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.

Methods and processes to fabricate thermoelectric materials and more particularly to methods and processes to fabricate nano-sized doped silicon-based semiconductive materials to use as thermoelectrics in the production of electricity from recovered waste heat. Substantially oxidant-free and doped silicon particulates are fractured and sintered to form a porous nano-sized silicon-based thermoelectric material.

We disclose herein a CMOS-based sensing device comprising a substrate comprising an etched portion, a first region located on the substrate, wherein the first region comprises a membrane region formed over an area of the etched portion of the substrate, a flow sensor formed within the membrane region and a pressure sensor formed within the membrane region.

The present invention provides a conversion material including a first phase providing a matrix and a second phase comprising a nanoscale or microscale material providing electron mobility. The conversion material converts heat from a single macroscopic reservoir into voltage.

A thermoelectric conversion material having excellent thermoelectric performance over a wide temperature range, and a thermoelectric conversion module providing excellent junctions between thermoelectric conversion materials and electrodes. An R-T-M-X-N thermoelectric conversion material has a structure expressed by the following formula: R.sub.rT.sub.t-mM.sub.mX.sub.x-nN.sub.n (0r1, 3tm5, 0m0.5, 10x15, 0n2), where R represents three or more elements selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements, alkali metal elements, alkaline-earth metal elements, group 4 elements, and group 13 elements, T represents at least one element selected from Fe and Co, M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Os, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au, X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of P, As, Sb, and Bi, and N represents at least one element selected from Se and Te.

Provided is a thermoelectric conversion material formed from a full Heusler alloy represented by the composition formula: Fe.sub.2+(Ti.sub.1M1.sub.).sub.1+(Al.sub.1M2.sub.).sub.1. M1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Nb and Ta, and M2 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Group 13 elements except for Al and Group 14 elements. satisfies the relation: 0<0.42, satisfies the relation: 0<0.75, and satisfies the relation: 0<0.5. The valence electron concentration, VEC, satisfies the relation: 5.91VEC<6.16.

The present invention aims at providing a thermoelectric conversion module with low toxicity, which exhibits conversion efficiency equivalent to that of BiTe. The thermoelectric conversion module of the present invention employs a full Heusler alloy as the material for forming the P-type thermoelectric conversion unit and the N-type thermoelectric conversion unit. The material for forming the N-type thermoelectric conversion unit contains at least any one of Fe, Ti, and Si and Sn.

A system configured to generate electricity based upon a temperature difference between a vehicle occupant and a portion of a vehicle interior is described herein. The system includes a thermoelectric device containing nano-scale metal fibers or carbon nanotubes incorporated into an interior surface of the vehicle. The thermoelectric device has a first side in contact with the vehicle occupant and a second side opposite the first side in contact with the portion of the vehicle interior. The thermoelectric device is configured to supply electrical power to an electrical system of the vehicle.

A device and techniques for fabricating the device are described for forming a wafer-level thermal sensor package using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) processes. In one or more implementations, a wafer level thermal sensor package includes a thermopile stack, which includes a substrate, a dielectric membrane, a first thermoelectric layer, a first interlayer dielectric, a second thermoelectric layer, a second interlayer dielectric, a metal connection assembly, a passivation layer, where the passivation layer includes at least one of a trench or a hole, and where the substrate includes a cavity adjacent to the at least one trench or hole, and a bond pad disposed on the passivation layer and electrically coupled to the metal connection assembly; and a cap wafer assembly coupled to the thermopile stack, the cap wafer assembly including a wafer having a cavity formed on a side of the wafer configured to be adjacent to the thermopile stack.

A semiconductor apparatus is provided, including: a housing; a heat-dissipation substrate; a first semiconductor chip provided on the heat-dissipation substrate; a temperature detecting unit provided on the housing; a first thermoelectric member electrically connecting the first semiconductor chip and the temperature detecting unit; and a second thermoelectric member electrically connecting the first semiconductor chip and the temperature detecting unit, the second thermoelectric member being made of a different material than the first thermoelectric member. The thermal conductivity of the heat-dissipation substrate is higher than the thermal conductivity of the housing.