公开(公告)号：US07342170B2

公开(公告)日：2008-03-11

申请号：US10818130

申请日：2004-04-05

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

IPC分类号： H01L35/12

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/34

摘要： A super-lattice thermoelectric device. The device is comprised of p-legs and n-legs, each leg being comprised of a large number of very thin alternating layers of two materials with differing electron band gaps. The n-legs in the device are comprised of alternating layers of Si and SiC. The p-legs are comprised of alternating layers of B4C and B9C. In preferred embodiments the layers are about 100 angstroms thick. Thermoelectric modules made according to the present invention are useful for both cooling applications as well as electric power generation. This preferred embodiment is a thermoelectric 10×10 egg crate type module about 6 cm×6 cm×0.76 cm designed to produce 70 Watts with a temperature difference of 300 degrees C. with a module efficiency of about 30 percent. The module has 98 active thermoelectric legs, with each leg having more than 3 million super-lattice layers.

摘要翻译： 超晶格热电器件。 该装置由p腿和n腿组成，每个腿由大量具有不同电子带隙的两种材料的非常薄的交替层组成。 器件中的n脚由Si和SiC的交替层组成。 P腿由B 4 C和B 9 C的交替层组成。 在优选的实施方案中，这些层是约100埃厚。 根据本发明制造的热电模块对于冷却应用以及发电都是有用的。 该优选实施例是一种约6cm×6cm×0.76cm的热电10×10蛋箱型模块，其设计为产生70瓦，温度差为300摄氏度，模块效率约为30％。 该模块具有98个活动热电腿，每个支腿具有超过3百万个超格子层。

公开(公告)号：US07038234B2

公开(公告)日：2006-05-02

申请号：US10818028

申请日：2004-04-05

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  John C. Bass

IPC分类号： H01L29/09 ,  H01L31/328 ,  H01L31/336 ,  H01L31/72 ,  H01L31/109

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L29/155 ,  H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/32 ,  H01L35/34 ,  Y10S257/93

摘要： A super-lattice thermoelectric device. The device includes p-legs and n-legs, each leg having a large number of alternating layers of two materials with differing electron band gaps. The n-legs in the device are comprised of alternating layers of silicon and silicon germanium. The p-legs includes alternating layers of B4C and B9C. In preferred embodiments the layers are about 100 angstroms thick. Applicants have fabricated and tested a first Si/SiGe (n-leg) and B4C/B9C (p-leg) quantum well thermocouple. Each leg was only 11 microns thick on a 5 micron Si substrate. Nevertheless, in actual tests the thermocouple operated with an amazing efficiency of 14 percent with a Th of 250 degrees C. Thermoelectric modules made according to the present invention are useful for both cooling applications as well as electric power generation. This preferred embodiment is a thermoelectric 10×10 egg crate type module about 6 cm×6 cm×0.76 cm designed to produce 70 Watts with a temperature difference of 300 degrees C with a module efficiency of about 30 percent.

摘要翻译： 超晶格热电器件。 该装置包括p腿和n腿，每个腿具有大量具有不同电子带隙的两种材料的交替层。 器件中的n脚由硅和硅锗的交替层组成。 P腿包括B 4 C和B 9 C的交替层。 在优选的实施方案中，这些层是约100埃厚。 申请人已经制造和测试了第一Si / SiGe（n-leg）和B 4 C / B 9 C（p-leg）量子阱热电偶。 在5微米Si衬底上，每条腿仅为11微米厚。 然而，在实际测试中，热电偶以250摄氏度的T 达到惊人的14％的效率运行。根据本发明制造的热电模块可用于两个冷却应用以及电力 代。 该优选实施例是大约6cm×6cm×0.76cm的热电10×10蛋箱型模块，设计成产生70瓦，温度差为300摄氏度，模块效率约为30％。

公开(公告)号：US20110062420A1

公开(公告)日：2011-03-17

申请号：US12806359

申请日：2010-08-11

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  Aleksandr Kushch ,  Daniel J. Krommenhoek ,  Frederick A. Leavitt

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  Aleksandr Kushch ,  Daniel J. Krommenhoek ,  Frederick A. Leavitt

IPC分类号： H01L29/66 ,  B82Y99/00

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  F25B2321/023 ,  H01L35/32 ,  H01L35/34

摘要： Quantum well thermoelectric modules and a low-cost method of mass producing the modules. The devices are comprised of n-legs and p-legs, each leg being comprised of layers of quantum well material in the form of very thin alternating layers. In the n-legs the alternating layers are layers of n-type semiconductor material and electrical insulating material. In the p-legs the alternating layers are layers of p-type semiconductor material and electrical insulating material. Both n-legs and p-legs are comprised of materials providing similar thermal expansion. In preferred embodiments the layers, referred to as super-lattice layers are about 4 nm to 20 nm thick. The layers of quantum well material is separated by much larger layers of thermal and electrical insulating material such that the volume of insulating material in each leg is at least 20 times larger than the volume of quantum well material.

摘要翻译： 量子阱热电模块和大量生产模块的低成本方法。 这些装置由n腿和p腿组成，每个腿由非常薄的交替层形式的量子阱材料层组成。 在n腿中，交替层是n型半导体材料和电绝缘材料的层。 在p脚中，交替层是p型半导体材料和电绝缘材料的层。 n腿和p腿都由提供类似热膨胀的材料组成。 在优选实施例中，称为超晶格层的层约为4nm至20nm厚。 量子阱材料的层被更大的热和电绝缘材料层隔开，使得每条腿中的绝缘材料的体积比量子阱材料的体积至少大20倍。

公开(公告)号：US20110100408A1

公开(公告)日：2011-05-05

申请号：US12655793

申请日：2010-01-06

申请人： Aleksandr Kushch ,  Frederick A. Leavitt ,  Daniel Krommenhoek ,  Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

发明人： Aleksandr Kushch ,  Frederick A. Leavitt ,  Daniel Krommenhoek ,  Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

IPC分类号： H01L35/30 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L35/34

CPC分类号： H01L35/34 ,  C23C14/20 ,  C23C14/352 ,  C23C14/562 ,  F25B2321/023 ,  H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/32

摘要： A thermoelectric module comprised of a quantum well thermoelectric material with low thermal conductivity and low electrical resitivity (high conductivity) for producing n-legs and p-legs for thermoelectric modules. These qualities are achieved by fabricating crystalline quantum well super-lattice layers on a substrate material having very low thermal conductivity. Prior to depositing the super-lattice thermoelectric layers the low thermal conductivity substrate is coated with a thin layer of crystalline semi-conductor material, preferably silicon. This greatly improves the thermoelectric quality of the super-lattice quantum well layers. In preferred embodiments the super-lattice layers are about 4 nm to 20 nm thick. In preferred embodiments about 100 to 1000 of these super-lattice layers are deposited on each substrate layer, to provide films of super-lattice layers with thicknesses of in the range of about 0.4 microns to about 20 microns on much thicker substrates. The substrates may be a few microns to a few millimeters thick. The thermoelectric films are then stacked and fabricated into thermoelectric p-legs and n-legs which in turn are fabricated into thermoelectric modules. These layers of quantum well material may in preferred embodiments be separated by much thicker layers of thermal and electrical insulating material such that the volume of insulating material in each leg is at least 20 times larger than the volume of quantum well material.

摘要翻译： 由热导率低的量子阱热电材料和低电阻率（高导电性）组成的热电模块，用于产生用于热电模块的n型腿和p型腿。 这些质量通过在具有非常低的热导率的衬底材料上制造结晶量子阱超晶格层来实现。 在沉积超晶格热电层之前，低导热性衬底被涂覆有薄的晶体半导体材料，优选硅。 这大大提高了超晶格量子阱层的热电质量。 在优选实施例中，超晶格层约为4nm至20nm厚。 在优选实施例中，在每个衬底层上沉积约100至1000个这些超晶格层，以在更厚的衬底上提供厚度在约0.4微米至约20微米范围内的超晶格层的膜。 衬底可以是几微米到几毫米厚。 然后将热电膜堆叠并制造成热电p支脚和n支脚，其又被制造成热电模块。 量子阱材料的这些层可以在优选的实施方案中由较厚的热和电绝缘材料层隔开，使得每个支脚中的绝缘材料的体积比量子阱材料的体积至少大20倍。

公开(公告)号：US6096965A

公开(公告)日：2000-08-01

申请号：US192098

申请日：1998-11-13

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

IPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/00

CPC分类号： H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/22

摘要： Thermoelectric elements for use in a thermoelectric device. The thermoelectric elements have a very large number of alternating layers of semiconductor material deposited on a very thin organic substrate. The layers of semiconductor material alternate between barrier semiconductor material and conducting semiconductor material creating quantum wells within the thin layers of conducting semiconductor material. The conducting semiconductor material is doped to create conducting properties. The substrate preferably should be very thin, a very good thermal and electrical insulator with good thermal stability and strong and flexible.

摘要翻译： 用于热电装置的热电元件。 热电元件具有非常大数量的沉积在非常薄的有机衬底上的半导体材料的交替层。 半导体材料层在阻挡半导体材料和导电半导体材料之间交替，在导电半导体材料的薄层内产生量子阱。 导电半导体材料被掺杂以产生导电性能。 基材优选应非常薄，是具有良好热稳定性和强韧性的非常好的热和电绝缘体。

公开(公告)号：US5436467A

公开(公告)日：1995-07-25

申请号：US185562

申请日：1994-01-24

申请人： Norbert B. Elsner ,  Saeid Ghamaty

发明人： Norbert B. Elsner ,  Saeid Ghamaty

IPC分类号： H01L29/16 ,  H01L35/22 ,  H01L27/12 ,  F25B21/02 ,  H01L29/161 ,  H01L35/28

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L29/16 ,  Y10S257/93

摘要： A multi-layer superlattice quantum well thermoelectric material using materials for the layers having the same crystalline structure. A preferred embodiment is a superlattice of Si and SiGe, both of which have a cubic structure. Another preferred embodiment is a superlattice of B-C alloys, the layers of which would be different stoichometric forms of B-C but in all cases the crystalline structure would be alpha rhombohedral.

摘要翻译： 使用具有相同晶体结构的层的材料的多层超晶格量子阱热电材料。 优选的实施方案是Si和SiGe的超晶格，它们都具有立方结构。 另一个优选的实施方案是B-C合金的超晶格，它们的层是不同的测定方法的B-C，但是在所有情况下，晶体结构将是α-菱面体。

公开(公告)号：US6096964A

公开(公告)日：2000-08-01

申请号：US192097

申请日：1998-11-13

申请人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

发明人： Saeid Ghamaty ,  Norbert B. Elsner

IPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/26 ,  H01L35/00

CPC分类号： H01L35/22 ,  H01L35/26

摘要： Thermoelectric elements for use in a thermoelectric device. The thermoelectric elements have a very large number of alternating layers of semiconductor material deposited on a very thin flexible substrate. The layers of semiconductor material alternate between barrier semiconductor material and conducting semiconductor material creating quantum wells within the thin layers of conducting semiconductor material. The conducting semiconductor material is doped to create conducting properties. The substrate preferably should be very thin, a very good thermal and electrical insulator with good thermal stability and strong and flexible. In a preferred embodiment, the thin organic substrate is a thin polyimide film (specifically Kapton.RTM.) coated with an even thinner film of crystalline silicon. The substrate is about 0.3 mills (127 microns) thick. The crystalline silicon layer is about 0.1 micron thick. This embodiment includes on each side of the thin Kapton.RTM. substrate about 3,000 alternating layers of silicon and silicon-germanium, each layer being about 100 .ANG. and the total thickness of the layers being about 30 microns. Preferably, the silicon layer is applied in an amorphous form and heated to about 350.degree. C. to 375.degree. C. to crystallize it. In other preferred embodiments, the substrate material is thin films of other organic materials or thin films of inorganic materials such as silicon.

摘要翻译： 用于热电装置的热电元件。 热电元件具有非常大数量的沉积在非常薄的柔性基板上的半导体材料的交替层。 半导体材料层在阻挡半导体材料和导电半导体材料之间交替，在导电半导体材料的薄层内产生量子阱。 导电半导体材料被掺杂以产生导电性能。 基材优选应非常薄，是具有良好热稳定性和强韧性的非常好的热和电绝缘体。 在优选实施例中，薄有机基底是涂覆有更薄的晶体硅膜的薄聚酰亚胺膜（特别是Kapton TM）。 基底厚度约为0.3毫米（127微米）。 晶体硅层约0.1微米厚。 该实施例包括在薄Kapton TM衬底的每一侧上约3,000个交替层的硅和硅 - 锗，每层约为100，层的总厚度为约30微米。 优选地，将硅层以非晶形式施加并加热至约350℃至375℃以使其结晶。 在其它优选实施例中，衬底材料是其它有机材料的薄膜或无机材料如硅的薄膜。

公开(公告)号：US5753574A

公开(公告)日：1998-05-19

申请号：US716025

申请日：1996-09-16

申请人： Anthony Donaldson ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  Saeid Ghamaty

发明人： Anthony Donaldson ,  Norbert B. Elsner ,  Saeid Ghamaty

IPC分类号： C04B41/51 ,  C04B41/88 ,  C22C29/14 ,  H01B1/16 ,  C04B35/58

CPC分类号： C04B41/009 ,  C04B41/5116 ,  C04B41/5127 ,  C04B41/88 ,  C22C29/14 ,  H01B1/16 ,  C04B2111/94

摘要： A composition having an empirical formula MB.sub.2-z +N, wherein 0

摘要翻译： 具有经验式MB2-z + N的组合物，其中0

公开(公告)号：US5550387A

公开(公告)日：1996-08-27

申请号：US297601

申请日：1994-08-29

申请人： Norbert B. Elsner ,  Saeid Ghamaty

发明人： Norbert B. Elsner ,  Saeid Ghamaty

IPC分类号： H01L29/16 ,  H01L35/22 ,  H01L29/06 ,  F25B21/02 ,  H01L23/38 ,  H01L29/12

CPC分类号： H01L29/16 ,  H01L35/22 ,  Y10S257/93

摘要： A thermoelectric element having a very large number of alternating layers of semiconductor material. The alternating layers all have the same crystalline structure. The inventors have demonstrated that materials produced in accordance with this invention provide figures of merit more than six times that of prior art thermoelectric materials. A preferred embodiment is a superlattice of Si, as a barrier material, and SiGe, as a conducting material, both of which have the same cubic structure. Another preferred embodiment is a superlattice of B--C alloys, the layers of which would be different stoichiometric forms of B--C but in all cases the crystalline structure would be alpha 0. In a preferred embodiment the layers are grown under conditions as to cause them to be strained at their operating temperature range in order to improve the thermoelectric properties.

摘要翻译： 具有非常大数量的半导体材料的交替层的热电元件。 交替层都具有相同的晶体结构。 发明人已经证明，根据本发明生产的材料提供超过现有技术的热电材料的六倍以上的品质因数。 优选的实施例是作为阻挡材料的Si的超晶格，作为导电材料的SiGe都具有相同的立方结构。 另一个优选的实施方案是BC合金的超晶格，它们的层是BC的不同化学计量形式，但是在所有情况下，晶体结构将为α0。在一个优选实施例中，在使它们变形的条件下生长层 在其工作温度范围内，以提高热电性能。

公开(公告)号：US06207887B1

公开(公告)日：2001-03-27

申请号：US09349428

申请日：1999-07-07

申请人： John C. Bass ,  Norbert B. Elsner

发明人： John C. Bass ,  Norbert B. Elsner

IPC分类号： H01L3534

CPC分类号： H01L35/32 ,  H01L35/34

摘要： A miniature thermoelectric module for generating electric power from low power heat sources in the range of a fraction of a Watt to a few Watts. The module comprises an array of thermoelectric elements, each element having a cross section of less than 0.001 square inch and a length of at least 0.25 inch. The elements are separated from each other with a polyimide insulator sheet in a checkerboard array. In a preferred embodiment, the modules are fabricated by hot pressing a stack of alternating plates of p and n doped thin plates all separated by thin sheets of a polyimide insulator material to produce a pressed stack of p and n doped layers. The stack is then sliced to produce layered plates which are then stacked with insulating polyimide layers positioned between the layered plates to produce the checkerboard array of p and n thermoelectric elements. Contacts are applied to electrically connect all of the elements. In a preferred embodiment, the contacts are applied by first sputtering a thin layer of gold, then welding gold tabs, and then blasting away the excess sputtered gold. In one preferred embodiment, the contacts connect all of the elements in series. In another preferred embodiment, the elements are connected in a series-parallel circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the module is utilized in a generation unit with a 1-Watt radioactive heat source to produce about 40 mW of electric power at 5.5 Volts which is converted to 12 Volts with a DC to DC converter.

摘要翻译： 一种微型热电模块，用于从几瓦特到几瓦的范围内的低功率热源产生电力。 该模块包括一组热电元件，每个元件具有小于0.001平方英寸的横截面和至少0.25英寸的长度。 这些元件用棋盘阵列中的聚酰亚胺绝缘片彼此分离。 在优选实施例中，通过热压由p和n掺杂的薄板的交替板堆叠而制成的模块，所有这些交替的板均由聚酰亚胺绝缘体材料的薄片隔开，以产生压制的p和n掺杂层。 然后将叠层切片以产生层压板，然后层叠板，其中层叠有位于层压板之间的绝缘聚酰亚胺层，以产生p和n热电元件的棋盘阵列。 应用触点以电连接所有元件。 在优选实施例中，通过首先溅射薄金层来施加触点，然后焊接金片，然后将多余的溅射金喷出。 在一个优选实施例中，触点将所有元件串联连接。 在另一优选实施例中，元件以串并联电路连接。 在优选实施例中，该模块用于具有1瓦放射性热源的发电单元中，以5.5伏特产生约40mW的电力，其用DC-DC转换器转换为12伏特。