US 12,740,322 B2 · Method of manufacturing thermoelectric devices with insulators

Abstract

The disclosure is related to structures and methods of making thermoelectric devices. The methods may include preparing an electrically and thermally nonconductive substrate covered with gold-nickel-gold layers. In another step, cylindrical or frustum-shaped tunnels may be formed through the substrate and the gold-nickel-gold layers. Another step may include depositing a barrier layer on the walls of the tunnels that resists diffusion. N-type and p-type thermoelectric materials may be individually associated with and deposited on the barrier layers of the tunnels, and a metal layer may be deposited on the thermoelectric materials. The thermoelectric layers may be formed by combining alternating layers of thermoelectric materials and interlayers of phonon blocking materials. The method may include forming notches in the gold-nickel-gold layers to break electrical continuity. The method may also include a step of partially or fully capping the tunnels with sintered nano-silver or solder.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for manufacturing a thermoelement, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a first surface and a second surface of a thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a first gold layer proximate to the second surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a nickel layer to the first gold layer opposite the second surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a second gold layer to the nickel layer opposite the first gold layer;
forming a tunnel by removing a portion of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate from the second surface down to the first gold layer;
depositing a barrier layer in the tunnel adjacent to the first gold layer;
depositing a thermoelectric layer proximate to the barrier layer and conforming to a shape of the tunnel and the barrier layer;
depositing a metal layer adjacent to the thermoelectric layer and conforming to a shape of the thermoelectric layer;
and
depositing a cap layer on the metal layer.

7 more elements

A method for manufacturing a thermoelement, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a first surface and a second surface of a thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
forming a thermoelectric device base by:
adding a first surface first gold layer proximate to the second surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a first surface nickel layer to the first surface first gold layer opposite the second surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a first surface second gold layer to the first surface nickel layer opposite the first surface first gold layer;
adding a second surface first gold layer proximate to the first surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a second surface nickel layer to the second surface first gold layer opposite the first surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
and
adding a second surface second gold layer to the second surface nickel layer opposite the second surface first gold layer;
forming a first tunnel in the thermoelectric device base by removing a portion of the second surface second gold layer, a portion of the second surface nickel layer, a portion of the second surface first gold layer, and a portion of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate from the second surface to the first surface first gold layer;
depositing a first barrier layer in the first tunnel proximate to the first surface first gold layer;
depositing a first thermoelectric layer on the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate within the first tunnel, adjacent to the first barrier layer, and on the first surface second gold layer;
forming a second tunnel in the thermoelectric device base by removing a portion of the first surface second gold layer, a portion of the first surface nickel layer, a portion of the first surface first gold layer, and a portion of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate from the first surface to the second surface first gold layer, where the second tunnel does not overlap with the first tunnel;
depositing a second barrier layer in the second tunnel proximate to the second surface first gold layer;
and
depositing a second thermoelectric layer on the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate within the second tunnel, adjacent to the second barrier layer, and on the second surface second gold layer.

13 more elements

A method for manufacturing a thermoelement, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a first surface and a second surface of a thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
forming a thermoelectric device base by:
adding a first surface first gold layer proximate to the second surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a first surface nickel layer to the first surface first gold layer opposite the second surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a first surface second gold layer to the first surface nickel layer opposite the first surface first gold layer;
adding a second surface first gold layer proximate to the first surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
adding a second surface nickel layer to the second surface first gold layer opposite the first surface of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate;
and
adding a second surface second gold layer to the second surface nickel layer opposite the second surface first gold layer;
forming a first tunnel in the thermoelectric device base by removing a portion of the second surface second gold layer, a portion of the second surface nickel layer, a portion of the second surface first gold layer, and a portion of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate from the second surface to the first surface first gold layer;
depositing a first thermoelectric layer on the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate within the first tunnel, adjacent to the first surface first gold layer, and on the second surface second gold layer;
depositing a first metal layer on the first thermoelectric layer;
depositing a first cap layer on the first metal layer;
forming a second tunnel in the thermoelectric device base by removing a portion of the first surface second gold layer, a portion of the first surface nickel layer, a portion of the first surface first gold layer, and a portion of the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate from the first surface to the second surface first gold layer, where the second tunnel does not overlap with the first tunnel;
depositing a second thermoelectric layer on the thermally and electrically nonconductive substrate within the second tunnel, adjacent to the second surface first gold layer, and on the first surface second gold layer;
depositing a second metal layer on the second thermoelectric layer;
and
depositing a second cap layer on the second metal layer.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of manufacturing thermoelectric devices with insulators

Life of this patent

Method of manufacturing thermoelectric devices with insulators

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21