A thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first substrate; a first insulating layer disposed on the first substrate; a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer; a first electrode disposed on the second insulating layer; a semiconductor structure disposed on the first electrode; a second electrode disposed on the semiconductor structure; and a second substrate disposed on the second electrode, wherein the composition of the first insulating layer is different from the composition of the second insulating layer, the first insulating layer includes a first region disposed on the first substrate and a second region disposed between the first region and the second insulating layer, and a particle size (D50) of an inorganic filler included in the second region is greater than the particle size (D50) of an inorganic filler included in the first region.

A thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first substrate; a first insulating layer disposed on the first substrate; a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer; a first electrode disposed on the second insulating layer; a semiconductor structure disposed on the first electrode; a second electrode disposed on the semiconductor structure; and a second substrate disposed on the second electrode, wherein the composition of the first insulating layer is different from the composition of the second insulating layer, the first insulating layer includes a first region disposed on the first substrate and a second region disposed between the first region and the second insulating layer, and a particle size (D50) of an inorganic filler included in the second region is greater than the particle size (D50) of an inorganic filler included in the first region.

A method of fabricating a thermoelectric converter that includes providing a layer of a Silicon-based material having a first surface and a second surface, opposite to and separated from the first surface by a Silicon-based material layer thickness; forming a plurality of first thermoelectrically active elements of a first thermoelectric semiconductor material having a first Seebeck coefficient, and forming a plurality of second thermoelectrically active elements of a second thermoelectric semiconductor material having a second Seebeck coefficient, wherein the first and second thermoelectrically active elements are formed to extend through the Silicon-based material layer thickness, from the first surface to the second surface; forming electrically conductive interconnections in correspondence of the first surface and of the second surface of the layer of Silicon-based material, for electrically interconnecting the plurality of first thermoelectrically active elements and the plurality of second thermoelectrically active elements, and forming an input electrical terminal and an output electrical terminal electrically connected to the electrically conductive interconnections, wherein the first thermoelectric semiconductor material and the second thermoelectric semiconductor material comprise Silicon-based materials selected among porous Silicon or polycrystalline SiGe or polycrystalline Silicon.

A method of fabricating a thermoelectric converter that includes providing a layer of a Silicon-based material having a first surface and a second surface, opposite to and separated from the first surface by a Silicon-based material layer thickness; forming a plurality of first thermoelectrically active elements of a first thermoelectric semiconductor material having a first Seebeck coefficient, and forming a plurality of second thermoelectrically active elements of a second thermoelectric semiconductor material having a second Seebeck coefficient, wherein the first and second thermoelectrically active elements are formed to extend through the Silicon-based material layer thickness, from the first surface to the second surface; forming electrically conductive interconnections in correspondence of the first surface and of the second surface of the layer of Silicon-based material, for electrically interconnecting the plurality of first thermoelectrically active elements and the plurality of second thermoelectrically active elements, and forming an input electrical terminal and an output electrical terminal electrically connected to the electrically conductive interconnections, wherein the first thermoelectric semiconductor material and the second thermoelectric semiconductor material comprise Silicon-based materials selected among porous Silicon or polycrystalline SiGe or polycrystalline Silicon.

An absorber for absorbing electromagnetic radiation including a first layer with hydrogenated carbon, and a second layer with carbon, and the first layer is less absorbing than the second layer.

An absorber for absorbing electromagnetic radiation including a first layer with hydrogenated carbon, and a second layer with carbon, and the first layer is less absorbing than the second layer.

A thermoelectric conversion material is composed of a compound semiconductor including a plurality of base material elements, and includes: an amorphous phase; and crystal phases having an average grain size of more than or equal to 5 nm, each of the crystal phases being in a form of a grain. The plurality of base material elements include a specific base material element that causes an increase of a band gap by increasing a concentration of the specific base material element. An atomic concentration of the specific base material element included in the crystal phases with respect to a whole of the plurality of base material elements included in the crystal phases is higher than an atomic concentration of the specific base material element included in the compound semiconductor with respect to a whole of the plurality of base material elements included in the compound semiconductor.

A thermoelectric conversion material is composed of a compound semiconductor including a plurality of base material elements, and includes: an amorphous phase; and crystal phases having an average grain size of more than or equal to 5 nm, each of the crystal phases being in a form of a grain. The plurality of base material elements include a specific base material element that causes an increase of a band gap by increasing a concentration of the specific base material element. An atomic concentration of the specific base material element included in the crystal phases with respect to a whole of the plurality of base material elements included in the crystal phases is higher than an atomic concentration of the specific base material element included in the compound semiconductor with respect to a whole of the plurality of base material elements included in the compound semiconductor.

A thermoelectric thin film material including an organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite doped with an organic dopant represented by the general expression ABX.sub.3 where A is an A-site cation, B is a B-site cation, and X is a halide anion. A method of making a thermoelectric thin film material including forming an organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite doped with an organic dopant represented by the general expression ABX.sub.3 where A is an A-site cation, B is a B-site cation, and X is a halide anion. A thermoelectric device comprising a thermoelectric thin film material.

Thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite material that includes at least one component consisting of nanocrystals. A TE nanocomposite material in accordance with the present invention can include, but is not limited to, multiple nanocrystalline structures, nanocrystal networks or partial networks, or multi-component materials, with some components forming connected interpenetrating networks including nanocrystalline networks. The TE nanocomposite material can be in the form of a bulk solid having semiconductor nanocrystallites that form an electrically conductive network within the material. In other embodiments, the TE nanocomposite material can be a nanocomposite thermoelectric material having one network of p-type or n-type semiconductor domains and a low thermal conductivity semiconductor or dielectric network or domains separating the p-type or n-type domains that provides efficient phonon scattering to reduce thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrical properties of the p-type or n-type semiconductor.