Practical method of producing an aerogel composite continuous thin film thermoelectric semiconductor material
OwnerThe Peninventor
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Abstract
A method is disclosed of constructing a composite material structure, comprised of an aerogel precursor foundation, which is then overlaid throughout its interior with an even and continuous thin layer film of doped thermoelectric semiconductor such that electrical current is transmitted as a quantum surface phenomena, while the cross-section for thermal conductivity is kept low, with the aerogel itself dissipating that thermal conductivity. In one preferred embodiment this is achieved using a modified successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction in the liquid phase.
Claims20
A method of producing an aerogel composite continuous thin film layer thermoelectric semiconductor material comprising
- a) A wet phase formulation of an aerogel precursor gel,
- b) Equilibrating the said aerogel precursor gel in a solution of metallic cations such that they coordinate evenly as a layer with the surface of the said aerogel precursor gel throughout its interior,
- c) Equilibrating the said aerogel precursor gel in a solution of anions or anion equivalents that will deposit as an insoluble material upon reaction with the said metallic cations coordinated with the surface of the said aerogel precursor gel, whereupon additional anions or anion equivalents coordinate evenly as a layer with the surface of the said aerogel precursor gel throughout its interior,
- d) Repetition of steps 1(b) and 1(c), where
- (i) in step 1(b) the said metallic cations additionally react with any of the said anions or anion equivalents already coordinated with the surface of the said aerogel precursor gel throughout its interior and deposit as the said insoluble material,
- (ii) until a thin film layer of the said insoluble material of the desired even thickness is obtained throughout the interior of said aerogel precursor gel,
- e) Drying the said aerogel precursor gel to remove the liquid phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.