The disclosure is related to structures and method of making thermoelectric devices. The structures include an electrically and thermally nonconductive substrate with cylindrical or frustum-shaped tunnels. The tunnels may be filled with thermally and electrically conductive materials that resist diffusion. The structures include n-type and p-type materials, in homogeneous form or alternating with interlayers to block phonon conduction between layers of thermoelectric materials. The tunnels are individually associated with either n-type or p-type thermoelectric materials and connected in pairs to form alternating conductors on both sides of the substrate. The structures may also be coated with layers of gold and nickel and have thermoelectric materials deposited in the tunnels. The tunnels may be partially or fully capped with sintered nano-silver or solder. Notches may alternate sides to electrically isolate each side of the structure to provide current flow between the p-type and n-type thermoelectric layers.

A power-generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a housing in which a fluid flows along the interior thereof and at least a portion of the wall surface thereof includes a flat surface formed of metal; a thermoelectric module disposed on the flat surface of the housing; and an insulating member disposed on the flat surface of the housing so as to be beside the thermoelectric module.

A thermoelectric element according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first substrate, a first resin layer disposed on the first substrate, a first electrode disposed on the first resin layer, a P-type thermoelectric leg and an N-type thermoelectric leg disposed on the first electrode, a second electrode disposed on the P-type thermoelectric leg and the N-type thermoelectric leg, a second resin layer disposed on the second electrode, and a second substrate disposed on the second resin layer, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a copper layer, first plated layers disposed on both surfaces of the copper layer, and second plated layers disposed between both surfaces of the copper layer and the first plated layers, materials of the first plated layer and the second plated layer are different from each other, and the first plated layer has a melting point greater than or equal to 300° C., and an electrical conductivity greater than or equal to 9×10.sup.6 S/m.

A Peltier module or device with at least one Peltier element with a first surface and an oppositely located second surface, wherein on the first surface a first heat transfer element of an air duct is disposed, wherein the air duct, for the conduction of air along the first heat transfer element, comprises an input opening, in which a ventilator is disposed, and an output opening and wherein on the second surface a second heat transfer element of a cooling body is disposed, wherein the ventilator is developed and disposed such that an air flow generated by the ventilator forms with the first surface an angle (α) between 10° and 80°, as well as a laboratory chamber, a refrigerator chamber, a cold chamber, a climate chamber or an environmental simulation chamber with at least one such Peltier module.

A thermal energy storage (TES) device includes a thermoelectric cooler; and a metallic phase change material (PCM) within the thermoelectric cooler. The PCM may include any of gallium or its alloys, low temperature fusible alloys, and solid metal shape memory alloys. A thermoelectric effect within the PCM is to transport heat in the thermoelectric cooler. The TES device may include a graded oxide layer adjacent to the PCM to serve as a distributed electrical junction in the thermoelectric cooler to create a hot side thermoelectric junction in a bulk volume of the PCM. The graded oxide layer may include α-IGZO. The TES device may include a high-thermopower corrugated metal foil layer comprising barrier oxides patterned therein. The high-thermopower metal foil layer may be adjacent to the graded oxide layer. The TES device may include a dielectric layer adjacent to the high-thermopower corrugated metal foil layer.

A thermoelectric module according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first metal substrate including a first through-hole, a first insulating layer disposed on the first metal substrate, a first electrode part disposed on the first insulating layer and including a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs disposed on the first electrode part, a second electrode part disposed on the plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs and including a plurality of second electrodes, a second insulating layer disposed on the second electrode part, and a second metal substrate disposed on the second insulating layer and including a second through-hole, wherein the first metal substrate includes an effective region in which the first electrode part is disposed and a peripheral region formed outside the effective region, the second metal substrate includes an effective region in which the second electrode part is disposed and a peripheral region formed outside the effective region, the first through-hole occupies a portion of the effective region of the first metal substrate, the second through-hole occupies a portion of the effective region of the second metal substrate, and the first through-hole and the second through-hole are formed at positions corresponding to each other.

The present application provides a pixel circuit, a display panel, and a temperature compensation method for a display panel. The display panel includes a plurality of pixel units. At least one of the plurality of pixel units includes: a display layer comprising a light emitting element; and a thermoelectric conversion layer comprising a thermoelectric element having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is disposed adjacent to the light emitting element and in thermal contact with the light emitting element, and the second terminal is disposed away from the light emitting element. The thermoelectric element has a first signal terminal and a second signal terminal, and is configured to generate a temperature difference voltage signal between the first signal terminal and the second signal terminal according to a temperature difference between the first terminal and the second terminal.

One embodiment discloses a thermoelectric element comprising: a first substrate; a plurality of thermoelectric legs disposed on the first substrate; a second substrate disposed on the plurality of thermoelectric legs above the first substrate; electrodes including a plurality of first electrodes disposed between the first substrate and the plurality of thermoelectric legs and a plurality of second electrodes disposed between the second substrate and the plurality of thermoelectric legs; and a first reinforcing part disposed on the lower surface and a portion of the side surface of the first substrate.

A heat exchanger with a thermoelectric module according to the present disclosure includes: a first heat exchanger including a first heat sink provided with a first base plate and first heat dissipation pins, a first thermoelectric module located over the first heat sink and performing heat absorption and heat dissipation, a plate-shaped first cooling plate located over the first thermoelectric module and having a flow channel through which coolant flows, and a first cover covering top of the first cooling plate; and a second heat exchanger having the same structure as the first heat exchanger and located under the first heat exchanger to be symmetrical with the first heat exchanger.

This thermoelectric conversion structure has a heat source and a thermoelectric conversion module installed at the heat source, where the thermoelectric conversion module has a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements, a first electrode portion disposed on one end side of the thermoelectric conversion elements, and a second electrode portion disposed on the other end side of the thermoelectric conversion elements, and has a structure in which the plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are electrically connected to each other via the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, and at least a first electrode portion side of the thermoelectric conversion module, facing a heat source direction, has a structure that is free of fixation and free of restraint.