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US 9,793,461 B2Granted
Nano-structured porous thermoelectric generators
AssigneeMossey Creek Technologies, Inc.
InventorJohn Carberry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and processes to fabricate thermoelectric materials and more particularly to methods and processes to fabricate nano-sized doped silicon-based semiconductive materials to use as thermoelectrics in the production of electricity from recovered waste heat. Substantially oxidant-free and doped silicon particulates are fractured and sintered to form a porous nano-sized silicon-based thermoelectric material.
Claims20
A process for fabricating a doped thermoelectric material comprising:
- mixing particulates of silicon with germanium and a dopant in ethanol and ethyl silicate in an attrition mill in the absence of oxidants;
- milling the silicon and the dopant until the silicon particulates have a median size of less than 3,000 nanometers to form a mixture consisting essentially of silicon, ethyl silicate, germanium, the dopant, and ethanol
- where the silicon particulates are substantially equiaxed, and
- where the dopant is selected from the group consisting of selenium, tellurium, tungsten, boron, aluminum, gallium, phosphorus, arsenic, and combinations thereof;
- purging the mixture under argon gas at a temperature from 300 to 700 degrees Celsius;
- pressing the mixture into a preform;
- and
- sintering the preform in an atmosphere essentially free of oxygen from 900 to 1414 degrees Celsius to fabricate the doped thermoelectric material.
5 more elements
A process for fabricating a doped thermoelectric material comprising:
- mixing particulates of silicon with germanium and a dopant in ethanol and ethyl silicate in an attrition mill in the absence of oxidants;
- milling the silicon and the dopant until the silicon particulates have a median size of less than 3,000 nanometers to form a mixture consisting essentially of silicon, ethyl silicate, germanium, the dopant and ethanol,
- where the silicon particulates are substantially equiaxed, and
- where the dopant is selected from the group consisting of selenium, tellurium, tungsten, boron, aluminum, gallium, phosphorus, arsenic, and combinations thereof;
- purging the mixture under argon gas at a temperature from 300 to 700 degrees Celsius;
- pressing the mixture into a preform;
- and
- sintering the preform in an atmosphere essentially free of oxygen at least 1150 degrees Celsius to fabricate the doped thermoelectric material.
5 more elements
A process for fabricating a doped thermoelectric material comprising:
- mixing particulates of silicon with a dopant in ethanol and ethyl silicate in an attrition mill in the absence of oxidants;
- milling the silicon and the dopant until the silicon particulates have a median size of less than 3,000 nanometers to form a mixture consisting essentially of silicon, ethyl silicate, the dopant, and ethanol,
- where the silicon particulates are substantially equiaxed, and
- where the dopant is selected from the group consisting of selenium, tellurium, tungsten, boron, aluminum, gallium, phosphorus, arsenic, and combinations thereof;
- purging the mixture under argon gas at a temperature from 300 to 700 degrees Celsius;
- pressing the mixture into a preform;
- and
- sintering the preform in an atmosphere essentially free of oxygen at least 1150 degrees Celsius to fabricate the doped thermoelectric material.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.