# US 11,910,714 B2 · Thermoelectric conversion material, thermoelectric conversion element, thermoelectric conversion module and optical sensor

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- Number: US 11,910,714 B2
- Document ID: US11910714B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/399,611
- Filed: 2021-08-11
- Published: 2021-12-09
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-07
- Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
- Inventors: Masahiro Adachi; Makoto Kiyama; Yoshiyuki Yamamoto; Ryo Toyoshima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910714B2

## CPC

- G01J 5/023: {Particular leg structure or construction or shape; Nanotubes}
- H10N 10/857: comprising compositions changing continuously or discontinuously inside the material
- G01J 5/024: {Special manufacturing steps or sacrificial layers or layer structures}
- G01J 5/046: {Materials; Selection of thermal materials}
- G01J 5/0853: {having infrared absorbers other than the usual absorber layers deposited on infrared detectors like bolometers, wherein the heat propagation between the absorber and the detecting element occurs within a solid}
- G01J 5/12: using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples
- H02N 11/00: Generators or motors not provided for elsewhere; Alleged perpetua mobilia obtained by electric or magnetic means (by hydrostatic pressure F03B17/04; {by mechanical means F03G7/10;} by dynamo-electric means, {including arrangements of permanent magnets interacting with other permanent magnets,} H02K53/00)
- H10D 62/10: Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of the regions of the semiconductor bodies; Shapes of the semiconductor bodies
- H10N 10/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10N 10/17: characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device
- H10N 10/817: the junction being non-separable, e.g. being cemented, sintered or soldered
- H10N 10/851: comprising inorganic compositions
- H10N 10/852: comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur
- H10N 10/8556: {comprising compounds containing germanium or silicon}
- H10N 19/00: Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one thermoelectric or thermomagnetic element covered by groups H10N10/00 - H10N15/00
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

A thermoelectric conversion material contains a matrix composed of a semiconductor and nanoparticles disposed in the matrix, and the nanoparticles have a lattice constant distribution Δd/d of 0.0055 or more.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thermoelectric conversion element comprising:
a thermoelectric conversion material unit;
a first electrode disposed to be in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material unit; and
a second electrode disposed to be in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material unit and to be away from the first electrode,
wherein the thermoelectric conversion material unit consists of a thermoelectric conversion material,
the thermoelectric conversion material comprising a matrix consisting of a semiconductor and nanoparticles disposed in the matrix, the nanoparticles having a lattice constant distribution Δd/d of 0.0055 or more, and
the thermoelectric conversion material having a component composition adjusted to set a conductivity type to p-type or n-type.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A thermoelectric conversion module comprising a plurality of the thermoelectric conversion elements according to claim 1.