A thermoelectric conversion material contains a matrix composed of a semiconductor and nanoparticles disposed in the matrix, and the nanoparticles have a lattice constant distribution Δd/d of 0.0055 or more.

The present invention relates to a thermoelectric measurement system based on a liquid eutectic gallium-indium electrode, whereby thermoelectric performance can be measured with excellent efficiency and high reproducibility even without construction of expensive equipment, various organic molecules as well as large-area molecular layers can be measured, and various thermoelectric materials, such as inorganic materials and inorganic-organic composite materials, can be measured. In addition, non-toxic liquid metal EGaIn is used as an upper electrode, so the damage to even a substance of measurement in the form of a nano-level thin film can be minimized, and the measurement of thermoelectric performance can be performed on even nano- to micro-level organic thermoelectric elements. Therefore, the thermoelectric measurement system is widely utilized across the thermoelectric element industry.

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 chalcogen-containing compound of the following Chemical Formula 1 which exhibits excellent phase stability at a low temperature, particularly at a temperature corresponding to the driving temperature of a thermoelectric element, and also exhibits an excellent thermoelectric performance index through an increase in a power factor and a decrease in thermal conductivity, a method for preparing the same, and a thermoelectric element including the same:
V.sub.1-xM.sub.xSn.sub.4Bi.sub.2Se.sub.7-yTe.sub.y  [Chemical Formula 1]
In the above Formula 1, V is a vacancy, M is an alkali metal, x is greater than 0 and less than 1, and y is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

A thermoelectric module that has excellent thermal, electric properties, can realize high joining force between thermoelectric elements and an electrode, and can maintain stable joining even at a high temperature.

An optical sensor includes a support layer, a thermoelectric conversion material portion disposed on the support layer and including a strip-shaped first material layer that converts thermal energy into electrical energy and a strip-shaped second material layer that is electrically conductive, and a light absorbing film disposed on the thermoelectric conversion material portion to form a temperature difference in a longitudinal direction of the first material layer. The first material layer includes a first region and a second region. The second material layer includes a third region and a fourth region connected to the second region. The optical sensor further includes a first electrode electrically connected to the first region, and a second electrode disposed apart from the first electrode and electrically connected to the third region. The first material layer has a width, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, of 0.1 μm or more.

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.

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.

An infrared sensor includes a base substrate, an infrared light receiver, and a beam. The beam includes a separated portion separated from the base substrate to be suspended above the base substrate. The beam is connected at the separated portion to the infrared light receiver. The beam includes a p-type portion containing a p-type semiconductor and an n-type portion containing an n-type semiconductor. The p-type portion has a first three-dimensional structure including first recesses and a first solid portion formed between the first recesses. The first solid portion has, between the first recesses adjacent to each other in plan view, a smallest dimension of less than or equal to 100 nanometers in plan view. The n-type portion has a second three-dimensional structure including second recesses and a second solid portion formed between the second recesses. The second solid portion has, between the second recesses adjacent to each other in plan view, a smallest dimension of less than or equal to 100 nanometers in plan view. The beam satisfies at least one of following conditions (Ia) or (IIa): (Ia) the first solid portion includes a first portion having a Young's modulus of less than or equal to 80% of a Young's modulus of a first reference sample that is made of a material of a type identical to a type of a material constituting the first solid portion and that does not have recesses; and (IIa) the second solid portion includes a second portion having a Young's modulus of less than or equal to 80% of a Young's modulus of a second reference sample that is made of a material of a type identical to a type of a material constituting the second solid portion and that does not have recesses.