Nanoporous semiconductor material and fabrication technique for use as thermoelectric elements

• US 5,834,828 A
• Filed: 09/20/1993
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Horn, Stuart B., Nelson, Elizabeth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ngan V.
• Application Number:
  US08/122,981
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: 257/930, 257/618
• US Class Current: 257/618
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/852 comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/93 Thermoelectric, e.g. peltier effect cooling

Abstract

A nanoporous semiconductor material and fabrication technique for use as rmoelectric elements. Starting precursors are mixed in solution so as to thoroughly dissolve in solution which is then reduced. A second phase may be added in solution to provide nanoinclusions which may be subsequently removed. A nanoporous semiconductor is formed whereby lattice thermal conductivity is greatly reduced, due to enhanced phonon scattering on the order of 10 W/cm·°K. The nanoporous semiconductor material may be used as the n- and p- legs in a Peltier couple utilized for a thermoelectric cooler, a cryogenic cooler, thermoelectric power generator, or a thermoelectric heat pump.

Claims

1. A process of using a nanoporous semiconductor material in a multiple stage thermoelectric device including the steps of:

providing a nanoporous semiconductor material;

fabricating p-type and n-type thermoelectric semiconductor elements from the nanoporous semiconductor material;

incorporating the p-type and n-type thermoelectric nanoporous semiconductor elements to provide a peltier couple whereby when a current is passed through the couple there is effected a release or requirement of energy due at least in part to changes in transport energy within the peltier couple;

mating multiple Peltier couples together to form a multiple stage thermoelectric device whereby energy from one stare is used as input to the next stage effecting a larger temperature difference.

2. The process of using the nanoporous semiconductor material in a multiple stage thermoelectric device of claim 1 wherein the multiple stare thermoelectric device is a thermoelectric cooler.

3. The process of using the nanoporous semiconductor material in a multiple stage thermoelectric device of claim 1 wherein the multiple stare thermoelectric cooler is a cryogenic cooler.

4. The process of using the nanoporous semiconductor material in a multiple stare thermoelectric device of claim 1 wherein the multiple stage thermoelectric device is a thermoelectric power generator.

5. The process of using the nanoporous semiconductor material in a multiple stage thermoelectric device of claim 1 wherein the multiple stare thermoelectric device is a thermoelectric heat pump.

6. The process of using the nanoporous semiconductor material in a multiple stage thermoelectric device of claim 1 wherein the multiple stare thermoelectric device is utilized within a refrigeration system.

7. The process of using the nanoporous semiconductor material in a multiple stage thermoelectric device of claim 1 wherein the multiple stage thermoelectric device is utilized within an air conditioner system.