The present disclosure is related to thermoelectric panels and their use in cooling and heating systems. The cooling/heating systems may include a cylindrical plurality of thermoelectric panels. The panels may include thermoelectric devices embedded between a housing formed by heat conductive layers and edge structures for preserve a low thermal conductivity volume.

A fast-rate thermoelectric device control system includes a fast-rate thermoelectric device, a sensor, and a controller. The fast-rate thermoelectric device includes a thermoelectric actuator array disposed on a wafer, and the thermoelectric actuator array includes a thin-film thermoelectric (TFTE) actuator that generates a heating and/or a cooling effect in response to an electrical current. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature associated with the heating or cooling effect and output a feedback signal indicative of the measured temperature. The controller is in communication with the fast-rate thermoelectric device and the sensor, and is configured to control the electrical current based on the feedback signal.

Semiconductor chips may include a substrate; a protective layer on a first surface of the substrate, through electrodes extending through the substrate and the protective layer, and a Peltier structure including first through structures including first conductivity type impurities, and second through structures including second conductivity type impurities, which may extend through the substrate and the protective layer; pads on the protective layer and connected to the through electrodes, respectively, first connection wires connecting respective first ends of the first through structures to respective first ends of the second through structures, and second connection wires connecting respective second ends of the first through structures to respective second ends of one of the second through structures. The first through structures and the second through structures may be alternately connected to each other in series by the first connection wires and the second connection wires.

The present disclosure is related to structures for and methods for producing thermoelectric devices. The thermoelectric devices include multiple stages of thermoelements. Each stage includes alternating n-type and p-type thermoelements. The stages are sandwiched between upper and lower sets of metal links fabricated on a pair of substrate layers. The metal links electrically connect pairs of n-type and p-type thermoelements from each stage. There may be additional sets of metal links between the multiple stages. The individual thermoelements may be sized to handle differing amounts of electric current to optimize performance based on their location within the multistage device.

An apparatus includes a first thermoelectric component (TEC), a second TEC, a thermal transfer component disposed between the first TEC and the second TEC and a thermal conduction layer. The thermal conduction layer is coupled to the second TEC. The thermal conduction layer includes a planar area configured to be positioned above two or more electronic devices of multiple electronic devices of an electronic system to transfer thermal energy at the two or more electronic devices based on the first TEC, the second TEC and the thermal transfer component.

A thermoelectric conversion device includes: a first thermoelectric conversion module, a first insulating layer, and a second thermoelectric conversion module. The first (second) thermoelectric conversion module includes one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements, a first (third) connection electrode, and a second (fourth) connection electrode. The thermoelectric conversion elements of the first (second) thermoelectric conversion module are electrically connected to the first (third) connection electrode and the second (fourth) connection electrode and located on an electric path connecting these connection electrodes. Each of the thermoelectric conversion elements includes a thermoelectric converter. The thermoelectric converter of at least one of the thermoelectric conversion elements has a phononic crystal layer having a phononic crystal structure including a plurality of regularly arranged through holes. A through direction of the plurality of through holes in this crystal structure is substantially parallel to a stacking direction of the first thermoelectric conversion module, the first insulating layer, and the second thermoelectric conversion module.

A fast-rate thermoelectric device control system includes a fast-rate thermoelectric device, a sensor, and a controller. The fast-rate thermoelectric device includes a thermoelectric actuator array disposed on a wafer, and the thermoelectric actuator array includes a thin-film thermoelectric (TFTE) actuator that generates a heating and/or a cooling effect in response to an electrical current. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature associated with the heating or cooling effect and output a feedback signal indicative of the measured temperature. The controller is in communication with the fast-rate thermoelectric device and the sensor, and is configured to control the electrical current based on the feedback signal.

Semiconductor chips may include a substrate; a protective layer on a first surface of the substrate, through electrodes extending through the substrate and the protective layer, and a Peltier structure including first through structures including first conductivity type impurities, and second through structures including second conductivity type impurities, which may extend through the substrate and the protective layer; pads on the protective layer and connected to the through electrodes, respectively, first connection wires connecting respective first ends of the first through structures to respective first ends of the second through structures, and second connection wires connecting respective second ends of the first through structures to respective second ends of one of the second through structures. The first through structures and the second through structures may be alternately connected to each other in series by the first connection wires and the second connection wires.

A photodetector comprising a photoabsorber, comprising a doped semiconductor, a contact layer comprising a doped semiconductor and a barrier layer comprising a charge carrier compensated semiconductor, the barrier layer compensated by doping impurities such that it exhibits a valence band energy level substantially equal to the valence band energy level of the photo absorbing layer and a conduction band energy level exhibiting a significant band gap in relation to the conduction band of the photo absorbing layer, the barrier layer disposed between the photoabsorber and contact layers. The relationship between the photo absorbing layer and contact layer valence and conduction band energies and the barrier layer conduction and valance band energies is selected to facilitate minority carrier current flow while inhibiting majority carrier current flow between the contact and photo absorbing layers.

Method for generation of electrical power within a three-dimensional integrated structure comprising several elements electrically intercoupled by a link device, the method comprising the production of a temperature gradient in at least one region of the link device resulting from the operation of at least one of the said elements and the production of electrical power using at least one thermo-electric generator comprising at least one assembly of thermocouples electrically coupled in series and thermally coupled in parallel and contained within the said region subjected to the said temperature gradient.