Stacked thin-film superlattice thermoelectric devices
US8710348B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 21, 2008 |
| Grant date | Apr 29, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N10/17
Abstract
A thermoelectric device (31) includes a plurality of alternating p-type and n-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements (32, 34, 36; 33, 35 37) the elements (32-37) being separated by electrically and thermally conductive interconnects (40-45), alternating interconnects (40-44) extending in an opposite direction from interconnects (41-45) interspersed therewith. Each thin-film element comprises several hundred thermoelectric alloy A superlattice thin-films interspersed with several hundred thermoelectric alloy B superlattice thin-films, the thin-film elements being between 5 and 25 microns thick and preferably over 10 microns thick. The thin-film elements may be interspersed with opposite type thin-film elements or with opposite type bulk elements (33a, 34a). The interconnects are preferably joined to the elements by diffusion bonding.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.