A system includes a high-power laser surface unit capable of generating a high-power laser beam having an output power of at least 10 kW, an optical fiber connected to the high-power laser surface unit, and at least one harvesting cell disposed around the optical fiber. The optical fiber includes an optical cladding surrounding an optical fiber core. Each harvesting cell includes an anode, a cathode, and a thermoelectric layer disposed adjacent to and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode, where the thermoelectric layer includes a polymer-based thermoelectric material.

A lossy dielectric heat source transducer or other transducer can be formed using a multi-layer substrate, such as can include a power layer (to receive an applied electromagnetic input signal), a polyurethane or other polymeric electromagnetic energy absorption layer, and a coupling layer therebetween. The absorption layer can be doped with carbon or another dopant material to increase electromagnetic energy absorption. The coupling layer can be doped with barium titanate or another dopant material to focus electromagnetic energy passing through the coupling layer toward the absorption layer. Frequency-selective addressing of particular transducers can include using a plurality of planar resonators, which can be configured to resonate at the same or different specified frequencies of the applied electromagnetic input. Such addressing of such frequency-sensitive structures can permit location-specific actuation of one or more transducers.

A lossy dielectric heat source transducer or other transducer can be formed using a multi-layer substrate, such as can include a power layer (to receive an applied electromagnetic input signal), a polyurethane or other polymeric electromagnetic energy absorption layer, and a coupling layer therebetween. The absorption layer can be doped with carbon or another dopant material to increase electromagnetic energy absorption. The coupling layer can be doped with barium titanate or another dopant material to focus electromagnetic energy passing through the coupling layer toward the absorption layer. Frequency-selective addressing of particular transducers can include using a plurality of planar resonators, which can be configured to resonate at the same or different specified frequencies of the applied electromagnetic input. Such addressing of such frequency-sensitive structures can permit location-specific actuation of one or more transducers.

A thermoelectric conversion module having a further improved thermoelectric performance is provided. The thermoelectric conversion module includes: a base material; and a thermoelectric element layer including a thermoelectric semiconductor composition, wherein the thermoelectric semiconductor composition includes a thermoelectric semiconductor material, a heat resistant resin A, and an ionic liquid and/or inorganic ionic compound, and wherein the base material has a thermal resistance of 0.35 K/W or less.

To provide a Peltier cooling element that is excellent in thermoelectric performance and flexibility and can be manufactured easily at low cost. A Peltier cooling element containing a thermoelectric conversion material containing a support having thereon a thin film containing a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles, a heat resistant resin, and an ionic liquid, and a method for manufacturing a Peltier cooling element containing a thermoelectric conversion material containing a support having thereon a thin film containing a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles, a heat resistant resin, and an ionic liquid, the method containing: coating a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles, a heat resistant resin, and an ionic liquid, on a support, and drying, so as to form a thin film; and subjecting the thin film to an annealing treatment.

A microelectronic device including a substrate having a semiconductor material containing an embedded thermoelectric cooler with thermally anisotropic mesas between the cold terminal and the hot terminal of the embedded thermoelectric cooler adjacent to a heat source; the adjacent embedded thermoelectric cooler providing a temperature reduction for the heat source resulting in increased safe operating area (SOA) for the microelectronic device. The thermally anisotropic mesas are formed in parallel with deep trenches used as isolation in the microelectronic device.

A microelectronic device including a substrate having a semiconductor material containing an embedded thermoelectric cooler with thermally anisotropic mesas between the cold terminal and the hot terminal of the embedded thermoelectric cooler adjacent to a heat source; the adjacent embedded thermoelectric cooler providing a temperature reduction for the heat source resulting in increased safe operating area (SOA) for the microelectronic device. The thermally anisotropic mesas are formed in parallel with deep trenches used as isolation in the microelectronic device.

A semiconductor sintered body comprising a polycrystalline body, wherein the polycrystalline body comprises silicon or a silicon alloy, and the average grain size of the crystal grains constituting the polycrystalline body is 1 μm or less, and the electrical conductivity is 10,000 S/m or higher.

An ionic thermoelectric (i-TE) hydrogel that converts heat into electricity based on the Soret effect, and devices and methods incorporating the ionic thermoelectric hydrogel. The ionic thermoelectric hydrogel includes poly(acrylamide) crosslinked with an alginate, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and a poly glycol.

An ionic thermoelectric (i-TE) hydrogel that converts heat into electricity based on the Soret effect, and devices and methods incorporating the ionic thermoelectric hydrogel. The ionic thermoelectric hydrogel includes poly(acrylamide) crosslinked with an alginate, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and a poly glycol.