has been needed in the baking step of the production method of the related art can be omitted and the baking step can be omitted, which can increase the production efficiency.

(37) In addition, when a heat radiating coating is applied to the substrate W through spraying, volatilization of volatile components in the heat radiating coating partially occurs. Therefore, voids are unlikely to be formed in the heat radiating film, and a heat radiating film with an even more uniform thickness can be formed.

(38) Further, when a heat radiating coating is applied to the substrate W through spraying, a heat radiating film with a surface roughness Ra as high as 5 m or greater can be formed, and the specific surface area of the heat radiating film thus becomes large. Consequently, a heat sink with high heat radiation performance can be produced.

(39) (Experiments of Verifying the Heat Radiation Performance of Heat Sinks and Results Thereof)

(40) The inventors conducted experiments of verifying the heat radiation performance of heat sinks. As the test pieces, the following three heat sinks were produced: a heat sink made of only an aluminum substrate without a heat radiating film formed thereon (reference example); a heat sink formed by applying a heat radiating coating to the surface of an aluminum substrate through spraying and baking it using the temperature of the substrate to form a heat radiating film thereon (present example); and a heat sink formed by dipping an aluminum substrate in a heat radiating coating and performing baking treatment thereto to form a heat radiating film on the substrate (comparative example).

(41) Each test piece was held at 150 C. and the temperature of the test piece after 15 minutes was measured. FIG. 5 illustrates the measurement results.

(42) FIG. 5 can confirm that the heat radiation temperature of the reference example without a heat radiating film is 48 C. whereas the heat radiation temperature of the present example with a heat radiating film is 58 C. and the heat radiation temperature of the comparative example is 55 C., and thus that both the present example and the comparative example have improved heat radiation performance.

(43) In addition, comparison between the comparative example and the present example reveals that the heat radiation temperature of the present example produced using the production method of the present disclosure is higher than that of the comparative example, and thus can confirm the advantageous effects of the production method of the present disclosure.

(44) (Experiments of Verifying the Relationship Between the Heat Radiation Performance and the Temperature of a Substrate During Application of a Heat Radiating Coating Thereto with the Dilution Rate Changed, and Results Thereof)

(45) The inventors conducted experiments of verifying the relationship between the heat radiation performance and the temperature of a substrate during application of a heat radiating coating thereto with the dilution rate changed. Specifically, regarding cases where NMP, which is an organic solvent, was diluted with polyamide-imide (PAI) at dilution rates of 44% and 50%, the heat radiation performance when the temperature of an aluminum substrate during application of the coating thereto was changed to 250 C., 300 C., 350 C., and 400 C. was verified. Herein, FIGS. 6A and 6B are graphs illustrating the experimental results of verifying the relationship between the heat radiation performance and the temperature of the substrate during application of a heat radiating coating thereto when the dilution rate of the coating was changed. Specifically, FIG. 6A illustrates a case where the dilution rate is 44% and FIG. 6B illustrates a case where the dilution rate is 50%.

(46) FIGS. 6A and 6B can confirm the results that the heat radiation performance is superior when the dilution rate is 50% regardless of the temperature of the substrate during application of the coating thereto.

(47) FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the experimental results of verifying the peel strength between a substrate and a heat radiating film when a temperature of the substrate is at 400 C. and a heat radiating coating diluted by 44% or 50% was applied to the substrate.

(48) FIG. 7 can confirm that the peel strength is higher when the dilution rate is 50%.

(49) Accordingly, the experimental results in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 7 can confirm that the dilution rate of the heat radiating coating is preferably about 50%.

(50) (Experiments of Verifying the Relationship Between the Heat Radiation Performance and the Transition Temperature of a Heat Radiating Coating and Results Thereof)

(51) The inventors conducted experiments of verifying the relationship between the heat radiation performance and the transition temperature of a heat radiating coating. Specifically, materials with transition temperatures of 200 C., 250 C., 280 C., 300 C., and 320 C. were prepared by using epoxy coatings and changing the compositions thereof, and verified the heat radiation performance of a test piece with a heat radiating film made of each material. FIG. 8 illustrates the experimental results.

(52) FIG. 8 can verify that about the same degree of heat radiation performance can be obtained at all transition temperatures.

(53) (Experiments of Verifying the Properties of the Interface Between a Substrate and a Heat Radiating Film and the Properties of the Surface of the Heat Radiating Film when Spraying and Dipping are Used, and Results Thereof)

(54) The inventors further conducted experiments of verifying the properties of the interface between a substrate and a heat radiating film and the properties of the surface of the heat radiating film when spraying and dipping were performed. Herein, FIG. 9 illustrates SEM photographs of an area around the interface between a substrate and a heat radiating coating that has been formed by dipping the substrate in a heat radiating coating material and heating and baking it. FIG. 10 illustrates SEM photographs of an area around the interface between a substrate and a heat radiating film that has been formed by heating the substrate, applying a heat radiating coating thereto through spraying, and baking it.

(55) Comparison between FIGS. 9 and 10 can confirm that the regarding the properties of the surface of the heat radiating film, the surface of the heat radiating film in FIG. 10 formed through spraying has higher roughness. That is, the SEM photographs can also confirm that a heat radiating film formed through spraying has higher surface roughness and thus has superior heat radiation performance.

(56) In addition, regarding the properties of the interface between the substrate and the heat radiating film, it can be confirmed that projections and recesses on the interface between the substrate and the heat radiating film in FIG. 10 formed through spraying are rough. That is, the SEM photographs can also confirm that projections and recesses on the interface between the heat radiating film and the substrate formed through spraying are rough and thus that the peel strength is increased due to the anchor effect.

(57) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, specific configurations are not limited thereto and any changes and the like that are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure are all included in the present disclosure. Although the aforementioned embodiments of the present disclosure illustrate a configuration in which a heat radiating coating is applied to the substrate W while the substrate W is placed in the coating area PA, the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. For example, a surface to be coated of the substrate W may be coated while a part of the substrate W is held by the robot hand 20. Alternatively, for example, a surface to be coated of the substrate W may be coated while the substrate W is left in a part of the molding dies (for example, one of the first die 1 or the second die 2) immediately after the dies are opened, and the surface to be coated is thus exposed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS

(58) 1 First die

(59) 1a Substrate extruder

(60) 2 Second die

(61) 2a Injection hole

(62) 2b Molten metal extruder

(63) 4 Spray nozzle

(64) 5 Coating storage container

(65) 10 Molding dies

(66) 20 Robot hand (transfer apparatus)

(67) 30 Coating applicator

(68) 100 Production System (for heat sink)

(69) C Cavity

(70) PA Coating area

(71) W Substrate

(72) Y Molten metal