Disclosed is a thermoelectric generator including a heat source contact, a heat sink contact, and a plurality of co-axial fibers. Each of the co-axial fibers include a core and a cladding disposed about the core. The plurality of co-axial fibers extend from the heat source contact to the heat sink contact. Thermoelectric generators are disclosed including hollow core doped silicon carbide fibers and doubly clad PIN junction fibers. Methods for forming direct PN junctions between oppositely doped fibers are additionally disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to an energy harvesting technology for generating electrical energy by using a combination of a solar cell and a thermoelectric device. An energy harvesting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a solar cell for generating electrical energy based on sunlight; a heat transfer layer formed on at least one edge portion of the upper surface of the solar cell on which sunlight is incident; and a thermoelectric device including a first electrode, a second electrode, a thermoelectric channel disposed between the first and second electrodes, having a horizontal structure in which the first electrode is disposed on the heat transfer layer to be arranged horizontally with respect to the solar cell, and configured to generate additional electrical energy based on the temperature difference between the first and second electrodes.

The present disclosure relates to an energy harvesting technology for generating electrical energy by using a combination of a solar cell and a thermoelectric device. An energy harvesting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a solar cell for generating electrical energy based on sunlight; a heat transfer layer formed on at least one edge portion of the upper surface of the solar cell on which sunlight is incident; and a thermoelectric device including a first electrode, a second electrode, a thermoelectric channel disposed between the first and second electrodes, having a horizontal structure in which the first electrode is disposed on the heat transfer layer to be arranged horizontally with respect to the solar cell, and configured to generate additional electrical energy based on the temperature difference between the first and second electrodes.

The present disclosure is related to structures for and methods for producing thermoelectric devices. The thermoelectric devices include multiple stages of thermoelements. Each stage includes alternating n-type and p-type thermoelements. The stages are sandwiched between upper and lower sets of metal links fabricated on a pair of substrate layers. The metal links electrically connect pairs of n-type and p-type thermoelements from each stage. There may be additional sets of metal links between the multiple stages. The individual thermoelements may be sized to handle differing amounts of electric current to optimize performance based on their location within the multistage device.

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.

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.

The present disclosure relates to an energy harvesting technology for generating electrical energy by using a combination of a solar cell and a thermoelectric device. An energy harvesting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a solar cell for generating electrical energy based on sunlight; a heat transfer layer formed on at least one edge portion of the upper surface of the solar cell on which sunlight is incident; and a thermoelectric device including a first electrode, a second electrode, a thermoelectric channel disposed between the first and second electrodes, having a horizontal structure in which the first electrode is disposed on the heat transfer layer to be arranged horizontally with respect to the solar cell, and configured to generate additional electrical energy based on the temperature difference between the first and second electrodes.

The present disclosure relates to an energy harvesting technology for generating electrical energy by using a combination of a solar cell and a thermoelectric device. An energy harvesting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a solar cell for generating electrical energy based on sunlight; a heat transfer layer formed on at least one edge portion of the upper surface of the solar cell on which sunlight is incident; and a thermoelectric device including a first electrode, a second electrode, a thermoelectric channel disposed between the first and second electrodes, having a horizontal structure in which the first electrode is disposed on the heat transfer layer to be arranged horizontally with respect to the solar cell, and configured to generate additional electrical energy based on the temperature difference between the first and second electrodes.

A thermoelectric conversion material includes a base material that is a semiconductor having Si and Ge as constituent elements, a first additive element that is different from the constituent elements, has a vacant orbital in a d or f orbital located inside an outermost shell thereof, and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material, and oxygen. The oxygen content ratio is 6 at % or less.