Thermoelectric device
US5156688A · kind A · utility
14Cited by
12References
8Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 5, 1991 |
| Grant date | Oct 20, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 5, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N10/8556
Abstract
A new and improved semiconductor thermoelectric device which could be used either as a thermoelectric cooler or as a thermopile heat sensor with high output voltage. This invention comprises an array of thermocouples fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. The thermocouples comprise segments of tantalum and segments of conductively doped polysilicon as two electric conductor materials of different thermoelectric properties which are buried between two layers of oxide. A layer of metal as a heat collector covers the surface of the thermopile and distributes heat from a nearby heat source.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.