A structure and method for cooling a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC) are provided. A cooling element is configured for thermal connection to the 3DIC. The cooling element includes a plurality of individually controllable cooling modules disposed at a first plurality of locations relative to the 3DIC. Each of the cooling modules includes a cold pole and a heat sink. The cold pole is configured to absorb heat from the 3DIC. The heat sink is configured to dissipate the heat absorbed by the cold pole and is coupled to the cold pole via an N-type semiconductor element and via a P-type semiconductor element. A temperature sensing element includes a plurality of thermal monitoring elements disposed at a second plurality of locations relative to the 3DIC for measuring temperatures at the second plurality of locations. The measured temperatures control the plurality of cooling modules.

Proposed are an organic-inorganic composite thermoelectric material and a preparation method thereof. The organic-inorganic composite thermoelectric material includes an organic matrix and an inorganic thermoelectric portion dispersed in the organic matrix and including a nanomaterial. The organic matrix includes an organic conductor, and the nanomaterial includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a chalcogen element and a chalcogenide. The organic-inorganic composite thermoelectric material of the present invention has advantages of low cost and excellent thermoelectric properties through complexation of an aligned inorganic thermoelectric material and an organic thermoelectric material.

The disclosure is related to structures and method of making thermoelectric devices. The structures include an electrically and thermally nonconductive substrate with cylindrical or frustum-shaped tunnels. The tunnels may be filled with thermally and electrically conductive materials that resist diffusion. The structures include n-type and p-type materials, in homogeneous form or alternating with interlayers to block phonon conduction between layers of thermoelectric materials. The tunnels are individually associated with either n-type or p-type thermoelectric materials and connected in pairs to form alternating conductors on both sides of the substrate. The structures may also be coated with layers of gold and nickel and have thermoelectric materials deposited in the tunnels. The tunnels may be partially or fully capped with sintered nano-silver or solder. Notches may alternate sides to electrically isolate each side of the structure to provide current flow between the p-type and n-type thermoelectric layers.

A thermoelectric element according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first substrate, a first resin layer disposed on the first substrate, a first electrode disposed on the first resin layer, a P-type thermoelectric leg and an N-type thermoelectric leg disposed on the first electrode, a second electrode disposed on the P-type thermoelectric leg and the N-type thermoelectric leg, a second resin layer disposed on the second electrode, and a second substrate disposed on the second resin layer, wherein at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a copper layer, first plated layers disposed on both surfaces of the copper layer, and second plated layers disposed between both surfaces of the copper layer and the first plated layers, materials of the first plated layer and the second plated layer are different from each other, and the first plated layer has a melting point greater than or equal to 300° C., and an electrical conductivity greater than or equal to 9×10.sup.6 S/m.

This disclosure relates to an integrated thermoelectric cooler and methods for forming thereof. The integrated thermoelectric cooler can include a plurality of thermoelectric rods located between the detector substrate and a system interposer. The detector substrate and the system interposer can directly contact ends of the thermoelectric rods. The integrated thermoelectric cooler can be formed by forming the plurality of thermoelectric rods on reels, for example, and the plurality of thermoelectric rods can be thinned down to a certain height. The thermoelectric rods can be transferred and bonded to the system substrate. An overmold can be formed around the plurality of thermoelectric rods. The height of the overmold and thermoelectric rods can be thinned down to another height. The thermoelectric rods can be bonded to the detector substrate. In some examples, the overmold can be removed.

A semiconductor sintered body comprising a polycrystalline body, wherein the polycrystalline body includes silicon or a silicon alloy, wherein the average grain size of the crystal grains forming the polycrystalline body is 1 μm or less, and wherein nanoparticles including one or more of a carbide of silicon, a nitride of silicon, and an oxide of silicon are present at a grain boundary of the grains.

A thermionic energy converter, preferably including an anode and a cathode. An anode of a thermionic energy converter, preferably including an n-type semiconductor, one or more supplemental layers, and an electrical contact. A method for work function reduction and/or thermionic energy conversion, preferably including inputting thermal energy to a thermionic energy converter, illuminating an anode of the thermionic energy converter, thereby preferably reducing a work function of the anode, and extracting electrical power from the system.

According to one embodiment, a power generation element includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a first member. The first member is provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The first member includes a first semiconductor having polarity. A gap is between the second conductive layer and the first member. A <000-1> direction of the first semiconductor is oblique to a first direction from the first conductive layer toward the second conductive layer.

The present disclosure relates to an integrated dual-sided all-in-one energy system including a plurality of vertically stacked dual-sided all-in-one energy apparatuses, each including an energy-harvesting device and an energy-storage device disposed on both sides of a substrate, and according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an integrated dual-sided all-in-one energy system may include a plurality of dual-sided all-in-one energy apparatuses, each including an energy-harvesting device that is formed as an electrode pattern on one side of a substrate and generates electrical energy by harvesting energy based on a temperature difference between a first side and a second side and an energy-storage device that is formed on the other side of the substrate and is selectively connected to the energy-harvesting device based on the electrode pattern to store the generated electrical energy.

Composite nanoparticle compositions and associated nanoparticle assemblies exhibit enhancements to one or more thermoelectric properties including increases in electrical conductivity and/or Seebeck coefficient and/or decreases in thermal conductivity. A composite nanoparticle composition comprises a semiconductor nanoparticle including a front face and a back face and sidewalls extending between the front and back faces. Metallic nanoparticles are bonded to at least one of the sidewalls establishing a metal-semiconductor junction.