Thermoelectric power generation device, thermoelectric power generation device component, and manufacturing method therefor

A thermoelectric power generation device component comprising:

• a flexible planar wiring substrate having an insulating base material and a metal layer formed on one surface of the base material;
• and
• a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element provided on the flexible wiring substrate, wherein
• the flexible wiring substrate includes:
• a strip-shaped beam portion region provided with a first connecting portion region protruding outward in a width direction of the beam portion region at one end and a second connecting portion region protruding in a direction opposite to the first connecting portion region at the other end;
• a first leg portion region extending in a strip shape from an end portion of the first connecting portion region on the other end side of the beam portion region to the other end side of the beam portion region and having a distal end provided with a first contact portion region which is configured to make surface contact with a surface of a heat source;
• and
• a second leg portion region extending in a strip shape from an end portion of the second connecting portion region on the one end side of the beam portion region to the one end side of the beam portion region and having a distal end provided with a second contact portion region which is configured to make surface contact with a surface of a heat source,
• the beam portion region, the first leg portion region, and the second leg portion region being formed by cut lines,
• the metal layer is electrically separated into a first wiring region on the distal end side in the first leg portion region, a second wiring region on the distal end side in the second leg portion region, and a connection wiring region from a first insulating region to a second insulating region via the beam portion region by the first insulating region formed between a base end and the distal end of the first leg portion region and a second insulating region formed between a base end and the distal end of the second leg portion region, the first insulating region being a first metal-free gap in the metal layer, and the second insulating region being a second metal-free gap in the metal layer,
• the p-type thermoelectric element is mounted on an upper portion of the connection wiring region adjacent to the first metal-free gap and an upper portion of the first wiring region adjacent to the first metal-free gap to connect the connection wiring region and the first wiring region, with the first metal-free gap sandwiched between the base material and the p-type thermoelectric element, and
• the n-type thermoelectric element is mounted on an upper portion of the connection wiring region adjacent to the second metal-free gap and an upper portion of the second wiring region adjacent to the second metal-free gap to connect the connection wiring region and the second wiring region, with the second metal-free gap sandwiched between the base material and the n-type thermoelectric element.

A method for manufacturing a thermoelectric power generation device component, the method comprising:

• a dividing step of forming cut lines on a flexible wiring substrate including an insulating base material and a metal layer formed on one surface of the base material to divide the flexible wiring substrate into a strip-shaped beam portion region provided with a first connecting portion region protruding outward in a width direction of the beam portion region at one end and a second connecting portion region protruding in a direction opposite to the first connecting portion region at the other end, a first leg portion region extending in a strip shape from an end portion of the first connecting portion region on the other end side of the beam portion region to the other end side of the beam portion region and having a distal end provided with a first contact portion region which is configured to make surface contact with a surface of a heat source, and a second leg portion region extending in a strip shape from an end portion of the second connecting portion region on the one end side of the beam portion region to the one end side of the beam portion region and having a distal end provided with a second contact portion region which is configured to make surface contact with a surface of a heat source;
• a metal layer processing step of forming a first insulating region between a base end and the distal end of the first leg portion region and a second insulating region between a base end and the distal end of the second leg portion region, and electrically separating the metal layer into a first wiring region on the distal end side in the first leg portion region, a second wiring region on the distal end side in the second leg portion region, and a connection wiring region from the first insulating region to the second insulating region via the beam portion region, wherein the first insulating region is a first metal-free gap in the metal layer and the second insulating region is a second metal-free gap in the metal layer, and the first and second metal-free gaps are formed by etching the metal layer or forming the metal layer using a mask;
• and
• a thermoelectric element mounting step of mounting a p-type thermoelectric element on an upper portion of the connection wiring region adjacent to the first metal-free gap and an upper portion of the first wiring region adjacent to the first metal-free gap to connect the connection wiring region and the first wiring region with the first metal-free gap sandwiched between the base material and the p-type thermoelectric element, and mounting an n-type thermoelectric element on an upper portion of the connection wiring region adjacent to the second metal-free gap and an upper portion of the second wiring region adjacent to the second metal-free gap to connect the connection wiring region and the second wiring region with the second metal-free gap sandwiched between the base material and the n-type thermoelectric element.