Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has been awarded the Prize for Science and Technology (Development Category) of the 2014 Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for its development of the flexible graphite sheet, a key component in the realization of a variety of mobile technologies, such as smartphones.
Most smartphones require a CPU with a high processing capacity, but the heat produced by such a CPU raises the internal temperature of the smartphone and causes an increase in localized surface temperature, thus requiring a solution. However, as smartphones are used in outdoor environments, such as in the rain, it would be difficult to cool them actively by using a fan or air holes.
The graphite sheet that is the subject of this prize has a high degree of flexibility, which allows it to be used inside smartphones. This allows effective heat dissipation even without using air holes and as a result, prevents the shutting down of the CPU due to overheating inside the smartphone, and the reductions in usability due to localized surface temperature rises. This solution was a major factor in the realization of smartphones.
The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology gives recognition to outstanding achievements in research and development, the promotion of public understanding and so on for scientific technology. The prizes for science and technology (the development category) is for those who have made ground-breaking research and development or inventions that are actually in use and contribute to the betterment of life for our citizens and the improvement of Japan's society and economy.
The flexible graphite sheet developed by Panasonic is the first successful development in the world of a graphite sheet with more than double the thermal conductivity of copper for large areas. This development allowed the realization of commercial heat dissipation materials that can effectively diffuse locally generated heat, contributing to an improvement in the performance and a reduction in the size and weight of compact mobile devices.
For more details on the flexible graphite sheet, please visit the following site: http://news.panasonic.net/stories/2012/0403_9385.html.
About the Prize
Theme: Development of a crystalline graphite sheet with flexibility
| Naomi Nishiki, | Manager, Production Engineering Laboratory, Production Engineering Development Center, Global Manufacturing Division |
| Kazuhiko Kubo, | Manager, Circuit Components Business Division, Automotive & Industrial Systems Company |
Its superior thermal conductivity allows it to minimize heat spots in various devices. It also has the characteristics of being thin and flexible allowing it to be bent without fear of breaking, hence it can be used in places requiring it to be folded or where there are projections.
1. Highest industrial standard* of thermal conductivity
Thermal conductivity: 700-1600W/mK, 3 to 6 times higher than that of aluminium, 2 to 4 times higher than that of copper (measured using the laser PIT method)
2. Thickness and weight
Thickness: 10-100 μm
Specific gravity: 1-2g/cm³
3. High flexibility
Over 30,000 repetitions of a flex resistance test (tested by Panasonic using an MIT testing instrument)
*As of April 9, 2014, for a thin thermal conductivity sheet (according to research by Panasonic)
About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates over 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.30 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2013. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers. For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
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