Methods of Forming Embedded Thermoelectric Coolers With Adjacent Thermally Conductive Fields and Related Structures
First Claim
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1. A method of forming a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate having a surface;
thermally coupling a thermoelectric p-n couple to a first portion of the surface of a substrate, wherein the thermoelectric p-n couple includes a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element; and
forming a thermally conductive field layer on a second portion of the surface of the substrate adjacent the first portion of the surface of the substrate.
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Abstract
A method of forming a thermoelectric device may include providing a substrate having a surface, and thermally coupling a thermoelectric p-n couple to a first portion of the surface of a substrate. Moreover, the thermoelectric p-n couple may include a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element. In addition, a thermally conductive field layer may be formed on a second portion of the surface of the substrate adjacent the first portion of the surface of the substrate. Related structures are also discussed.
136 Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method of forming a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate having a surface;
thermally coupling a thermoelectric p-n couple to a first portion of the surface of a substrate, wherein the thermoelectric p-n couple includes a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element; and
forming a thermally conductive field layer on a second portion of the surface of the substrate adjacent the first portion of the surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of forming a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate including a recess in a surface thereof, wherein the recess includes a bottom surface and sidewalls; and
bonding a thermoelectric p-n couple to the bottom surface of the recess in the substrate, wherein the thermoelectric p-n couple includes a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element so that the p-type and n-type thermoelectric elements are thermally coupled in parallel to the bottom surface of the recess. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A thermoelectric device comprising:
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a substrate having a surface;
a thermoelectric p-n couple bonded to a first portion of the surface of a substrate, wherein the thermoelectric p-n couple includes a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element; and
a thermally conductive field layer on a second portion of the surface of the substrate adjacent the first portion of the surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A thermoelectric device comprising:
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a substrate having a surface;
a thermoelectric p-n couple thermally coupled to a first portion of the surface of the substrate, wherein the thermoelectric p-n couple includes a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element; and
a first thermally conductive field layer on a second portion of the surface of the substrate adjacent the first portion of the surface of the substrate; and
a second thermally conductive field layer on a third portion of the surface of the substrate adjacent the first portion of the surface of the substrate;
wherein the p-type and n-type thermoelectric elements are electrically coupled in series between the first and second thermally conductive field layers. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A thermoelectric device comprising:
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a substrate including a recess in a surface thereof, wherein the recess includes a bottom surface and sidewalls; and
a thermoelectric p-n couple bonded to the bottom surface of the recess in the substrate, wherein the thermoelectric p-n couple includes a p-type thermoelectric element and an n-type thermoelectric element so that the p-type and n-type thermoelectric elements are thermally coupled in parallel to the bottom surface of the recess. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification