Method for fabricating a thermoelectric device on ceramics

A method of fabricating a thermoelectric device comprising the steps of:

• forming a first stage by:
• depositing a first stage barrier layer on a first stage first copper layer of a first stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• removing a portion of the first stage barrier layer and the first stage first copper layer to form a first stage recess that exposes a first stage substrate of the first stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• depositing a first stage insulator layer on the first stage substrate in the first stage recess and on the first stage barrier layer forming a first stage first insulator gap and a first stage second insulator gap;
• adding a thermoelectric layer to the first stage first insulator gap, wherein the thermoelectric layer is one of:
• an n-type thermoelectric material and a p-type thermoelectric material;
• adding a p-type thermoelectric layer to the second insulator gap;
• and
• depositing a first stage metal layer on the thermoelectric layer in the first stage first insulator gap and in the first stage second insulator gap;
• depositing a first stage barrier layer on a first stage first copper layer of a first stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• removing a portion of the first stage barrier layer and the first stage first copper layer to form a first stage recess that exposes a first stage substrate of the first stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• depositing a first stage insulator layer on the first stage substrate in the first stage recess and on the first stage barrier layer forming a first stage first insulator gap and a first stage second insulator gap;
• adding a thermoelectric layer to the first stage first insulator gap, wherein the thermoelectric layer in the first stage first insulator gap is one of:
• an n-type thermoelectric material and a p-type thermoelectric material;
• adding a p-type thermoelectric layer to the second insulator gap;
• depositing a first stage metal layer on the thermoelectric layer in the first stage first insulator gap and in the first stage second insulator gap;
• and
• depositing a first stage bonding layer on the first stage metal layer;
• forming a second stage by:
• depositing a second stage barrier layer on a second stage first copper layer of a second stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• removing a portion of the second stage barrier layer and the second stage first copper layer to form a second stage recess that exposes a second stage substrate of the second stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• depositing a second stage insulator layer on the second stage substrate in the second stage recess and on the second stage barrier layer forming a second stage first insulator gap and a second stage second insulator gap;
• adding a thermoelectric layer to the second stage first insulator gap, wherein the thermoelectric layer is one of:
• an n-type thermoelectric material and a p-type thermoelectric material;
• adding a p-type thermoelectric layer to the second insulator gap;
• and
• depositing a second stage metal layer on the thermoelectric layer in the second stage first insulator gap and in the second stage second insulator gap;
• depositing a second stage barrier layer on a second stage first copper layer of a second stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• removing a portion of the second stage barrier layer and the second stage first copper layer to form a second stage recess that exposes a second stage substrate of the second stage direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• depositing a second stage insulator layer on the second stage substrate in the second stage recess and on the second stage barrier layer forming a second stage first insulator gap and a second stage second insulator gap;
• adding a thermoelectric layer to the second stage first insulator gap, wherein the thermoelectric layer in the second stage second insulator gap is the other of:
• the n-type thermoelectric material and the p-type thermoelectric material in the first stage first insulator gap;
• depositing a second stage metal layer on the thermoelectric layer in the second stage first insulator gap and in the second stage second insulator gap;
• depositing a second stage bonding layer on the second stage metal layer;
• and
• combining the first stage and the second stage to form a thermoelectric pair.

A thermoelectric apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

• a first stage comprising:
• a copper substrate comprising:
• a first copper layer with an opening;
• and
• a substrate;
• wherein the first copper layer is direct bonded or electroplated onto one face of the substrate;
• a barrier layer disposed on the first copper layer with an opening coterminous with the opening in the first copper layer;
• an n-type thermoelectric layer disposed on the barrier layer on a first side of the opening;
• a p-type thermoelectric layer disposed on the barrier layer on a second side of the opening;
• metal layers disposed on and partially covering the n-type thermoelectric layer and the p-type thermoelectric layer
• insulator layers disposed on portions of the n-type thermoelectric layer and the p-type thermoelectric layer that are not covered by the metal layers and the barrier layer;
• electroless plating layers disposed on the meal layers;
• and
• a second stage comprising:
• an interconnect fabric;
• a copper layer disposed on the interconnect fabric;
• and
• an electroless plating layer disposed on the copper layer;
• wherein bonding layers are disposed between the first stage electroless plating layer and the second stage electroless plating layer.

A method of fabricating a thermoelectric device comprising the steps of:

• depositing a barrier layer on a first copper layer of a direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• removing a portion of the barrier layer and the first copper layer to form a recess that exposes a substrate of the direct bonded or electroplated copper substrate;
• adding an n-type thermoelectric layer to the barrier layer on a first side of the recess;
• adding a p-type thermoelectric layer to the barrier layer on a second side of the recess;
• depositing a metal layer on the n-type thermoelectric layer and the p-type thermoelectric layer;
• depositing an insulator layer on the barrier layer, the n-type thermoelectric layer and the p-type thermoelectric layer, and the metal layer;
• removing parts of the insulator layers to expose each of the metal layers;
• depositing an electroless plating layer on each of the metal layers;
• and
• adding interconnect fabric plated with copper and an electroless plating layer using a bonding layer between 1) each of the electroless plating layer and insulator layers corresponding to each of the n-type thermoelectric material and the p-type thermoelectric material and 2) the electroless plating layer associated with the interconnect fabric.