An electric generator device is provided that includes a thermoelectric array, a base plate, and an electric power output. The thermoelectric array may include a hot side portion and a cold side portion. The base plate may be configured to receive heat from a heat source to be transferred to the hot side portion of the thermoelectric array. The electric power output may be electrically coupled to the thermoelectric array. The thermoelectric array may be configured to convert a temperature differential into an electric voltage for output to the electric power output. The power generation housing may be configured to hold a heat rejection substance that absorbs heat from the cold side portion of the thermoelectric array to facilitate generation of the temperature differential between the hot side portion and the cold side portion of the thermoelectric array.

A microfluidic-based sensor, comprising: a semiconductor body, having a first and a second side opposite to one another in a direction; a buried channel, extending within the semiconductor body; a structural layer, of dielectric or insulating material, formed over the first side of the semiconductor body at least partially suspended above the buried channel; and a first thermocouple element, including a first strip, of a first electrical conductive material, and a second strip, of a second electrical conductive material different from the first electrical conductive material, electrically coupled to the first strip. The first thermocouple element is buried in the structural layer and partially extends over the buried channel at a first location. A corresponding manufacturing method is disclosed.

A thermoelectric element, particularly for a thermoelectric converter, includes an assembly of constituent layers comprising a central layer made of p- or n-type thermoelectric material, then, in an assembly direction, and on each side of said central layer, an intermediate layer forming a diffusion barrier followed by a buffer layer made of composite metal material. The buffer layers are intended to be secured to metal electrodes, characterized in that the cumulative thickness of the two buffer layers is greater than or equal to 50% of the thickness of the central layer, and preferably greater than or equal to 100% of the thickness of the central layer and very preferably greater than or equal to 200% of the thickness of the central layer, and in that the constituent material of the buffer layers is an alloy of two metals chosen from the family: Ti.sub.xAg.sub.1-x, V.sub.xFe.sub.1-x, V.sub.xAg.sub.1-x, Ti.sub.xFe.sub.1-x, where 0<x<1.

A thermoelectric device may include first and second insulating substrates. An array of electrically conductive first metallizations may be positioned on one side of the first substrate, and an array of electrically conductive second metallizations may be positioned on a mating side of the second substrate. A plurality of thermoelectric elements may be positioned between the first and second substrates and interconnected together through the first and second metallizations in one of a square shaped network pattern or a delta shaped network pattern.

The embodiments of the present invention relate to a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module used for cooling, and the thermoelectric module can be made thin by having a first substrate and a second substrate with different surface areas to raise the heat-dissipation effectiveness.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a thermoelectric conversion module which can be manufactured by a so-called roll-to-roll process with high productivity, a method of manufacturing the thermoelectric conversion module, and a thermally conductive substrate used for a thermoelectric conversion module and the like. The thermoelectric conversion module includes a long insulating support having flexibility, a plurality of metal layers which are formed on one surface of the support with intervals in a longitudinal direction of the support, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion layers which are formed on the same surface of the support on which the metal layers are formed with intervals in the longitudinal direction of the support, and a connection electrode which connects the thermoelectric conversion layers adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the support, in which the metal layer has low stiffness portions having stiffness lower than that of other regions in parallel with a width direction of the support, an interval between the low stiffness portions is constant, and further, the module is alternately bent in a mountain-folded manner and a valley-folded manner at the low stiffness portions of the metal layer in the longitudinal direction.

Inexpensive, lightweight, flexible heating and cooling panels with highly distributed thermoelectric elements are provided. A thermoelectric string is described that may be woven or assembled into a variety of insulating panels such as seat cushions, mattresses, pillows, blankets, ceiling tiles, office partitions, under-desk panels, electronic enclosures, building walls, refrigerator walls, and heat conversion panels. The string contains spaced thermoelectric elements which are thermally and electrically connected to lengths of braided, meshed, stranded, foamed, or otherwise expandable and compressible conductor. The elements and a portion of compacted conductor are mounted within the insulating panel On the outsides of the panel, the conductor is expanded to provide a very large surface area of contact with air or other medium for heat absorption on the cold side and for heat dissipation on the hot side.

The invention relates to an integrated circuit cooling array, preferably for a microprocessor or cooling apparatus, consisting of a dielectric substrate with doped and distinguished areas for the realization of at least one microelectronic component forming an integrated circuit, and at least one thermoelectric component forming a cooling array. The cooling array is characterized in that the thermoelectric component 1 comprises at least one first contact area, at least one second contact area and at least one cooling section whereat the cooling section is arranged between the first and the second contact area and consists of at least one thermal element 29, which is supplied with voltage by the first contact area and the second contact area through a control unit, whereat the thermal element 29 consists of at least one doped layer and a second doped layer, which are in such a way connected by a bridge element 53, 58, 59, 73, 83, 84, 92 that the bridge element 53, 58, 59, 73, 83, 84, 92 rests only partially on the first doped layer and/or the second doped layer. By means of the cooling array according to the invention compact and/or more efficient integrated circuits may be realized, since a sufficiently free heat flow from the inside of the integrated circuit is guaranteed.

A microfluidic-based sensor, comprising: a semiconductor body, having a first and a second side opposite to one another in a direction; a buried channel, extending within the semiconductor body; a structural layer, of dielectric or insulating material, formed over the first side of the semiconductor body at least partially suspended above the buried channel; and a first thermocouple element, including a first strip, of a first electrical conductive material, and a second strip, of a second electrical conductive material different from the first electrical conductive material, electrically coupled to the first strip. The first thermocouple element is buried in the structural layer and partially extends over the buried channel at a first location. A corresponding manufacturing method is disclosed.

A thermal radiation microsensor can comprise thermoelectric micro pillars, in which multiple vertically standing thermoelectric micro pillars can act as thermoelectric pairs and mechanical support of an absorption layer. Radiation absorbed by the absorption layer can produce a temperature difference, which drives the thermocouple comprising p-type and n-type micro pillars to output a voltage. Multiple thermocouples can be connected in series to improve the signal output.