Fabrication of advanced thermoelectric materials by hierarchical nanovoid generation

US8083986B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• National Institute of Aerospace Associates · US
• The United States of America as represented by the Adminstration of NASA · US

Inventors

• Sang H. Choi · Poquoson, US
• Yeonjoon Park · Yorktown, US
• Sang-Hyon Chu · Newport News, US
• James R. Elliott · Vesuvius, US
• Glen C. King · Yorktown, US
• Jae-Woo Kim · Daejeon, KR
• Peter T. Lillehei · Yorktown, US
• Diane M. Stoakley · Yorktown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 4, 2008
• Grant date: Dec 27, 2011
• Expiry date: Dec 4, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B22F2998/00
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A novel method to prepare an advanced thermoelectric material has hierarchical structures embedded with nanometer-sized voids which are key to enhancement of the thermoelectric performance. Solution-based thin film deposition technique enables preparation of stable film of thermoelectric material and void generator (voigen). A subsequent thermal process creates hierarchical nanovoid structure inside the thermoelectric material. Potential application areas of this advanced thermoelectric material with nanovoid structure are commercial applications (electronics cooling), medical and scientific applications (biological analysis device, medical imaging systems), telecommunications, and defense and military applications (night vision equipments).