Enhanced interface thermoelectric coolers using etched thermoelectric material tips
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorUttam Shyamalindu Ghoshal
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Abstract
A thermoelectric device with improved efficiency is provided. In one embodiment, the thermoelectric device includes an electrical conductor thermally coupled to a cold plate and a thermoelement electrically coupled to the electrical conductor. The thermoelement is constructed from a thermoelectric material and has a plurality of tips through which the thermoelement is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor. The thermoelectric tips provide a low resistive connection while minimizing thermal conduction between the electrical conductor and the thermoelement.
Claims23
A thermoelectric device, comprising:
- a planar electrical conductor;
- and
- a thermoelement composed of a thermoelectric material configured with a plurality of tips which are electrically coupled to the electrical conductor;
- wherein the tips are made to have an effective tip radius of less than approximately 50 nanometers.
A thermoelectric device, comprising:
- a planar electrical conductor;
- and
- a thermoelement composed of a thermoelectric material configured with a plurality of tips which are electrically coupled to the electrical conductor;
- wherein the thermoelectric material comprises a superlattice of two thermoelectric materials;
- and
- wherein the two thermoelectric materials comprise Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 and Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3.
A thermoelectric device, comprising:
- a planar electrical conductor;
- and
- a thermoelement composed of a thermoelectric material configured with a plurality of tips which are electrically coupled to the electrical conductor;
- wherein the thermoelectric material comprises a superlattice of two thermoelectric materials;
- and
- wherein the two thermoelectric materials comprise Bi2Te2.9Se0.1 and Bi2Te3/Bi2Se3.
A thermoelectric device, comprising:
- a planar electrical conductor;
- a thermoelement composed of a thermoelectric material configured with a plurality of tips which are electrically coupled to the electrical conductor;
- and
- a layer of thermoelectric material disposed on the electric conductor, wherein the layer of thermoplastic material is comprised of the same impurity type thermoelectric material as the thermoelement.
A method of fabricating a thermoelectric device having thermoelements with tipped interfaces, the method comprising:
- bonding a first surface of a thermoelectric crystalline material to a metal electrode;
- patterning a photoresist mask onto a second surface of the thermoelectric crystalline material to define locations of tips to be formed;
- and
- etching the second surface in the presence of the photoresist mask to form a plurality of tips in the thermoelectric crystalline material.
A system of fabricating a thermoelectric device having thermoelements with tipped interfaces, the system comprising:
- means for bonding a first surface of a thermoelectric crystalline material to a metal electrode;
- means for patterning a photoresist mask onto a second surface of the thermoelectric crystalline material to define locations of tips to be formed;
- and
- means for etching the second surface in the presence of the photoresist mask to form a plurality of tips in the thermoelectric crystalline material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.