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US 12,029,127 B2Granted
Thermoelectric conversion material, thermoelectric conversion element, thermoelectric conversion module, and light sensor
AssigneesSumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
InventorsMasahiro Adachi, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermoelectric conversion material includes a base material that is a semiconductor having Si and Ge as constituent elements, a first additive element that is different from the constituent elements, has a vacant orbital in a d or f orbital located inside an outermost shell thereof, and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material, and oxygen. The oxygen content ratio is 6 at % or less.
Claims15
A thermoelectric conversion element comprising:
- a thermoelectric conversion material portion;
- a first electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion;
- and
- a second electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion and apart from the first electrode;
- the thermoelectric conversion material portion being constituted by a p type thermoelectric conversion material and an n type thermoelectric conversion material,
- wherein each of the p type thermoelectric conversion material and the n type thermoelectric conversion material includes:
- a base material that is a semiconductor having Si and Ge as constituent elements;
- at least one additive element that is different from the constituent elements, the at least one additive element having a vacant orbital in a d or f orbital located inside an outermost shell thereof and forming a corresponding at least one additional level in a forbidden band of the base material;
- and
- oxygen, the oxygen having a content ratio of 6 at % or less, and
- wherein the at least one additive element of the n type thermoelectric conversion material comprises Fe and P, and
- wherein a relative amount of atoms constituting the n type thermoelectric conversion material is in the order of Si>Ge>P>Fe.
9 more elements
An optical sensor comprising:
- an absorber that absorbs optical energy;
- and
- a thermoelectric conversion material portion connected to the absorber,
- the thermoelectric conversion material portion being constituted by a p type thermoelectric conversion material and an n type thermoelectric conversion material,
- wherein each of the p type thermoelectric conversion material and the n type thermoelectric conversion material includes:
- a base material that is a semiconductor having Si and Ge as constituent elements;
- at least one additive element that is different from the constituent elements, the at least one additive element having a vacant orbital in a d or f orbital located inside an outermost shell thereof and forming a corresponding at least one additional level in a forbidden band of the base material;
- and
- oxygen, the oxygen having a content ratio of 6 at % or less, and
- wherein the at least one additive element of the n type thermoelectric conversion material comprises Fe and P, and
- wherein a relative amount of atoms constituting the n type thermoelectric conversion material is in the order of Si>Ge>P>Fe.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.