A thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first substrate; a thermoelectric element disposed on the first substrate; a second substrate disposed on the thermoelectric element and having a smaller area than the first substrate; a sealing part disposed on the first substrate and surrounding a side surface of the thermoelectric element; and a wire part connected to the thermoelectric element, drawn out through the sealing part, and supplying power to the thermoelectric element, wherein the sealing part has a through hole through which the wire part passes, and the through hole is disposed closer to the second substrate than the first substrate.

Embodiments relate to an apparatus for a nano-scale energy converter and an electric power generator. The apparatus includes two electrodes separated by a distance. The first electrode is manufactured to have a first work function value and the second electrode is manufactured to have a second work function value, with the first and second work function values being different. A cavity is formed by the distance between the first and second electrodes, and a nanofluid is disposed in the cavity. The nanofluid includes nanoparticles suspended in a dielectric medium. The nanoparticles have a third work function value that is greater than the first and second work function values. The relationship of the work function values of the nanoparticles to the work function values of the electrodes optimizes the transfer of electrons to the nanoparticles through Brownian motion and electron hopping.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a first thermoelectric conduction leg, disposed on the substrate, and doped with a first type of dopant; a second thermoelectric conduction leg, disposed on the substrate, and doped with a second type of dopant, wherein the first and second thermoelectric conduction legs are spatially spaced from each other but disposed along a common row on the substrate; and a first intermediate thermoelectric conduction structure, disposed on a first end of the second thermoelectric conduction leg, and doped with the first type of dopant.

A solar power generation paddle includes a blanket that is stored by being taken up into a roll with using extension masts, and that is extended. Solar battery cells are disposed on one surface of the blanket, and thermoelectric conversion elements are disposed on the other surface of the blanket. A plurality of heat dissipation members are disposed on surfaces of the thermoelectric conversion elements which are opposite to surfaces near the blanket, along an extending direction, to cover the thermoelectric conversion elements.

The present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion material having a considerably increased Seebeck coefficient, and a thermoelectric conversion device, a thermo-electrochemical cell and a thermoelectric sensor which include the material. The thermoelectric conversion material of the present invention includes a redox pair and a capture compound which captures only one of the redox pair selectively at low temperature and releases at high temperature.

A method is provided for growing a fiber structure, where the method includes: obtaining a substrate, growing an array of pedestal fibers on the substrate, growing fibers on the pedestal fibers, and depositing a coating surrounding each of the fibers. In another aspect, a method of fabricating a fiber structure includes obtaining a substrate and growing a plurality of fibers on the substrate according to 1½D printing. In another aspect, a multilayer functional fiber is provided produced by, for instance, the above-noted methods.

Provided is a heat flow switching element which has a larger change in a thermal conductivity and has excellent thermal responsiveness. The heat flow switching element includes an N-type semiconductor layer, an insulator layer laminated on the N-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer laminated on the insulator layer, an N-side electrode connected to the N-type semiconductor layer, and a P-side electrode connected to the P-type semiconductor layer. In particular, the insulator layer is formed of a dielectric. Also, a plurality of N-type semiconductor layers and P-type semiconductor layers are laminated alternately with the insulator layer interposed therebetween.

A thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first substrate; a thermoelectric element disposed on the first substrate; a second substrate disposed on the thermoelectric element and having a smaller area than the first substrate; a sealing part disposed on the first substrate and surrounding a side surface of the thermoelectric element; and a wire part connected to the thermoelectric element, drawn out through the sealing part, and supplying power to the thermoelectric element, wherein the sealing part has a through hole through which the wire part passes, and the through hole is disposed closer to the second substrate than the first substrate.

An apparatus includes a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin that is parallel to the first semiconductor fin. The first semiconductor fin extends from a first region of a substrate near a circuit that produces thermal energy when a circuit is in operation to a second region of the substrate, which is disposed away from the circuit. The second semiconductor fin extends from the first region to the second region and has a different material composition than the first semiconductor fin. The first and second semiconductor fins collectively exhibit a Seebeck effect when the circuit is in operation. The apparatus includes interconnects to couple the first and second semiconductor fins to a power supply circuit to transfer electricity generated due to the Seebeck effect to the power supply circuit.

An apparatus includes a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin that is parallel to the first semiconductor fin. The first semiconductor fin extends from a first region of a substrate near a circuit that produces thermal energy when a circuit is in operation to a second region of the substrate, which is disposed away from the circuit. The second semiconductor fin extends from the first region to the second region and has a different material composition than the first semiconductor fin. The first and second semiconductor fins collectively exhibit a Seebeck effect when the circuit is in operation. The apparatus includes interconnects to couple the first and second semiconductor fins to a power supply circuit to transfer electricity generated due to the Seebeck effect to the power supply circuit.