A thermoelectric material includes a lower part from a bottom surface of the thermoelectric material to a point of 30% of an average thickness of the thermoelectric material and having an average content of carbon atoms of 40 at% or more in the thermoelectric material, and an upper part corresponding to a remaining 70% of the average thickness of the thermoelectric material and having an average content of carbon atoms of 20 at% or less in the thermoelectric material.

A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, and a heater element on the semiconductor substrate, the heater element configured to generate heat in response to a current flowing therethrough. The semiconductor device also includes a conductor material having a programmable conductivity, and an insulator layer between the heater element and the conductor material, where the conductor material is configured to be programmed by applying one or more voltage differences to one or more of the heater element and the conductor material, and where a capacitance between the conductor material and the heater element is configured to be controlled by the voltage differences such that the capacitance is lower while the conductor material is being programmed than while the conductor material is not being programmed.

A thermoelectric material includes a lower part from a bottom surface of the thermoelectric material to a point of 30% of an average thickness of the thermoelectric material and having an average content of carbon atoms of 40 at % or more in the thermoelectric material, and an upper part corresponding to a remaining 70% of the average thickness of the thermoelectric material and having an average content of carbon atoms of 20 at % or less in the thermoelectric material.

A thermoelectric element according to an embodiment comprises: a first substrate; a first electrode part disposed on the first substrate; a thermoelectric semiconductor disposed on the first electrode part; second electrode parts disposed on the thermoelectric semiconductor; and a second substrate disposed on the second electrode parts, wherein the second substrate comprises: a first surface; and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the second electrode parts are disposed on the first surface, a terminal electrode part formed by extending at least one of the second electrode parts is disposed on the second surface, and the second substrate is formed between the terminal electrode part and the second electrode parts.

An electrically-powered device, structure and/or component is provided that includes an attached autonomous electrical power source in a form of a unique, environmentally-friendly structure that is configured to transform thermal energy at any temperature above absolute zero to an electric potential without any external stimulus including physical movement or deformation energy. The autonomous electrical power source component provides a mechanism for generating renewable energy, or a renewable energy supplement, as primary or auxiliary power for the electrically-powered device, structure and/or component. The autonomous electrical power source component is formed of one or more elements, each of which includes a first conductor having a surface with a comparatively low work function, a second conductor having a surface with the comparatively high work function and a dielectric layer on a scale of 200 nm or less interposed between the conductors.

Thermocouples for high temperature applications are provided. A thermocouple includes a vessel formed from a dielectric material, the vessel defining a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber and second chamber in fluid communication. The thermocouple further includes a first thermoelement disposed in the first chamber, the first thermoelement formed from a first thermoelectric material. The thermocouple further includes a second thermoelement disposed in the second chamber, the second thermoelement formed from a second thermoelectric material different from the first thermoelectric material, and wherein the second thermoelement is a liquid at operating conditions of the thermocouple.

Composite materials with thermoelectric properties and devices made from such materials are described. The thermoelectric composite material may comprise a metal oxide material and graphene or modified graphene. It has been found that the addition of graphene or modified graphene to thermoelectric metal oxide materials increases ZT. It has further been found that the ZT of the metal oxide becomes effective over a broader temperature range and at lower temperatures.

An integrated flexible thermoelectric device includes p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and n-type carbon nanoparticle regions which are alternately and continuously connected to each other. In particular, the p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and the n-type carbon nanoparticle regions are formed on the one carbon nanoparticle paper.

Provided are a thermoelectric material, a method of fabricating the same, and a thermoelectric device. The thermoelectric material includes a first material layer including a chalcogen element; and a second material layer including a reaction compound between the chalcogen element and a metal element, wherein the thermoelectric material has a structure in which the first material layer is inserted in the second material layer.

The present application relates to copper-doped double perovskites, for example, copper-doped double perovskites of the formula (I) and to uses thereof, for example as low-bandgap materials such as a semiconducting material in a device. The present application also relates to methods of tuning the bandgap of a Cs.sub.2SbAgZ.sub.6 double perovskite (for example, wherein Z is Cl) comprising doping the double perovskite with copper.

Cs.sub.2Sb.sub.1-aAg.sub.1-bCu.sub.2xZ.sub.6(I)