A method may be provided of manufacturing a thermoelectric leg. The method may include preparing a first metal substrate including a first metal, and forming a first plated layer including a second metal on the first metal substrate. The method may also include disposing a layer including tellurium (Te) on the first plated layer, and forming a portion of the first plated layer as a first bonding layer by reacting the second metal and the Te. The method also includes disposing a thermoelectric material layer including bismuth (Bi) and Te on an upper surface of the first bonding layer, and disposing a second metal substrate, on which a second bonding layer and a second plated layer are formed, on the thermoelectric material layer, and sintering.

A thermoelectric conversion material includes: a base material that is a semiconductor composed of a base material element; a first additional element that is an element different from the base material element, has a vacant orbital in a d orbital or f orbital located internal to an outermost shell of the first additional element and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material; and a second additional element that is an element different from both of the base material element and the first additional element and forms a second additional level in the forbidden band of the base material. A difference is 1 between the number of electrons in an outermost shell of the second additional element and the number of electrons in at least one outermost shell of the base material element.

A compound semiconductor which has an improved thermoelectric performance index together with excellent electrical conductivity, and thus may be utilized for various purposes such as a thermoelectric conversion material of thermoelectric conversion devices, solar cells, and the like, and to a method for preparing the same.

An inkjet printer includes a pair of temperature regulation modules mounted on opposite sides of each printhead in the printer. Each temperature regulation module includes a thermoelectric cooling device that is activated by a controller when the temperature of the printhead exceeds a predetermined setpoint. By cooling the printheads, the temperature of the printheads can be kept in a temperature range that enables fast drying inks to obtain their optimal performance and that prevents duplex printing operations from raising the temperature of the printheads significantly above the predetermined setpoint.

An inkjet printer includes a pair of temperature regulation modules mounted on opposite sides of each printhead in the printer. Each temperature regulation module includes a thermoelectric cooling device that is activated by a controller when the temperature of the printhead exceeds a predetermined setpoint. By cooling the printheads, the temperature of the printheads can be kept in a temperature range that enables fast drying inks to obtain their optimal performance and that prevents duplex printing operations from raising the temperature of the printheads significantly above the predetermined setpoint.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric leg comprises: a thermoelectric material layer comprising Bi and Te; a first metal layer and a second metal layer respectively arranged the thermoelectric material layer; a first adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the first metal layer and comprising the Te, and a second adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the second metal layer and comprising the Te; and a first plating layer arranged between the first metal layer and the first adhesive layer, and a second plating layer arranged between the second metal layer and the second adhesive layer, wherein the thermoelectric material layer is arranged between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the amount of the Te is higher than the amount of the Bi in the thermoelectric material layer.

A thin-film thermocouple probe includes a columnar substrate, a tungsten-26% rhenium film and an indium oxide (In.sub.2O.sub.3) film. A side surface of the columnar substrate is provided with a first straight groove and a second straight groove. The tungsten-26% rhenium film is arranged on a front end surface of the columnar substrate and in the first straight groove. The indium oxide film is arranged on the front end surface of the columnar substrate and in the second straight groove. The indium oxide film on the front end surface of the columnar substrate is connected to the tungsten-26% rhenium film on the front end surface of the columnar substrate. A first metal lead wire is connected to the tungsten-26% rhenium film, and a second metal lead wire is connected to the indium oxide film. A method of preparing the thin-film thermocouple probe is provided.

A thermoelectric module comprising nanostructured SnO and SnO.sub.2, and electrodes arranged between two electrical insulating substrates is described. The nanostructured SnO may be in the form of nanosheets and acting as p-type pillars of the module. The nanostructured SnO.sub.2 may be in the form of nanospheres and acting as n-type pillars of the module. This thermoelectric module is evaluated on the voltage, current, and power of the electricity generated once subjected to a temperature gradient.

A flexible thermoelectric structure is provided, which includes a porous thermoelectric pattern having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a polymer film covering the first surface of the porous thermoelectric pattern. The polymer film fills pores of the porous thermoelectric pattern. The polymer film has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The second surface of the polymer film is coplanar with the second surface of the porous thermoelectric pattern.

A compound semiconductor which has an improved thermoelectric performance index together with excellent electrical conductivity, and thus may be utilized for various purposes such as a thermoelectric conversion material of thermoelectric conversion devices, solar cells, and the like, and to a method for preparing the same.