In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes a thermoelectric generator (TEG) layer that comprises a thermoelectric nanostructure. The system also includes a thermal conductance layer coupling the TEG layer to a catalytic converter and provides heat from an exhaust gas passing through the catalytic converter to the TEG layer. The system additionally includes a cooling layer coupled to the TEG layer opposite the thermal conductance layer that provides cooling to the TEG layer.

A thermoelectric module comprising nanostructured SnO and SnO.sub.2, and electrodes arranged between two electrical insulating substrates is described. The nanostructured SnO may be in the form of nanosheets and acting as p-type pillars of the module. The nanostructured SnO.sub.2 may be in the form of nanospheres and acting as n-type pillars of the module. This thermoelectric module is evaluated on the voltage, current, and power of the electricity generated once subjected to a temperature gradient.

A thermoelectric module according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a cold sink; a thermoelectric element having a heat absorption surface coupled to the cold sink; a heat sink coupled to a heating surface of the thermoelectric element to dissipate heat transferred from the cold sink to the outside of the thermoelectric element; and a sealing cover for connecting the edge of the cold sink and the edge of the heat sink to surround the thermoelectric element, wherein the cold sink, the heat sink, and the thermoelectric element may be integrally formed by the sealing cover.

In addition, the thermoelectric element may be a cascade type thermoelectric element in which two thermoelectric elements having the same or different specifications are coupled to each other.

The present invention provides thermoelectric conversion elements and thermoelectric conversion modules which are possible to effectively use oxide materials having high Seebeck coefficient, and excellently improve their outputs. The present invention provides thermoelectric conversion elements which comprise at least a charge transport layer, thermoelectric conversion material layers and electrodes, wherein the charge transport layer comprises a graphite treated to dope charge-donating materials so that the graphite has an n-type semiconductor property, or a graphite treated to dope charge-accepting materials so that the graphite has a p-type semiconductor property, and provides thermoelectric conversion modules using the thermoelectric conversion elements.

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.

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.

Methods of making various fibers are provided including co-axial fibers with oppositely doped cladding and core are provide; hollow core doped silicon carbide fibers are provided; and doubly clad PIN junction fibers are provided. Additionally methods are provided for forming direct PN junctions between oppositely doped fibers are provided. Various thermoelectric generators that incorporate the aforementioned fibers are provided.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a first thermoelectric conduction leg, disposed on the substrate, and doped with a first type of dopant; a second thermoelectric conduction leg, disposed on the substrate, and doped with a second type of dopant, wherein the first and second thermoelectric conduction legs are spatially spaced from each other but disposed along a common row on the substrate; and a first intermediate thermoelectric conduction structure, disposed on a first end of the second thermoelectric conduction leg, and doped with the first type of dopant.

Thermoelectric module (200, 300) comprising: a substrate (201); a first material (205) of a first doping type forming a first leg extending on a surface of the substrate (201), the first leg comprising a first end oriented towards a first region of the surface and a second, opposite end oriented towards a second region of the surface; and a second material (203) of a second doping type forming a second leg extending on the surface of the substrate (201), the second leg comprising a first end oriented towards the first region of the surface and a second, opposite end oriented towards the second region of the surface, such that the first and second legs are substantially parallel to each other, wherein the first end of the first leg is in electrical connection with the first end of the second leg, and wherein the first and second doping types have opposite polarity, such that when a heat flux (209) is applied between the first region and the second region of the surface, a potential difference arises between the second end of the first leg and the second end of the second leg, and wherein the substrate (201), the first material (205), and the second material (203) are substantially transparent to visible light.

Various examples of thin film thermoelectric (TE) devices, their fabrication and applications are presented. In one example, a thin film TE device includes a first substrate including a void; a p-type TE element attached to the first substrate at a first end and extending over the void to a second end; an n-type TE element attached to the first substrate at a first end and extending over the void to a second end adjacent to the second end of the p-type TE element; and an interconnection coupling the second ends of the p-type TE element and the n-type TE element. In some examples, TE device layers can be vacuum sealed between a supporting substrate and a transparent substrate. A thermal spreader can include TE modules having a distribution of TE elements that operate in generating or cooling modes to cool IC or device hotspots using self-generated power.