# US 5,708,233 A · Thermoelectric semiconductor material > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,708,233 A - Document ID: US5708233A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/688,014 - Filed: 1996-07-29 - Granted: 1998-01-13 - Earliest claimed: 1994-02-22 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Ohara - Inventors: Yasuo Ochi; Kazuo Ohara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708233A ## CPC - H10N 10/855: comprising compounds containing boron, carbon, oxygen or nitrogen - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A thermoelectric semiconductor material is used for thermoelectric conversion in a thermoelectric conversion device. The material comprises a double oxide having one of a normal spinel crystal structure and an inverse spinel crystal structure, the double oxide comprising a composition that is represented by MIn.sub.2 O.sub.4, wherein M represents a metal element that can be changed into a divalent ion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thermoelectric converting method utilizing as a thermoelectric conversion material a material that comprises a double oxide having one of a normal spinel crystal structure and an inverse spinel crystal structure, said double oxide comprising a composition that is represented by MIn.sub.2 O.sub.4, wherein M represents a metal element that can be changed into a divalent ion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material consists essentially of the double oxide having one of the normal spinel crystal structure represented by CdIn.sub.2 O.sub.4 and the inverse spinel crystal structure represented by MgIn.sub.2 O.sub.4. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the material further comprises 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from elements of groups Ia, IIa, IVa, IB, IIIb, and IVb, in the second to the sixth periods of the periodic table, as a trace additive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the material further comprises 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the material further comprises 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material further contains 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from elements of groups Ia, IIa, IVa, Ib, IIIb, and IVb, in the second to the sixth periods of the periodic table, as a trace additive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the material further comprises 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material further comprises 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric conversion is one of generating a temperature difference by using electric energy or generating electric energy by using a temperature difference. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of utilizing comprises at least one of: passing a first electric current through the material to heat one end of the material and cool another end of the material; heating one end of the material to create a second electric current passing through the material; and cooling one end of the material to create a third electric current passing through the material. ### Claim 11 A thermoelectric device comprising: at least a pair of p and n type of thermoelectric semiconductor members which are connected to each other at one end thereof and separated from each other at another end; and at least a pair of separate electrodes mounted to the thermoelectric semiconductor members at the other end; wherein at least one member of the at least one pair of thermoelectric semiconductor members comprises a double oxide having one of a normal spinel crystal structure and an inverse spinel crystal structure, said double oxide comprising a composition that is represented by MIn.sub.2 O.sub.4, wherein M represents a metal element that can be changed into a divalent ion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the metal element is selected from the group consisting of magnesium and cadmium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one member further contains 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from elements of groups Ia, IIa, IVa, Ib, IIIb, and IVb, in the second to the sixth periods of the periodic table, as a trace additive. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one member further contains 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one member further contains 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one member further contains 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from elements of groups Ia, IIa, IVa, Ib, IIIb, and IVb, in the second to the sixth periods of the periodic table, as a trace additive. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one member further contains 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) A thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one member further contains 0.01-5.0 atomic % of at least one element selected from 3d-transition elements and rare earth elements, as a trace additive.