Vapor chamber

Abstract

A vapor chamber, comprising a lower shell and an upper shell, wherein at least one gas-tight and liquid-tight intermediate area is formed between lower shell and upper shell, in which area a fluid working medium is accommodated and a porous material that interacts with the fluid is arranged; the porous material is in contact, at least in some areas, with the upper shell and/or the lower shell, but does not completely fill the at least one intermediate area, forming at least one cavity-like vapor gap. The upper shell of the vapor chamber has on its top side a plurality of indentations which are distributed over the surface thereof, extend towards the lower shell and act as sample receptacles, into which samples to be temperature-controlled can be introduced from the top using the vapor chamber.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A vapor chamber ( 1 ) comprising a lower shell ( 3 ) and an upper shell ( 4 ), wherein at least one gas-tight and liquid-tight intermediate space ( 11 ) is formed between lower shell ( 3 ) and upper shell ( 4 ), in which space a fluid working medium is received and a porous material ( 12 ,  13 ,  30 ) cooperating with the fluid working medium is disposed, wherein the porous material ( 12 ,  13 ,  30 ) contacts the upper shell ( 4 ) and/or the lower shell ( 3 ) at least in some zones, albeit without completely filling the at least one intermediate space ( 11 ) but instead forming at least one cavity-like vapor gap ( 14 ),
 wherein the upper shell ( 4 ) of the vapor chamber ( 1 ) is provided on the top side with a multiplicity of depressions ( 6 ), distributed over its surface ( 5 ), extending toward the lower shell ( 3 ) and functioning as sample receptacles, in which samples ( 7 ) to be thermally regulated using the vapor chamber ( 1 ) can be introduced from above,   wherein at least one vapor gap ( 14 ) bounded at least partly by the porous material ( 12 ,  13 ,  30 ) extends three-dimensionally in such a way that, inside the intermediate space ( 11 ) disposed between upper and lower shell ( 4 ,  3 ), it surrounds at least part of the lateral periphery of one or more depressions ( 6 ) of the upper shell ( 4 ),   wherein at least some of the depressions ( 6 ), preferably all depressions ( 6 ), formed on the upper shell ( 4 ) and extending toward the lower shell ( 3 ) contact the lower shell ( 3 ) with their bottom end,   wherein at least some of the depressions ( 6 ) contacting the lower shell ( 3 ) are joined at their bottom end to the lower shell ( 3 ),   wherein each depression ( 6 ) of the upper shell ( 4 ) is contacted inside the intermediate space with the porous material ( 13 ,  30 ) and   wherein the porous material ( 13 ,  30 ) adjoining the depressions ( 6 ) inside the intermediate space contacts the porous material ( 12 ,  30 ) adjoining the lower shell ( 3 ) in the zone of the respective depressions ( 6 ).   
     
     
         2 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one vapor gap ( 14 ,  14 ′), which encircles the lateral outer periphery of all depressions and for this purpose is formed inside the intermediate space ( 11 ) between the lateral boundary of the vapor chamber ( 1 ) and the depressions ( 6 ) disposed along the rim, is provided between upper and lower shell ( 4 ,  3 ). 
     
     
         3 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the entire periphery of each depression ( 6 ) is surrounded by at least one vapor gap ( 14 ,  14 ″). 
     
     
         4 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous material ( 12 ,  13 ) is formed by at least two layers of porous material ( 12 ,  13 ), of which a first material layer ( 13 ) is formed inside the intermediate space on the upper shell ( 4 ) and a second material layer ( 12 ) is formed inside the intermediate space on the lower shell ( 3 ), wherein the first and second material layers ( 12 ,  13 ) are in contact with one another in some zones but are spaced apart from one another in other zones in order to form the at least one vapor gap ( 14 ). 
     
     
         5 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the contact between the porous material ( 13 ,  30 ) adjoining the depressions ( 6 ) inside the intermediate space and the porous material ( 12 ,  30 ) adjoining the lower shell is established by forming the porous material ( 12 ,  13 ,  30 ) on the upper and lower shells ( 4 ,  3 ) as an inner coating that on the whole is continuous throughout the vapor chamber ( 1 ). 
     
     
         6 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous material ( 30 ) is produced from an initially pasty molding compound ( 29 ) at least in some zones, especially in that zone in which the porous material ( 30 ) adjoining the depressions ( 6 ) inside the intermediate space is in contact with the material ( 12 ) adjoining the lower shell ( 3 ) in the zone of the respective depressions ( 6 ), which compound was applied before assembly on appropriate zones of the upper and lower shells ( 4 ,  3 ) and was solidified by heat treatment at appropriately high temperature after assembly of the upper and lower shells ( 4 ,  3 ). 
     
     
         7 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous material is formed at least partly by at least one prefabricated shaped part ( 32 ) of porous material, which is fitted onto at least one depression ( 6 ) of the upper shell ( 4 ) from below before assembly of upper and lower shells ( 4 ,  3 ) and which is configured such that the shaped part ( 32 ) contacts the at least one depression ( 6 ) and the lower shell ( 3 ) inside the intermediate space after assembly of the upper and lower shells ( 4 ,  3 ). 
     
     
         8 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous material ( 12 ,  13 ,  30 ) contacting the upper and lower shells ( 4 ,  3 ) inside the intermediate space has varying layer thickness and/or varying porosity and/or varying pore diameters. 
     
     
         9 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower shell ( 4 ,  3 ) are made of copper or aluminum. 
     
     
         10 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower shell ( 4 ,  3 ) are joined to one another in gas-tight and liquid-tight relationship along a peripheral rim ( 10 ) by welding and/or brazing. 
     
     
         11 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and/or lower shell ( 4 ,  3 ), with the exception of webs ( 16 ) that may be provided for stiffening purposes, have a layer thickness of smaller than or equal to 2 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and/or lower shell ( 4 ,  3 ), with the exception of webs ( 16 ) that may be provided for stiffening purposes, have a layer thickness of smaller than or equal to 1 mm. 
     
     
         13 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , wherein the vapor chamber ( 1 ) has at least one temperature and/or pressure sensor reaching into the vapor gap ( 14 ). 
     
     
         14 . A vapor chamber according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one threaded blind hole ( 17 ) formed on the bottom side of the lower shell ( 3 ), in order that the vapor chamber ( 1 ) can be joined on its bottom side to an adjacent component by a screw connection. 
     
     
         15 . A thermal cycler ( 21 ) comprising
 a heat sink ( 22 ),   at least one electrical heating element ( 24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c ), which advantageously may also be used for cooling, and   a vapor chamber ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , disposed above the at least one electrical heating element ( 24   a ,  24   b ,  24   c ).