Detailed Description
Hereinafter, a method for producing a thermally conductive molded body to which the present technology is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present technology is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present technology. The drawings are schematic, and the ratio of the dimensions and the like may be different from those in reality. Specific dimensions and the like should be determined with reference to the following description. It is to be noted that the drawings naturally include portions having different dimensional relationships and ratios from each other.
[ Heat-conductive molded article ]
As shown in fig. 1, a thermally conductive moldedbody 10 to which the present technology is applied is formed by curing aresin liquid 3 filled between carbon fibers of acarbon fiber bundle 2. The thermally conductive moldedbody 10 is filled withcarbon fibers 1 at a high density and is integrated with a cured resin liquid. The thermally conductive moldedbody 10 is cut into a sheet shape, and is used as a thermally conductive sheet 11 (see fig. 2) sandwiched between a heat source of a semiconductor device or the like and a heat dissipating member.
The method for producing a thermally conductive molded body to which the present technology is applied includes: a step of preparing a carbon fiber bundle filled with a resin liquid, as shown in fig. 3 and 4; as shown in fig. 5, a step of inserting thecarbon fiber bundle 2 filled with theresin liquid 3 into ashrinkable tube 5 and then shrinking thetube 5; and a step of curing theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers.
As shown in fig. 3 (a) to (C), a carbon fiber bundle filled with a resin liquid can be formed by a step of preparing acarbon fiber bundle 2 in which a plurality ofcarbon fibers 1 are aligned and bundled in the same direction and a step of filling theresin liquid 3 between the carbon fibers of thecarbon fiber bundle 2.
As shown in fig. 4 (a) and (B), a carbon fiber bundle filled with a resin solution can be formed by a step of immersing thecarbon fibers 1 in theresin solution 3 and a step of forming acarbon fiber bundle 2 in which thecarbon fibers 1 immersed in theresin solution 3 are aligned in the same direction and collected.
[ carbon fiber ]
Thecarbon fibers 1 contained in the thermallyconductive sheet 11 of the present invention are oriented in the thickness direction of the sheet, and are responsible for thermal conductivity. The kind of thecarbon fiber 1 is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, pitch-based, PAN-based, carbon fibers obtained by graphitizing PBO fibers, carbon fibers synthesized by arc discharge, laser evaporation, CVD (chemical vapor deposition), CCVD (catalytic chemical vapor deposition), or the like can be used. Among these, carbon fibers obtained by graphitizing PBO fibers and pitch-based carbon fibers are more preferable from the viewpoint of obtaining high thermal conductivity.
Thecarbon fiber 1 may be used by partially or entirely surface-treating it as necessary. Examples of the surface treatment include oxidation treatment, nitridation treatment, nitration, sulfonation, or treatment in which a metal, a metal compound, an organic compound, or the like is attached or bonded to a functional group or the surface of carbon fiber introduced to the surface by these treatments. Examples of the functional group include a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a carbonyl group, a nitro group, and an amino group.
Thecarbon fiber 1 is preferably formed into an elongated filamentous carbon fiber filament by twisting a plurality of carbon fibers. In addition, thecarbon fiber 1 may be formed by twisting a plurality of carbon fiber filaments to form a longer and stronger carbon fiber filament. In the method for producing a thermally conductive molded body to which the present technology is applied, as shown in fig. 3 (a) to (C), such a carbon fiber or carbon fiber yarn bundle is prepared, and thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is immersed in aresin solution 3 described later or the like to fill theresin solution 3 between the carbon fibers. Thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is solidified and integrated by theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers.
In addition, as shown in fig. 4 (a) and (B), the method for producing a thermally conductive molded body to which the present technology is applied can form a carbon fiber bundle filled with theresin solution 3 by a step of immersing thecarbon fibers 1 in theresin solution 3 and a step of forming thecarbon fiber bundle 2 in which thecarbon fibers 1 immersed in theresin solution 3 are aligned and collected in the same direction. Thecarbon fiber bundle 2 in which theresin solution 3 is filled in thecarbon fiber bundle 2 can be obtained by immersing thecarbon fibers 1 in theresin solution 3 to adhere the carbon fibers to each other and then orienting and bundling thecarbon fibers 1 in the same direction. Thecarbon fiber 1 immersed in theresin solution 3 may be a long and thin filament-like carbon fiber yarn formed by twisting a plurality of carbon fibers, or may be a longer and stronger carbon fiber yarn formed by twisting a plurality of carbon fiber yarns. Thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is solidified and integrated by theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers.
The length of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected. For example, the range of 3cm to 100cm may be used.
[ resin solution ]
Theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is a binder resin that bonds thecarbon fibers 1 filled with high density to maintain the sheet shape of the thermallyconductive sheet 11. Theresin liquid 3 has a polymer matrix component, and may contain an inorganic filler and other components as appropriate.
The kind of the polymer matrix component contained in the thermallyconductive sheet 11 is not particularly limited, and a known polymer matrix component can be appropriately selected. For example, thermosetting polymers are cited as one of the polymer matrix components.
Examples of the thermosetting polymer include crosslinked rubber, epoxy resin, polyimide resin, bismaleimide resin, benzocyclobutene resin, phenol resin, unsaturated polyester, diallyl phthalate resin, silicone resin, polyurethane, polyimide silicone, thermosetting polyphenylene ether, thermosetting modified polyphenylene ether, and the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Examples of the crosslinked rubber include natural rubber, butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, chlorinated polyethylene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, butyl rubber, halogenated butyl rubber, fluorine rubber, urethane rubber, acrylic rubber, polyisobutylene rubber, and silicone rubber. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Among these thermosetting polymers, silicone resins are preferably used from the viewpoint of excellent molding processability and weather resistance, and adhesion to electronic components and conformability. The silicone resin is not particularly limited, and the kind of the silicone resin may be appropriately selected according to the purpose.
From the viewpoint of obtaining the above-mentioned molding processability, weather resistance, adhesion and the like, the silicone resin is preferably a silicone resin composed of a main agent of a liquid silicone gel and a curing agent. Examples of such a silicone resin include an addition reaction type liquid silicone resin, a heat-curable kneading (millable) type silicone resin in which a peroxide is used for vulcanization, and the like. Among these, as a heat dissipating member of an electronic device, an addition reaction type liquid silicone resin is particularly preferable because adhesiveness between a heat generating surface of an electronic component and a heat sink surface is required.
As the addition reaction type liquid silicone resin, a two-component addition reaction type silicone resin or the like is preferably used, which uses a polyorganosiloxane having a vinyl group as a main agent and a polyorganosiloxane having an Si-H group as a curing agent.
The content of the polymer matrix component, the inorganic filler and other components contained in the heatconductive sheet 11 is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose, and is preferably about 10 to 50 vol% from the viewpoints of achieving high-density filling of thecarbon fibers 1, securing a high thermal conductivity, discharging theexcess resin liquid 3 contained between the carbon fibers with the shrinkage strength of theshrinkable tube 5, maintaining the sheet shape by bonding the carbon fibers after theresin liquid 3 is cured, securing the adhesion of the sheet, and the like. That is, the heatconductive sheet 11 preferably contains 50 to 90 vol% of carbon fibers.
[ thermally conductive filler ]
The thermallyconductive sheet 11 may contain another thermally conductive filler in order to further improve thermal conductivity. The kind of the thermally conductive filler is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having high thermal conductivity, and examples thereof include metals such as silver, copper, and aluminum, and ceramics such as alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, and graphite.
The thermally conductive filler may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When two or more kinds of thermally conductive fillers are used, the thermally conductive fillers may be fibrous, or fibrous thermally conductive fillers and thermally conductive fillers of other shapes may be used in combination.
[ inorganic Filler ]
The thermallyconductive sheet 11 may further contain an inorganic filler. By containing the inorganic filler, the thermal conductivity of the thermallyconductive sheet 11 can be further improved, and the strength of the sheet can be improved. The inorganic filler is not particularly limited in shape, material, average particle diameter, and the like, and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose. Examples of the shape include a spherical shape, an ellipsoidal shape, a block shape, a granular shape, a flat shape, and a needle shape. Among them, spherical and elliptical shapes are preferable from the viewpoint of filling property, and spherical shapes are particularly preferable.
Examples of the material of the inorganic filler include aluminum nitride (AlN), silica, alumina (aluminum oxide), boron nitride, titanium dioxide, glass, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, silicon (silicon), silicon oxide, and metal particles. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, alumina, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, zinc oxide, and silica are preferable, and alumina and aluminum nitride are particularly preferable from the viewpoint of thermal conductivity.
The inorganic filler may be a surface-treated inorganic filler. When the inorganic filler is treated with a coupling agent as the surface treatment, the dispersibility of the inorganic filler is improved and the flexibility of the thermally conductive sheet is improved.
The average particle size of the inorganic filler may be appropriately selected according to the kind of the inorganic material. When the inorganic filler is alumina, the average particle diameter thereof is preferably 1 to 10 μm, more preferably 1 to 5 μm, and particularly preferably 4 to 5 μm. When the average particle diameter is less than 1 μm, the viscosity becomes large, and mixing may become difficult. On the other hand, when the average particle diameter exceeds 10 μm, the thermal resistance of the thermally conductive sheet is likely to be large.
When the inorganic filler is aluminum nitride, the average particle diameter is preferably 0.3 to 6.0. mu.m, more preferably 0.3 to 2.0. mu.m, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 1.5. mu.m. When the average particle diameter is less than 0.3 μm, the viscosity becomes large and there is a fear that mixing becomes difficult, and when the average particle diameter exceeds 6.0 μm, the thermal resistance of the thermally conductive sheet is liable to become large.
The average particle diameter of the inorganic filler can be measured by, for example, a particle size distribution meter or a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).
[ other ingredients ]
The thermallyconductive sheet 11 may contain other components as appropriate depending on the purpose, in addition to the polymer matrix component and the inorganic filler. Examples of the other components include magnetic metal powder, thixotropy imparting agent, dispersant, curing accelerator, retarder, micro-viscosity imparting agent, plasticizer, flame retardant, antioxidant, stabilizer, colorant, and the like.
Theresin liquid 3 is prepared by mixing these polymer matrix components with an inorganic filler and other components contained as appropriate. The procedure for preparing theresin liquid 3 by mixing the components is not particularly limited, and for example, the resin liquid is prepared by adding and mixing an inorganic filler, a magnetic metal powder, and other components to the polymer matrix component.
[ tube ]
Theshrinkable tube 5 into which thecarbon fiber bundle 2 filled with theresin liquid 3 is inserted is formed of a material that can be shrunk by heating and its own tension. Thetube 5 is a member that is inserted with thecarbon fiber bundle 2 and then contracted to squeeze out theexcess resin liquid 3 in theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers.
The shape of thetube 5 may be a cylindrical shape having an opening into which thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is inserted, but is preferably a cylindrical shape because pressure due to shrinkage is uniformly applied to thecarbon fiber bundle 2.
As the material of the heatshrinkable tube 5, for example, a known material such as vinyl chloride, silicone rubber, a fluorine-based polymer, or a polyolefin resin can be used.
The heat treatment of thetube 5 can be performed by a known method such as an oven, a belt conveyor oven (belt conveyor oven), a gas torch (gas torch), and an industrial dryer. Here, the heat-shrinkable tube 5 needs to be shrunk before theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers is cured. This is because, if theresin liquid 3 is cured first, the shrinkage of thetube 5 is hindered, and theexcess resin liquid 3 cannot be extruded. Therefore, the heating temperature and the heating time of the heat-shrinkable tube 5 are set in accordance with the shrinkage rate of the heat-shrinkable tube 5, the curing conditions of theresin liquid 3, and the like, and are set to 100 ℃ for 1 hour as an example.
For the same reason, the heat-shrinkable tube 5 into which thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is inserted is not immersed in theresin liquid 3. This is because, when thetube 5 is cured by theresin liquid 3, shrinkage is hindered.
In the case of using a tube of a type in which the opening is enlarged by its own tension as theshrinkable tube 5, thecarbon fiber bundle 2 can be shrunk by releasing the tension after insertion.
[ Process for producing thermally conductive molded article ]
Next, each process for producing the thermally conductive molded body will be described. As described above, the method for producing a thermally conductive molded body to which the present technology is applied includes: preparing acarbon fiber bundle 2 filled with a resin liquid; a tube shrinking step of inserting thecarbon fiber bundle 2 filled with theresin liquid 3 into ashrinkable tube 5 and then shrinking thetube 5; and a curing step of curing theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers.
As shown in fig. 3 (a) to (C), a carbon fiber bundle filled with a resin liquid can be formed by a step of preparing acarbon fiber bundle 2 in which a plurality ofcarbon fibers 1 are aligned and bundled in the same direction and a step of filling theresin liquid 3 between the carbon fibers of thecarbon fiber bundle 2.
The carbon fiber bundle forming step is a step of forming a bundle ofcarbon fibers 1, and for example, can be performed by twisting a plurality of carbon fibers to form a long and thin filamentous carbon fiber filament, appropriately twisting a plurality of carbon fiber filaments to form a long and strong carbon fiber filament, and then bundling such carbon fiber filaments.
The resin liquid filling step is a step of filling theresin liquid 3 between the carbon fibers constituting thecarbon fiber bundle 2, and may be performed by, for example, immersing thecarbon fiber bundle 2 in a container containing theresin liquid 3 and allowing the carbon fiber bundle to be immersed in theresin liquid 3, as shown in fig. 3. At this time, as shown in fig. 3 (B), thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is immersed in theresin liquid 3 from one end side in the fiber orientation direction, whereby air in thecarbon fiber bundle 2 can be discharged from the other end side in the fiber orientation direction while preventing the mixing of air bubbles.
As shown in fig. 4 (a) and (B), a carbon fiber bundle filled with a resin solution can be formed by a step of immersing thecarbon fibers 1 in theresin solution 3 and a step of forming acarbon fiber bundle 2 in which thecarbon fibers 1 immersed in theresin solution 3 are aligned in the same direction and collected. In the impregnation step of thecarbon fiber 1 into theresin liquid 3, a plurality of carbon fibers are twisted to form a long and thin carbon fiber filament, a plurality of carbon fiber filaments are appropriately twisted to form a long and strong carbon fiber filament, and then the carbon fiber filament is sequentially transferred into a container containing theresin liquid 3 to be continuously impregnated. The step of forming thecarbon fiber bundle 2 may be performed by aligning and collecting the carbon fiber filaments coated with theresin liquid 3 in the same direction.
In addition, the filling of theresin liquid 3 into the spaces between the carbon fibers can be performed by continuously and sequentially transferring a long aggregate in which a plurality of carbon fiber bundles are aggregated into a container containing theresin liquid 3, and continuously immersing the carbon fiber bundles. Alternatively, the filling of theresin liquid 3 between the carbon fibers may be performed by dispersing theresin liquid 3 in the carbon fiber filaments, thecarbon fiber bundle 2, or the like.
As shown in fig. 5, the tube shrinking step is a step of inserting thecarbon fiber bundle 2 filled with theresin liquid 3 from the opening of theshrinkable tube 5 and shrinking thetube 5, and as described above, the heat treatment is performed when the heat-shrinkable tube 5 is used, and thetube 5 shrunk by the tension is shrunk by releasing the tension. This compresses thecarbon fiber bundle 2, and squeezes out anexcess resin liquid 3 from between the carbon fibers, thereby filling the carbon fibers with high density.
In addition, in the resin liquid filling step, if only thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is immersed in a container containing theresin liquid 3, the carbon fiber spaces may not be sufficiently filled with theresin liquid 3, but theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers may sufficiently reach each corner of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 in the tube shrinking step, and theresin liquid 3 can be reliably filled between the carbon fibers.
Then, theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers is cured by the curing step, thereby obtaining the thermally conductive moldedbody 10. As described above, in the case of using the heat-shrinkable tube 5, the tube shrinking step and the curing step are performed simultaneously by performing the heat treatment, and the heating temperature and the heating time are set in accordance with the shrinking speed of the heat-shrinkable tube 5, the curing conditions of theresin liquid 3, and the like, so that the heat-shrinkable tube 5 is shrunk before theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers is cured. In the case of using thetube 5 of the type that expands and contracts by the tension of thetube 5 itself, the tube shrinking step is performed by releasing the tension after inserting thecarbon fiber bundle 2, and then theresin liquid 3 is cured to obtain the thermally conductive moldedbody 10.
The heat conductive moldedbody 10 is formed by cutting thepipe 5 with a cutter or the like to remove thepipe 5. As shown in fig. 6, the thermally conductive moldedbody 10 is sliced into a sheet shape in a direction intersecting the orientation direction of the carbon fibers before or after the removal of thetube 5, thereby forming a thermallyconductive sheet 11 sandwiched between a heat source such as a semiconductor device and a heat dissipating member.
Thecarbon fibers 1 contained in the thermallyconductive sheet 11 are oriented in the thickness direction of the sheet. The thermallyconductive sheet 11 is cut into a sheet by the thermally conductive moldedbody 10, and the integrity by twisting of the carbon fibers and the carbon fiber filaments is eliminated, but the integrity as a sheet is secured by filling theresin liquid 3 between the carbon fibers and between the carbon fiber filaments and curing the resin liquid.
The thickness of the thermallyconductive sheet 11 is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately changed depending on the place where the sheet is used, and may be in the range of 0.2mm to 5mm in consideration of, for example, the adhesiveness and strength of the sheet. The thermally conductive moldedbody 10 can be used for other applications by adjusting the thickness and shape of the cut sheet in addition to the thermallyconductive sheet 11.
According to the above-described steps, by shrinking theshrinkable tube 5, an excess amount of theresin liquid 3 filled between the carbon fibers can be extruded out of theresin liquid 3. Then, after theexcess resin liquid 3 is extruded, theresin liquid 3 is cured in the curing step, and the sheet shape is maintained by theresin liquid 3 filled and cured between the carbon fibers, and theexcess resin liquid 3 is removed, whereby the thermallyconductive sheet 11 in which thecarbon fibers 1 are filled with high density can be produced.
[ semiconductor device ]
Here, a use example of the thermallyconductive sheet 11 will be explained. The heatconductive sheet 11 is mounted on a semiconductor device incorporated in various electronic apparatuses, and is sandwiched between a heat source and a heat dissipating member. Fig. 2 shows an example of a semiconductor device. Thesemiconductor device 50 shown in fig. 2 includes at least anelectronic component 51, aheat spreader 52, and a heatconductive sheet 11, and the heatconductive sheet 11 is sandwiched between theheat spreader 52 and theelectronic component 51. By using the heatconductive sheet 11 in which carbon fibers having excellent thermal conductivity are filled with high density, thesemiconductor device 50 has high heat dissipation performance.
Theelectronic component 51 is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose, and examples thereof include a CPU, an MPU, a graphic operation element, and an image sensor. Theheat equalizing sheet 52 is not particularly limited as long as it is a member that dissipates heat generated by theelectronic component 51, and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose. The heatconductive sheet 11 is sandwiched between theheat equalizing sheet 52 and theelectronic component 51. The heatconductive sheet 11 is sandwiched between theheat equalizing sheet 52 and theheat sink 53, and thereby constitutes a heat dissipating member that dissipates heat of theelectronic component 51 together with theheat equalizing sheet 52.
The place where the heatconductive sheet 11 is mounted is not limited to between theheat equalizing sheet 52 and theelectronic component 51 and between theheat equalizing sheet 52 and theheat sink 53, and may be appropriately selected depending on the configuration of the electronic device or the semiconductor device. The heat dissipating member may be any member other than theheat equalizing sheet 52 and theheat sink 53, as long as it conducts heat generated from a heat source and dissipates the heat to the outside, and examples thereof include a heat sink, a cooler, a die pad (die pad), a printed circuit board, a cooling fan, a Peltier (Peltier) element, a heat pipe, a metal cover, and an electronic device case.
[ modification 1]
As shown in fig. 7, thepipe 5 may be provided with a plurality ofholes 6 on the side surface. Thehole 6 has a size to the extent that it is not buried when thetube 5 is contracted. By providing thehole 6, when thepipe 5 is contracted, theexcess resin liquid 3 can be discharged from thehole 6. Thehole 6 is formed at least in the vicinity of the center of thetube 5 in the longitudinal direction, and preferably formed over theentire tube 5.
In the case where thetubular tube 5 is provided with only the opening portions into which thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is inserted at both ends in the longitudinal direction, when pressure is applied to the entirecarbon fiber bundle 2 due to contraction, the remaining part of theresin liquid 3 filled in the end portions in the longitudinal direction of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is discharged from the opening portions, but theresin liquid 3 filled in the vicinity of the center of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 requires time before being discharged, and the discharge may be insufficient.
Therefore, by providing the plurality ofholes 6 in the side surface of thepipe 5, theexcess resin liquid 3 can be efficiently discharged, and the remaining portion in the vicinity of the center can be prevented from being solidified in a state of not being discharged and remaining.
As shown in fig. 8, a mesh member 9 may be interposed between thetube 5 and the carbon fiber bundle. This also allows the remaining part of theresin liquid 3 to be discharged from thecarbon fiber bundle 2. The mesh member 9 may be provided in advance on the inner wall of thetube 5, or may be inserted into thetube 5 after being wound around the outer periphery of thecarbon fiber bundle 2.
The mesh member 9 is preferably used together with thepipe 5 having thehole 6 on the side surface in order to reliably discharge the remaining part of theresin liquid 3.
[ modification 2]
Further, although thetube 5 shown in fig. 5 has a length equal to or longer than the entire length of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 and thecarbon fiber bundle 2 is inserted over the entire length thereof, as shown in fig. 9, thetube 5 may have a length shorter than thecarbon fiber bundle 2, and a part of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 in the longitudinal direction may be inserted into thetube 5 so as to be relatively shorter than the plurality oftubes 5 of thecarbon fiber bundle 2 with respect to thecarbon fiber bundle 2. According to the configuration shown in fig. 9, thecarbon fiber bundle 2 can be compressed even by the contraction of thetubes 5, and theexcess resin liquid 3 can be squeezed out from between thetubes 5.
[ examples ]
Next, examples of the present technology will be explained.
[ example 1]
In example 1, a carbon Fiber bundle was formed using XN100 (manufactured by Nippon Graphite Fiber Corporation) as a carbon Fiber of a long Fiber. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the carbon fiber is 900W/mK, and the density of the carbon fiber is 2.22g/cm3. The ends of the carbon fiber bundles are bound and immersed in a two-component addition reaction type silicone resin (resin solution) in a vessel, and the spaces between the carbon fibers are filled with the silicone resin. Then, the carbon fiber bundle filled with silicone resin was put into a heat-shrinkable tube having an inner diameter of 50.8mm and a length of 200mm and left to standIn an oven. The heating conditions were set at 100 ℃ for 1 hour. The size of the heat-shrinkable tube after curing was 40mm in inner diameter. A portion of the remaining silicon bleeds out from the end of the heat shrinkable tube and cures.
The obtained thermally conductive molded article was cut into a quadrangular prism, and then cut into a thickness of 2.0mm to obtain a thermally conductive sheet. When the cross section of the thermally conductive sheet was observed, it was confirmed that the carbon fibers became dense and had good thermal characteristics.
Comparative example 1
In comparative example 1, a carbon Fiber bundle was formed using XN100 (manufactured by Nippon Graphite Fiber Corporation) as a carbon Fiber of a long Fiber. The thermal conductivity coefficient of the carbon fiber is 900W/mK, and the density of the carbon fiber is 2.22g/cm3. The ends of the carbon fiber bundles are bound and immersed in a two-component addition reaction type silicone resin (resin solution) in a vessel, and the spaces between the carbon fibers are filled with the silicone resin. Then, the carbon fiber bundle filled with silicone resin was left in the oven. The heating conditions were set at 100 ℃ for 1 hour.
The obtained thermally conductive molded article was cut into a quadrangular prism, and then cut into a thickness of 2.0mm to obtain a thermally conductive sheet. When the cross section of the thermally conductive sheet is observed, a portion where carbon fibers are sparse and a portion where carbon fibers are dense are present, and thus good thermal characteristics cannot be obtained.
As can be seen from the above, in example 1, the carbon fiber bundle filled with the silicone resin was put into the shrinkable tube and pressure was applied to squeeze out an excess resin liquid, thereby obtaining a thermally conductive sheet in which carbon fibers were filled at a high density and which had excellent thermal conductivity.
On the other hand, in comparative example 1, since the carbon fiber bundles filled with the silicone resin were directly cured, a dense carbon fiber portion and a sparse carbon fiber portion appeared in the thermally conductive sheet, and the thermal resistance increased.