Self-cooled vertical electronic component
First Claim
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1. A self-cooled electronic component comprising:
- a Peltier cooler; and
a vertical monolithic circuit formed in a first semiconductor substrate and formed separately from the Peltier cooler, the circuit comprising a one-way component and being a load to be cooled, and the vertical monolithic circuit being electrically connected in series with the Peltier cooler such that when a D.C. current flows through the vertical monolithic circuit, the same D.C. current flows from the vertical monolithic circuit to the cooler to supply the D.C. current to the cooler, whereinthe circuit and the cooler are placed against each other so that a cold surface of the cooler is in thermal contact with the vertical monolithic circuit;
wherein the Peltier cooler comprises an odd number of concentric regions of a second thermoelectric semiconductor material, of alternating conductivity types, laterally isolated, and electrically connected in series, a surface of a central region corresponding to a first terminal, and an opposite surface of an external region corresponding to a second terminal.
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Abstract
A self-cooled electronic component comprising a vertical monolithic circuit, in which the vertical monolithic circuit is electrically connected in series with a Peltier cooler so that the D.C. current flowing through the circuit supplies the cooler and in which the circuit and the cooler are placed against each other so that the cold surface of the cooler is in thermal contact with the circuit.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A self-cooled electronic component comprising:
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a Peltier cooler; and a vertical monolithic circuit formed in a first semiconductor substrate and formed separately from the Peltier cooler, the circuit comprising a one-way component and being a load to be cooled, and the vertical monolithic circuit being electrically connected in series with the Peltier cooler such that when a D.C. current flows through the vertical monolithic circuit, the same D.C. current flows from the vertical monolithic circuit to the cooler to supply the D.C. current to the cooler, wherein the circuit and the cooler are placed against each other so that a cold surface of the cooler is in thermal contact with the vertical monolithic circuit; wherein the Peltier cooler comprises an odd number of concentric regions of a second thermoelectric semiconductor material, of alternating conductivity types, laterally isolated, and electrically connected in series, a surface of a central region corresponding to a first terminal, and an opposite surface of an external region corresponding to a second terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A Peltier cooler in combination with a vertical monolithic circuit, the combination comprising:
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a vertical monolithic circuit formed in first semiconductor substrate material, the vertical monolithic circuit comprising a one-way component and being a load to be cooled; and a Peltier cooler comprising an odd number of concentric regions of alternating conductive types of a second thermoelectric semiconductor material, the regions being laterally isolated and electrically connected in series, a surface of a central region corresponding to a first terminal, the first terminal being in direct contact with a portion of the vertical monolithic circuit, and an opposite surface of an external region corresponding to a second terminal; wherein the vertical monolithic circuit is formed separately from the Peltier cooler, and the vertical monolithic circuit is configured to supply an electrical current to the Peltier cooler. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A Peltier cooler in combination with a vertical monolithic circuit, the combination comprising:
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a vertical monolithic circuit formed in a first semiconductor substrate material and being a load to be cooled, the vertical monolithic circuit comprising a one-way component; and a Peltier cooler comprising; a central region of a first conductivity type of a thermoelectric semiconductor material which is separate from the first semiconductor material, the central region being adapted to being placed against at least a portion of a main surface of a vertical monolithic circuit; a ring-shaped region of a second conductivity type of a thermoelectric semiconductor material which is separate from the first semiconductor material, the ring-shaped region extending around the central region and being laterally electrically and thermally isolated from the central region; and a peripheral region of the first conductivity type of a thermoelectric semiconductor material which is separate from the first semiconductor material, the peripheral region extending around the ring-shaped region and being electrically and thermally laterally isolated from the ring-shaped region; the central, ring-shaped, and peripheral regions being of substantially the same depth; the central and ring-shaped regions being thermally and electrically interconnected by a central metal plate on a first hot or cold side of the cooler; and the ring-shaped and peripheral regions being thermally and electrically interconnected by a ring-shaped metal plate on a second cold or hot side of the cooler; wherein the vertical monolithic circuit is formed separately from the Peltier cooler, and the vertical monolithic circuit and the Peltier cooler are configured such that an electrical current can pass between the vertical monolithic circuit and the Peltier cooler. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of cooling a vertical monolithic circuit comprising:
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placing a cooling surface of a Peltier cooler into thermal contact with a vertical monolithic circuit which has been formed separately from the Peltier cooler, the vertical monolithic circuit comprising a one-way component and being a load to be cooled; supplying an electrical current from the circuit to the cooler by; running the electrical current from a first surface metallization of the circuit, through a front central electrically and thermally conductive plate of the cooler, through a central region having a first conductivity type, and to a rear electrically and thermally conductive plate; further running the electrical current from the rear plate, through a ring-shaped region having a second conductivity type, the ring-shaped region being laterally isolated, both thermally and electrically, from the central region, and into a ring-shaped electrically and thermally conductive plate; further running the electrical current from the ring-shaped plate, through a second ring-shaped region having the first conductivity type, the ring-shaped region being peripheral to the ring-shaped plate, and into a second surface metallization; wherein the electrical current path results in a removal of heat energy from the front central plate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification