Thermoelectric device assembly with fusion layer structure suitable for thermoelectric Seebeck and Peltier devices
OwnerAnthony Paul Bellezzainventor
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Abstract
A solderless thermoelectric device is capable of use at higher operating temperatures as compared to conventional low temperature solders thus allowing the thermoelectric device to be used in a Seebeck device, for example. The thermoelectric device forms a fusion layer between a copper metal layer and a semiconductor wafer layer by impregnating and surface coating graphene on the semiconductor wafer and heating, under pressure, the graphene coated semiconductor wafer to create a true metallurgical bond of the layers with superconducting interfaces and good thermoelectric properties.
Claims16
A method for forming a thermoelectric device assembly, comprising:
- layering a first metal substrate against a first graphene coated semiconductor wafer on a first side of the metal substrate;
- layering a first side of a second graphene coated semiconductor wafer on a second, opposite side of the metal substrate;
- layering a second metal substrate against the first side of the second graphene coated semiconductor wafer to form a resulting assembly;
- applying a pressure to the resulting assembly to hold each layer together;
- and
- heating the resulting assembly to a temperature below the melting temperature of the first and second graphene coated semiconductor wafers to form a fusion bond between each layer, wherein
- the fusion bond is formed from carbonization of a martensitic to austenitic phase change as the first and second metal substrates absorbs graphene from the first and second graphene coated semiconductor wafers.
A method for forming a thermoelectric device assembly, comprising:
- electroplating a first copper substrate and a second copper substrate with a metal layer to form an electroplated metal on the first and second copper substrates;
- annealing the first and second copper substrates to bond the electroplated metal thereto;
- layering the first copper substrate against a graphene coated p-type semiconductor wafer on a first side of the first copper substrate;
- layering a first side of a graphene coated n-type semiconductor wafer on a second, opposite side of the first copper substrate;
- layering the second copper substrate against the first side of the graphene coated n-type semiconductor wafer to form a resulting assembly;
- applying a pressure to the resulting assembly to hold each layer together;
- and
- heating the resulting assembly to a temperature below the melting temperature of the graphene coated p- and n-type semiconductor wafers to form a fusion bond between each layer, wherein
- the fusion bond is formed from carbonization of a martensitic to austenitic phase change as the electroplated metal on the first and second copper substrates absorbs graphene from the graphene coated p- and n-type semiconductor wafers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.