Unlock instant, AI-driven research and patent intelligence for your innovation.

Thermoelectric Element

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-01-11
KYOCERA CORP
View PDF10 Cites 5 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric element which is little subject to be broken or deformed even when the shape factor is increased or the element density is increased and a method of producing the same.
[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric module of high performance equipped with the above thermoelectric elements and featuring a high reliability and excellent cooling ability.

Problems solved by technology

If the thermoelectric element utilizing the Peltier effect is placed under the poorly heat-radiating conditions, the temperature of the whole element is raised due to the Joule heat generated in the element, and it becomes no longer possible to maintain the temperature of the element constant.
According to the thermoelectric element taught in the prior art A, however, the shape factor L / S is as small as from 300 / m to 1200 / m, the sectional area of the element is large, the element density in the thermoelectric module is as small as about several tens per a square centimeter, and heat is not absorbed in sufficiently large amounts.
As the shape of the thermoelectric element becomes slender, however, breakage and deformation of the elements easily occur while the module is being assembled.
There further occurs such a problem that the module that has been assembled loses the mechanical strength and the shock resistance, and exhibit deteriorated characteristics.
According to the conventional thermoelectric element as described above, it is difficult to set the shape factor to be an optimum value or to increase the element density for being used in the thermoelectric module, and the cooling efficiency is not obtained as desired.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Thermoelectric Element
  • Thermoelectric Element

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

experiment 1

[0075] As starting materials, there were prepared Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3 and Bi2Se3 having an average particle diameter of 35 μm and a purity of not smaller than 99.99%.

[0076] To form an n-type thermoelectric element, the starting compounds were so weighed and mixed together as to form Bi2Te2.85Se0.15. Further, as a dopant, SbI3 was added in an amount of 0.09 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the sum of the starting compounds thereby to prepare a starting powder.

[0077] In order to form a p-type thermoelectric element, further, the starting compounds were so weighed and mixed together as to form Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 to thereby prepare a starting powder.

[0078] The above starting powders were stirred in an isopropyl alcohol solvent by using a vibration mill for 5 to 72 hours, and the average particle diameter thereof was variously changed as shown in Table 1. The average particle diameter was found by measuring the particle size distribution after the treatment by using the vibration mill...

experiment 2

[0092] Various sintered bodies obtained in Experiment 1 were sliced into a predetermined thickness by using a wire saw to cut out wafers. A nickel electrode and a gold electrode were formed on the wafers by plating, and the wafers were cut into predetermined chips to obtain thermoelectric elements having electrodes.

[0093] The thermoelectric elements were arranged on an alumina ceramic insulating substrate (6 mm deep and 8.2 mm wide) having a copper electrode on the surface thereof, and were secured to the copper electrode via a solder layer in order to fabricate thermoelectric modules having shape factors L / S, element densities d and the shortest distances D among the elements as shown in Table 2.

[0094] While changing the current fed to the thermoelectric elements, the thermoelectric modules were measured for their maximum currents Imax with which the heat-generating member absorbs the heat in the greatest amount, and the maximum heat-absorbing amounts Qcmax. The results were as s...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

No PUM Login to View More

Abstract

A thermoelectric element formed of a sintered body of a semiconductor comprising at least two kinds of elements selected from the group consisting of Bi, Te, Se and Sb, and having a micro-Vickers' hardness of not smaller than 0.5 GPa. The thermoelectric element has a hardness of not smaller than 0.5 GPa, and exhibits a large resistance against deformation, and is not easily broken by deformation. As a result, breakage due to deformation is prevented and a highly reliable thermoelectric element is realized even when a shape factor which is a ratio of the sectional area of the thermoelectric element to the height thereof, is increased and even when the element density is increased.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a thermoelectric element having excellent thermoelectric characteristics, which is favorably used for cooling the heat-generating members such as semiconductors. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] A thermoelectric element utilizing the Peltier effect is simple in construction, easy to handle, stably maintains its characteristics and is, hence, drawing attention concerning a use over a wide range of applications. In particular, owing it its locally cooling performance and precise temperature control near room temperature, the thermoelectric element has been utilized as a thermoelectric module being electrically connected and arranged on a support substrate in a device (semiconductor laser, optical integrated circuit, etc.) which must be precisely controlled to remain at a constant temperature and in small refrigerators. [0005] If the thermoelectric element utilizing the P...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
IPC IPC(8): H01L35/34H01L35/16H01L35/32
CPCH01L35/32H01L35/16H10N10/852H10N10/17
Inventor FUKUDOME, MASATONISHIZONO, KAZUHIROTANAKA, KOICHITAJIMA, KENICHI
Owner KYOCERA CORP