According to an embodiment, there is provided a method of creating amorphous and amorphous-crystalline materials using microwave energy in the form of standing waves. The relatively quick processing time of the method allows investigating and creating a large number of material structures with various dimensions. An embodiment utilizes a scalable technique to produce high efficiency bulk thermoelectric structures as well as thin and thick.

Structures that include semiconductor fins and methods for forming a structure that includes semiconductor fins. A first fin comprised of n-type semiconductor material and a second fin comprised of p-type semiconductor material are formed. A conductive strap is formed that couples an end of the first fin with an end of the second fin.

A thermoelectric material includes a stretchable polymer, and a thermoelectric structure and an electrically conductive material that are mixed together with the stretchable polymer. The thermoelectric material may be applied to self-power generating wearable electronic apparatuses.

The present disclosure relates to an energy conversion material including: a pair of 2-dimensional active layers; and a property control layer positioned between the 2-dimensional active layers, and the property control layer is changed in any one or more of structure and state depending on an external environmental factor and performs reversible switching between the 2-dimensional active layers.

There is provided a thermoelectric material including a compound which is formed of an element R belonging to alkaline earth metal and lanthanoid, and an element X belonging to any of Group 13 elements, Group 14 elements, and Group 15 elements. The composition ratio of the element R and the element X is selected to obtain the compound having an AlB.sub.2 type structure.

A thermoelectric conversion material includes a matrix phase configured from a semiconductor. A first grain-boundary phase and a second grain-boundary phase are provided at a grain boundary of the matrix phase. The first grain-boundary phase is configured from a material which does not form a compound with the matrix phase by a eutectic reaction, a eutectoid reaction, a peritectic reaction, a peritectoid reaction, an eccentric reaction, or a segregation reaction. The second grain-boundary phase is configured from a material having resistance which is lower than that of the matrix phase or the first grain-boundary phase. A ratio of a volume of the second grain-boundary phase to a volume of the first grain-boundary phase is smaller than 1.

An Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) temperature sensor correction apparatus includes an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT); a temperature sensor having a sensing diode; and a process variation sensor having an internal resistor.

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.

The disclosed embodiments include systems and methods to generate electrical power in a downhole environment. In one embodiment, the system includes a thermoelectric generator operable to convert a temperature gradient across a section of the thermoelectric generator into electrical energy and deployed in a wellbore. The system also includes a pressure control device positioned proximate the thermoelectric generator and having a fluid flow path for a fluid flowing through the pressure control device and across the thermoelectric generator such that an absolute pressure of the fluid decreases when the fluid flow out of the pressure control device and across the thermoelectric generator. A temperature of the fluid changes as the fluid flows out of the thermoelectric generator and across the thermoelectric generator due to a change in the absolute pressure of the fluid. The temperature gradient across the thermoelectric generator is due to change in the temperature of the fluid.

In order to provide an Fe2TiSi type full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material having a high dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT, the full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material is characterized in that: the full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material has secondary crystal grains having an Fe2TiSi type composition and a coating layer covering the circumference of the secondary crystal grains and containing an element other than Fe, Ti, and Si as a main component; and the coating layer has a composition containing an element being dissolvable in a crystal structure of the Fe2TiSi type composition and having an electric resistivity lower than the secondary crystal grains.