# US 2021/0280762 A1 · Thermoelectric devices and methods of making same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0280762 A1 - Document ID: US20210280762A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/325,034 - Filed: 2017-08-15 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-17 - Assignees: Nitto Denko Corporation - Applicants: Nitto Denko Corporation - Inventors: Kaoru Ueno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210280762A1 ## CPC - H10N 10/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10N 10/17: characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device - H10N 10/856: comprising organic compositions - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Described herein is a method for making a thermoelectric device, the method comprising: providing a sheet of alternating rows of parallel columns of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials; and electrically communicating the parallel columns such that the rows can be connected in series. Also described is where the columns within each row can also be electrically connected in parallel. Also described herein are thermoelectric devices made according to these methods and/or thermoelectric devices having a similar structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for making a thermoelectric device, comprising: a. providing a sheet of alternating rows of parallel columns of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials; and b. electrically communicating the parallel columns such that within each row the columns are connected in parallel but the rows are connected in series. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the p-type thermoelectric materials comprise Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the n-type thermoelectric materials comprise Bi2Se0.3Te2.7. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the both the p-type and the n-type thermoelectric materials comprise poly(vinylidene fluoride co-hexafluoro-propylene) or P(VDF-HFP). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing a sheet of alternating rows of parallel columns of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises creating p- or n-type thermoelectric material strips by: (1) hot pressing either p- or n-type thermoelectric materials; and (2) annealing the resulting materials. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the hot pressing is performed at a pressure of about 600 MPa to about 1000 MPa. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the hot pressing is performed at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 250° C. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the hot pressing is performed for a period of about 10 seconds to about 12 hours. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the annealing is performed at a temperature of about 275° C. to about 400° C. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the annealing is performed for a period of about 30 minutes to about 6 hours. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the annealing is performed in a reducing atmosphere. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing a sheet of alternating rows of parallel columns of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises creating p- or n-type thermoelectric material strips by: (1) hot pressing either p- or n-type thermoelectric materials at a temperature of about 120° C. to about 180° C. for a period of about 20 seconds to about 5 minutes at a pressure of about 750 MPa to about 850 MPa; and (2) annealing the resulting materials at a temperature of about 300° C. to about 400° C. for a period of about 60 minutes to about 4 hours in a reducing atmosphere. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing a sheet of alternating rows of parallel columns of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises placing alternate p- and n-type thermoelectric material strips in parallel and substantially equidistant from one another on a substrate ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the substrate is a planar surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein providing a sheet of alternating columns of parallel sheets of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises affixing the alternating p- and n-type materials in parallel and substantially equidistant from each other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein providing a sheet of alternating columns of parallel sheets of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises stacking plural sheets to overlap like p- and n-type material on adjacent sheets. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein providing a sheet of alternating columns of parallel sheets of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises laminating the stack of plural sheets while retaining the alternative p- and n-type sheets spatial relationships at a temperature of about 60° C. to about 100° C. for a period of about 15 minutes to about 45 minutes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein providing a sheet of alternating columns of parallel sheets of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises subsequently curing the stack of plural sheets while retaining the alternative p- and n-type sheets spatial relationships, the curing occurring at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 200° C. for a period of about 15 minutes to about 45 minutes. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein providing a sheet of alternating columns of parallel sheets of p- or n-type thermoelectric materials comprises slicing the stacked plural sheets in an orthogonal orientation relative to the stack to create plural thermoelectric sheets. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A thermoelectric sheet device made according to the method of claim 1. ### Claim 21 A thermoelectric sheet device comprising alternating rows of parallel columns of p- or n-type materials, where said columns within each row are connected electrically in parallel and alternating rows are electrically connected in series.