Cryogenic thermoelectric cooler

• US 5,241,828 A
• Filed: 07/17/1992
• Issued: 09/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silicon Valley Bank (SVB Financial Group)
• Original Assignee: Conductus Inc. (Clearday, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kapitulnik, Aharon
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US07/915,440
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 62/3.1, 62/3.2, 62/3.7, 136/203, 136/236.1, 136/238, 136/239
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/852 comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/855 comprising compounds containing boron, carbon, oxygen or nitrogen

Abstract

A Seebeck effect thermoelectric cooler, operative at cryogenic temperatures, in which two materials having different Seebeck coefficients are in electrical contact so that current flow thereacross cools the junction. One or both of the materials comprise a metal-insulator transition material characterized by doping, alloying, or other means to be just slightly metallic so that electrical resistance becomes lower at lower temperatures, but the Seebeck coefficient does not decline at lower temperatures, as would be the case if the material were allowed to become fully metal-like.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric cooler, operative at cryogenic temperatures, comprising:

a first junction formed from a first material in electrical contact with a second material, said first and second materials having dissimilar Seebeck coefficients, and at least said second material comprising a slightly metallic material that does not have a rising electrical resistance with lowering temperatures but does maintain a reasonable Seebeck coefficient; and

a current source connected to pass current across said junction.

2. The cooler of claim 1 including a second junction, also formed from said first and second materials, and electrically connected in series with said first junction, but of opposite polarity so that the second material of said second junction is connected to the second material of said first junction.

3. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is a doped semiconductor selected from the group consisting of InSb, HgCdTe, SnTe, GaAs, Ge, CdS, Si, GaP, GaAs, CH_x, and WSe₂.

4. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is an amorphous metal-insulator mixture.

5. The cooler of claim 4 in which said mixture is selected from the group consisting of AlGe, InGe, NbSi, MoGe, AuGe, AgGe, and AuSi.

6. The cooler of claim 4 in which said mixture comprises any metal and SiO₂.

7. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is a light weight, amorphous, metallic glass with magnetic impurities.

8. The cooler of claim 7 in which said slightly metallic material is a phosphorus doped metallic glass selected from the group consisting of manganese, amorphous silicon, and amorphous germanium.

9. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is subjected to a magnetic field.

10. The cooler of claim 9 in which said slightly metallic material is selected from the group consisting of HgCdTe, MoGe, InSb, GaAs, Ge, and PbTe.

11. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is exposed to incident radiation.

12. The cooler of claim 11 in which said slightly metallic material is selected from the group consisting of semiconductors, transition metals, and alloys.

13. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is an organic compound.

14. The cooler of claim 13 in which said organic compound is either polyacetylene or tetramethylteraselenasulvalene charge transfer salts.

15. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is any material that displays charge density waves.

16. The cooler of claim 1 in which said slightly metallic material is any material that displays spin density waves.

17. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is a doped semiconductor selected from the group consisting of InSb, HgCdTe, SnTe, GaAs, Ge, CdS, Si, GaP, GaAs, CH_x, and WSe₂.

18. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is an amorphous metal-insulator mixture.

19. The cooler of claim 18 in which said mixture is selected from the group consisting of AlGe, InGe, NbSi, MoGe, AuGe, AgGe, and AuSi.

20. The cooler of claim 18 in which said mixture comprises any metal and SiO₂.

21. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is a light weight, amorphous, metallic glass with magnetic impurities.

22. The cooler of claim 21 in which said slightly metallic material is a phosphorus doped metallic glass selected from the group consisting of Manganese, amorphous Silicon, and amorphous Germanium.

23. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is subjected to a magnetic field.

24. The cooler of claim 23 in which said slightly metallic material is selected from the group consisting of HgCdTe, MoGe, InSb, GaAs, Ge, and PbTe.

25. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is exposed to incident radiation.

26. The cooler of claim 25 in which said slightly metallic material is selected from the group consisting of semiconductors, transition metals, and alloys.

27. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is an organic compound.

28. The cooler of claim 27 in which said organic compound is either polyacetylene or tetramethylteraselenasulvalene charge transfer salts.

29. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is any material that displays charge density waves.

30. The cooler of claim 2 in which said slightly metallic material is any material that displays spin density waves.

31. The cooler of claim 1 in which said first material is a superconductor.

32. The cooler of claim 2 in which said first material is a superconductor.

33. The cooler of claim 1 in which said first material is also formed from said slightly metallic material.

34. The cooler of claim 2 in which said first material is also formed from said slightly metallic material.

35. The cooler of claim 34 in which said slightly metallic material is a doped semiconductor selected from the group consisting of InSb, HgCdTe, SnTe, GaAs, Ge, CdS, Si, GaP, GaAs, CH_X, and WSe₂.