Thermoelectric element and method for manufacturing the same

• US 6,310,383 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Shigeru, Sakamaki, Yumiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAI SING
• Application Number:
  US09/269,199
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 257/467, 257/930, 136/203, 136/204, 136/212
• US Class Current: 257/470
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device

Abstract

A plurality of n-type bar-shaped devices (51) consisting of an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor and a plurality of p-type bar-shaped devices (52) consisting of a p-type thermoelectric semiconductor are regularly disposed or fixed through an insulating layer (50) to form a thermoelectric device block (53). End portions of the n-type bar shaped device (51) and the p-type bar-shaped device (52) are connected with an interconnection conductor (58a) on an upper surface (53a) and a lower surface (53b), which will be interconnecting end faces of the thermoelectric device block (53), to form a plurality of thermocouples connected in series. In addition, a pair of terminal conductors (58b, 58b) which is electrically connected with bar-shaped devices (51a, 52a) at least on one end portion and the other end portion of the n-type and p-type bar-shaped devices (51, 52) connected in series is formed on end face (53c) excluding the upper surface (53a) and the lower surface (53b) which will be an interconnecting end face of the thermoelectric device block (53), and a lead wire is connected to the terminal conductors (58b, 58b).

Claims

1. A thermoelectric device comprising:

a thermoelectric device block having two interconnecting end faces on which a plurality of n-type bar-shaped devices consisting of n-type thermoelectric semiconductors and a plurality of p-type bar-shaped devices consisting of p-type thermoelectric semiconductors are regularly disposed through an insulating layer to alternately align each n-type bar-shaped device rows and p-type bar-shaped device rows and fixed, and both end faces of each of said n-type bar-shaped devices and p-type bar-shaped devices are exposed;

an interconnection conductor connecting each end face of said n-type bar-shaped devices and p-type bar-shaped devices on said each interconnecting end face of said thermoelectric device block to connect said n-type bar-shaped devices and p-type bar-shaped devices in series; and

a pair of terminal conductors consisting of metal film provided on a surface excluding said interconnecting end faces of said thermoelectric device block, and electrically connected each bar-shaped device at least on one end portion and the other end portion of the n-type bar-shaped devices and p-type bar-shaped devices connected in series;

a chamfered oblique surface is formed between one surface excluding said interconnecting end face of said thermoelectric device block and each surface adjacent to both ends of the surface, and the bar-shaped devices at least on one end portion and the other end portion of said n-type bar-shaped devices and p-type bar-shaped devices connected in series are respectively exposed on one and said the other chamfered oblique surface, one and the other of said pair of terminal conductors are made contact with and provided on the exposed surface of said one and the other chamfered oblique surfaces of each bar-shaped device.