Manufacturing Method For Thermoelectric Conversion Device

Abstract

An insulating substrate is prepared. In this substrate, plural via holes penetrating in a thickness direction are filled with a conductive paste. This paste is produced by adding an organic solvent to a powder of an alloy, and by processing the power of the alloy to a paste. The substrate is then pressed from a front surface and a back surface of the substrate, while being heated. The conductive paste is solid-phase sintered and interlayer connecting members are formed. A front surface protective member is disposed on a front surface of the substrate and a back surface protective member is disposed on a back surface of the substrate and a laminate is formed. The laminate is integrated by a lower pressure being applied while heating at a lower temperature, compared to the temperature and pressure in the process of forming the interlayer connecting members.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermoelectric conversion device comprising:
 an insulating substrate configured to contain a thermoplastic resin, in which a plurality of via holes that penetrate in a thickness direction are formed, and the via holes are filled with a conductive paste that is produced by adding an organic solvent to a powder of an alloy in which a plurality of metal atoms retain a predetermined crystalline structure and by processing the powder of the alloy into a paste, the conductive paste being solid-phase sintered;   interlayer connecting members formed by pressing the insulating substrate from a front surface of the insulating substrate and a back surface on a side opposite to that of the front surface, while heating; and   a laminate formed by disposing a front surface protective member having front surface patterns that come into contact with predetermined interlayer connecting members on the front surface of the insulating substrate and disposing a back surface protective member having back surface patterns that come into contact with predetermined interlayer connecting members on the back surface of the insulating substrate, wherein   the laminate being integrated while electrically connecting the interlayer connecting members to the front surface patterns and the back surface patterns, by pressing the laminate from the lamination direction while heating, and   the laminate is integrated, a lower pressure being applied while heating at a lower temperature, compared to the temperature and pressure in forming the interlayer connecting members.   
     
     
         2 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a plating film is formed in the portions of the interlayer connecting members that are exposed from the insulating substrate, after forming the interlayer connecting members and before forming the laminate.   
     
     
         3 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 pores are formed within the insulating substrate before forming the interlayer connecting members; and   in forming the interlayer connecting members, the interlayer connecting members are formed by solid-phase sintering the conductive paste, while making the thermoplastic resin flow into the pores.   
     
     
         4 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 through holes are formed in the insulating substrate before forming the interlayer connecting members.   
     
     
         5 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 in forming the through holes, a plurality of through holes are formed around each via hole so as to be concentric and separated from each other at an even interval in a circumferential direction.   
     
     
         6 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 frame-shaped groove portions are formed so that the via holes are positioned one in each frame of the groove portions, before forming the interlayer connecting members.   
     
     
         7 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 an insulating substrate containing a porous member having pores therewithin is used as the insulating substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 a porous insulating substrate in which holes are formed therewithin is used as the insulating substrate.   
     
     
         9 . The thermoelectric conversion device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 in forming the interlayer connecting members, a pair of press plates in which recessing portions are formed in portions differing from the portions that come into contact with the conductive paste is prepared, and the interlayer connecting members are formed by solid-phase sintering the conductive paste while making the thermoplastic resin flow into the recessing portions.