Novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure with independent transmission of current and heat flow
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-11
AI Technical Summary
[0004]针对上述现有技术的不足，本发明提出了一种电流与热流独立传输的新型热电分束结构，旨在解决现有结构难以将同一公共端口输入的电流与热流实现高效空间分离输出的技术痛点
在使用时，输入能量经共用输入端口耦合进入本发明的热电分束结构后，能够在内部扇形分区结构中实现对热流和电流的同步定向分离与高效输出。热流经高热导材料区域沿径向被精准引导至热输出端口，电流则通过高电导材料路径有效传输至电输出端口，实现两种能量的空间上高效分流。通过扇形多种材料分区设计和空间解耦布局，显著降低了热流与电流之间的串扰，提高了系统的能量利用率与可靠性。进一步地，本发明能够在片上系统实现电流供给与废热回收的自持协同工作，从根本上突破了传统热电分离结构中能量耦合、集成度低及应用场景受限等局限。更为创新的是，本发明的结构设计兼容现有微纳加工工艺，具有空间占用小、集成密度高、可模块化扩展等优势，能够满足高密度、多功能微纳器件的集成需求。其独特的热电分束机制不但提升了电能与热能的协同利用能力，还为片上系统中的智能调控、按需分流、能量的精准管理和高效回收创造了条件。此外，本发明适用于自供能芯片、可穿戴设备、生物电子传感器等多种对能量管理提出高要求的应用场景，有助于推动自持式、低功耗电子系统和高可靠性微纳器件的开发。发明开辟了热电分流新架构的研究与应用方向，具有突出的创造性和广阔的产业化价值。
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of multiphysics field control and energy management technology, and more specifically, to a novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure for independent transmission of current and heat flow. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of on-chip integrated systems and wearable electronic devices, the micro-nano electronics field has placed more stringent demands on energy efficiency and device lifespan. How to efficiently control current and heat flow within a limited space, achieving precise energy management and effective waste heat recovery, is one of the core bottlenecks that urgently needs to be overcome in this field. Currently, the current supply modules of existing on-chip systems typically generate a large amount of waste heat during operation. Due to the continuous increase in power density, local heat accumulation is becoming increasingly severe, leading not only to device performance degradation and shortened lifespan, but also to exacerbating energy loss and reducing energy utilization efficiency. To address this problem, traditional thermoelectric management methods often attempt to achieve thermoelectric separation through material stacking, heterojunction layering, or simple geometric partitioning. However, due to the strong coupling relationship between thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity in the material system, current and heat flow are difficult to truly decouple in the actual transmission path, often resulting in energy crosstalk. This coupling not only affects the efficient transmission of electrical energy but also limits the efficient collection and reuse of waste heat. Some structures enhance the separation effect by adding thermal or electrical insulation layers, but this leads to increased space occupation, making it difficult to meet the needs of high-density integration. At the same time, it has poor process compatibility, complex production process, and increased manufacturing costs.
[0003] Furthermore, with the increasing integration of system-on-chip (SoC) functions, the demand for multi-module collaborative operation is becoming increasingly prominent. Existing architectures, when dealing with complex scenarios such as multi-functional integration and coordinated management of current and heat flow, are often limited by separation accuracy and control efficiency, failing to simultaneously achieve efficient power supply and waste heat recovery, leading to reduced energy utilization. This is especially true in applications requiring independent power supply and multi-path current distribution, such as bioelectronics, low-power chips, and self-powered sensors. Traditional methods relying on external power systems are even less able to meet the demands of self-sustaining operation and multi-functional collaboration, hindering the intelligent operation and long-term stable operation of devices. Current technologies lack solutions that can balance space utilization, process compatibility, and separation accuracy, making it difficult to achieve precise separation and path control of current and heat flow within the SoC. Therefore, there is currently a lack of SoC designs that can accurately separate current and heat flow while simultaneously achieving efficient power supply and waste heat collection. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure for independent transmission of current and heat flow. This structure aims to solve the technical challenge of existing structures failing to achieve efficient spatial separation and output of current and heat flow input from the same common port. It enables directional control and synergistic utilization of current and heat flow, allowing for independent and highly efficient transmission of each, thus providing an effective solution for efficient energy management of on-chip systems and improved device lifespan.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure for independent transmission of current and heat flow is disclosed. The functional area of the novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure is placed in a background substrate. The novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure includes an insulating region, a high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region, a high electrical conductivity insulating region, and a high thermal conductivity insulating region. One side of the functional area is a common input port for current and heat flow, and the other side of the functional area is provided with a heat flow output port and a current output port, respectively. The high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region is located at the common input port. Several high thermal conductivity insulating regions are provided in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region from the common input port to the heat flow output port. Several high electrical conductivity insulating regions are provided in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region from the common input port to the current output port. The high thermal conductivity insulating region and the high electrical conductivity insulating region are separated by the insulating region.
[0006] Furthermore, the edges of the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity insulation zones, where the high thermal conductivity insulation zone and the high electrical conductivity insulation zone are located, are provided with thermal insulation zones.
[0007] Furthermore, the heat flow output port is a high thermal conductivity insulation region, which is alternately distributed with the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity regions; the current output port is a high electrical conductivity insulation region, which is alternately distributed with the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity regions.
[0008] Furthermore, the number and size of the high thermal conductivity insulation zone and the high electrical conductivity insulation zone are the same, and the number of both the high thermal conductivity insulation zone and the high electrical conductivity insulation zone within the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity zone is no less than two.
[0009] Furthermore, the heat output port and the current output port have the same width.
[0010] Furthermore, the thermal conductivity σ5 and electrical conductivity σ5 of the background substrate satisfy the following relative relationship with the thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of other regions: The thermal conductivity of the thermal insulation zone is κ1, the electrical conductivity is σ1, κ1 and κ5 are close to 0 and σ1 and σ5 are close to 0; The high-conductivity adiabatic zone has a thermal conductivity of κ2 and an electrical conductivity of σ2, where κ2 and κ5 are close to 0 and σ2 and σ5 are much greater than 1. The thermal conductivity of the high thermal conductivity insulation region is κ3, and the electrical conductivity is σ3, where κ3 and κ5 are much greater than 1 and σ3 and σ5 are close to 0. The high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region has a thermal conductivity of κ4 and an electrical conductivity of σ4, where κ4 and κ5 are much greater than 1 and σ4 and σ5 are much greater than 1.
[0011] Furthermore, the thermal insulation region and the background substrate are made of thermoelectric double insulation material; the high electrical conductivity thermal insulation region is made of highly doped semiconductor or metal channel material; the high thermal conductivity insulation region is made of alumina, silicon or high thermal conductivity and low electrical conductivity ceramic material; and the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region is made of conductive and thermally conductive material with good thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity.
[0012] In summary, the invention has the following beneficial effects: In use, input energy is coupled into the thermoelectric beam splitter structure of this invention via a shared input port, enabling synchronous directional separation and efficient output of heat flow and current within the internal fan-shaped partition structure. Heat flow is precisely guided radially to the heat output port via a high thermal conductivity material region, while current is effectively transmitted to the electrical output port via a high electrical conductivity material path, achieving efficient spatial splitting of the two energy sources. Through the fan-shaped multi-material partition design and spatial decoupling layout, crosstalk between heat flow and current is significantly reduced, improving the system's energy utilization and reliability. Furthermore, this invention enables self-sustaining collaborative operation of current supply and waste heat recovery on a single chip system, fundamentally overcoming the limitations of traditional thermoelectric separation structures such as energy coupling, low integration density, and limited application scenarios. More innovatively, the structural design of this invention is compatible with existing micro / nano fabrication processes, offering advantages such as small footprint, high integration density, and modular expansion, meeting the integration needs of high-density, multifunctional micro / nano devices. Its unique thermoelectric beam splitting mechanism not only enhances the synergistic utilization of electrical and thermal energy but also creates conditions for intelligent control, on-demand power splitting, precise energy management, and efficient recovery in on-chip systems. Furthermore, this invention is applicable to various application scenarios with high energy management requirements, such as self-powered chips, wearable devices, and bioelectronic sensors, contributing to the development of self-sustaining, low-power electronic systems and high-reliability micro / nano devices. This invention opens up new research and application directions for thermoelectric beam splitting architectures, possessing outstanding creativity and broad industrialization value. Attached Figure Description
[0013] Figure 1 This is a two-dimensional cross-sectional schematic diagram of the thermoelectric beam splitting structure designed in this invention.
[0014] Figure 2 This is a numerical simulation temperature distribution diagram of the thermoelectric beam splitting structure of the invention under working conditions.
[0015] Figure 3 This is a numerical simulation of the potential distribution of the thermoelectric beam splitter structure under operating conditions.
[0016] In the figure, (1) is the thermal insulation area, (2) is the high electrical conductivity thermal insulation area, (3) is the high thermal conductivity insulation area, (4) is the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity area, and (5) is the background substrate. Detailed Implementation
[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.
[0018] It should be noted that, for ease of description, the descriptions of direction in the following text are consistent with the directions in the accompanying drawings, but they do not limit the structure of the present invention.
[0019] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this invention discloses a novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure for independent transmission of current and heat flow. The functional area of the novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure is placed in the background substrate 5. The novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure includes an insulating region 1, a high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region 4, a high electrical conductivity insulating region 2, and a high thermal conductivity insulating region 3. One side of the functional area is a common input port for current and heat flow, and the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region 4 is located at the common input port. The other side of the functional area is provided with a heat flow output port and a current output port, and the widths of the heat flow output port and the current output port are the same. A plurality of high thermal conductivity insulating regions 3 are provided in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region 4 from the common input port to the heat flow output port. A plurality of high electrical conductivity insulating regions 2 are provided in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region 4 from the common input port to the current output port. The high thermal conductivity insulating regions 3 and the high electrical conductivity insulating regions 2 are separated by the insulating region 1.
[0020] A thermal insulation zone 1 is provided at the edge of the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity zone 4, where the high thermal conductivity insulation zone 3 and the high electrical conductivity insulation zone 2 are located; the heat flow output port is a high thermal conductivity insulation zone 3, which is alternately distributed with the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity zone 4; the current output port is a high electrical conductivity insulation zone 2, which is alternately distributed with the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity zone 4; the number and size of the high thermal conductivity insulation zones 3 and 2 are the same. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the high thermal conductivity insulation region 3 and the high electrical conductivity insulation region 2 are symmetrically distributed about the horizontal center line, and their distribution positions are the same distance from the center of the structure. The number of high thermal conductivity insulation regions 3 and high electrical conductivity insulation regions 2 in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region 4 is not less than two.
[0021] Based on the thermal conductivity κ5 and electrical conductivity σ5 of the background substrate 5, the thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of each functional region satisfy the following relative relationships: Thermal insulation region 1: thermal conductivity κ1, electrical conductivity σ1, κ1\κ5 approach 0 and σ1\σ5 approach 0; High electrical conductivity thermal insulation region 2: thermal conductivity κ2, electrical conductivity σ2, κ2\κ5 approach 0 and σ2\σ5 are much greater than 1; High thermal conductivity insulation region 3: thermal conductivity κ3, electrical conductivity σ3, κ3\κ5 are much greater than 1 and σ3\σ5 approach 0; High thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region 4: thermal conductivity κ4, electrical conductivity σ4, κ4\κ5 are much greater than 1 and σ4\σ5 are much greater than 1.
[0022] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the overall structure is rectangular. A common input port with length H and width D is located at the left end of the central functional area, through which current and heat are coupled in. Independent output ports with length H1 are located on the upper and lower sides of the right end of the central functional area. The heat output port is located on the upper right side of the central functional area, and the electrical output port is located on the lower right side. When heat and current simultaneously enter the structure from the input ports, based on the differences in thermal and electrical conductivity across different areas of the structure, the heat flow will be directed towards the heat output port on the upper right side of the structure. Figure 2 As shown, the current will flow to the current output port on the lower right side of the structure. Figure 3As shown; inside the structure, the input heat flow is directionally transmitted through the high thermal conductivity insulation zone 3 to the upper right heat output port of the structure, and the input current is directionally transmitted through the high electrical conductivity insulation zone 2 to the lower electrical output port of the structure. This achieves a spatial separation effect of "same-end input, two-end separate output." The heat output channel and the electrical output channel are respectively connected to different partitions of the structure. The heat flow is directionally output to the heat output port through the high thermal conductivity material ring area, while the current converges to the electrical output port through the central conductive area and the outer transition area. The spatial isolation and material selection of each channel significantly reduce thermoelectric crosstalk effects. The functional areas inside the structure are arranged radially in a fan shape, combined with a rectangular outer frame to form a complete structure. As shown in the figure, the combination of the fan shape and the rectangle in the structure enables thermoelectric... Separation and transmission achieves the best results. Other shapes can also achieve thermoelectric separation and transmission, but significant heat and current dissipation occurs during transmission. The geometric parameters of the functional areas (including overall structural length L, input port length H, input port width D, output port length H1, radial dimension R1, radial width D1 of high thermal conductivity insulating area 3 and high electrical conductivity insulating area 2, radial width D2 of high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity area 4, and angle parameters θ1 and θ2) can be flexibly adjusted according to integration requirements without absolute numerical limitations. This allows for compatibility with micro / nano fabrication processes and is suitable for highly integrated on-chip systems and micro energy management devices, enabling controllable energy diversion and improving the overall performance of highly integrated on-chip systems and micro energy management devices. The insulating area 1 and the background substrate 5 have similar electrical and thermal conductivity, both providing thermal insulation. However, the background substrate 5 also serves as a mechanical support layer for the functional areas of this invention, and its hardness is higher than that of the insulating area 1. The material selection for the functional areas should be sufficient to meet the transmission requirements of the corresponding areas.
[0023] Figure 2 This is a numerical simulation temperature field distribution diagram of the present invention under operating conditions, with a temperature gradient between 293K and 313K. The simulation results show that the heat flow is effectively split to the desired region between the heat input and output sides. The heat flow mainly passes through the high thermal conductivity insulation region 3 and the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region 4. The thermal insulation region 1, the high electrical conductivity insulation region 2, and the background substrate 5 play a good role in blocking the heat flow, achieving effective shielding and blocking of the heat flow.
[0024] Figure 3 This is a numerical simulation of the potential distribution of the thermoelectric beam splitter under operating conditions, with the potential gradient ranging from 0 mV to 100 mV. It can be seen that the current flows from the high-potential region at the upper boundary to the low-potential region at the lower end, mainly passing through the high-conductivity insulating region 2 and the high-thermal-conductivity and high-conductivity region 4. The insulating region 1, the high-thermal-conductivity insulating region 3, and the background substrate 5 effectively block the current, preventing current leakage.
[0025] Example: In this embodiment, the thermoelectric beam splitter is a two-dimensional, multi-section structure used for efficient current supply and waste heat collection on-chip, and its specific structure is as follows: Figure 1 As shown. In Figure 1 In this structure, areas of the same color belong to the same region. The overall length L of the novel thermoelectric beam splitter is 45 cm, the length H of the thermocurrent input port is 15 cm, the input port width D is 19.5 cm, the internal core radius R1 is 3.5 cm, the alternating rings have a width D1 of 0.5 cm and a width D2 of 3.5 cm, corresponding to a sector angle θ1 of 30°, and an adjacent sector angle θ2 of 60°. The length H1 of the heat flow output port and the current output port is set to 7.13 cm. The background substrate 5 surrounds the outer edge of the functional area of the structure. In the illustrated structure, the semicircular structure is divided into six equal parts, with each sector having an angle of 30°, θ2 = 2θ1.
[0026] The functional areas of this invention employ a fan-shaped partitioning design, forming multiple functional unit segments. Each functional area is primarily composed of different material layers (such as high thermal conductivity insulating materials, high electrical conductivity metal materials, and substrate materials), achieving spatially independent transmission channels for heat flow and current. Different regions are radially distributed according to functional requirements, and a specified angular interval (such as θ1) further optimizes the thermoelectric decoupling capability.
[0027] The following material parameters were used in different areas: ABS was used for thermal insulation zone 1, with thermal conductivity κ1 = 0.25 W / mK and electrical conductivity σ1 = 0 S / m; silver paste was used for high-conductivity thermal insulation zone 2, with thermal conductivity κ2 = 1 W / mK and electrical conductivity σ2 = 5.5 × 10⁻⁶ W / mK. 5 S / m; High thermal conductivity insulation zone 3 uses aluminum nitride, with thermal conductivity κ3=190 W / mK and electrical conductivity σ3=0 S / m; High thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity zone 4 uses aluminum, with thermal conductivity κ4=207 W / mK and electrical conductivity σ4=2.1×10 7 S / m; The background substrate 5 is made of silicon carbide with thermal conductivity κ5=20 W / mK and electrical conductivity σ5=1.0 S / m.
[0028] By spatially distributing four materials with unique thermal and electrical conductivity within the same substrate and designing their geometric arrangement, a directional separation channel for current and heat flow is constructed. This achieves highly efficient spatial separation and output of current and heat flow incident from a common port at the subwavelength scale, significantly improving separation transmission efficiency and separation ratio. This overcomes the inherent limitation of strong coupling in the electrothermal transport of natural materials, enabling independent and efficient transmission of both. This invention can be applied to various electronic devices and systems-on-a-chip that require thermoelectric separation modules.
[0029] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions falling within the scope of the present invention's concept are within the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, any improvements and modifications made without departing from the principles of the present invention should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure with independent transport of current and heat flow, characterized in that, The functional areas of the novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure are placed in the background substrate (5). The novel thermoelectric beam splitting structure includes a thermal insulation area (1), a high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity area (4), a high electrical conductivity thermal insulation area (2), and a high thermal conductivity thermal insulation area (3). One side of the functional area is a common input port for current and heat flow. The other side of the functional area is provided with a heat flow output port and a current output port, respectively. The common input port is a high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity area (4). Several high thermal conductivity thermal insulation areas (3) are provided in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity area (4) from the common input port to the heat flow output port. Several high electrical conductivity thermal insulation areas (2) are provided in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity area (4) from the common input port to the current output port. The high thermal conductivity thermal insulation area (3) and the high electrical conductivity thermal insulation area (2) are separated by the thermal insulation area (1).
2. The novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure with independent transmission of current and heat flow according to claim 1, characterized in that, The edge of the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity zone (4) where the high thermal conductivity insulation zone (3) and the high electrical conductivity insulation zone (2) are located is provided with an insulation zone (1).
3. The novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure with independent transmission of current and heat flow according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat flow output port is a high thermal conductivity insulation region (3), and the high thermal conductivity insulation region (3) and the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region (4) are distributed alternately; the current output port is a high electrical conductivity insulation region (2), and the high electrical conductivity insulation region (2) and the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region (4) are distributed alternately.
4. The novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure with independent transmission of current and heat flow according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number and size of the high thermal conductivity insulation zone (3) and the high electrical conductivity insulation zone (2) are the same, and the number of the high thermal conductivity insulation zone (3) and the high electrical conductivity insulation zone (2) in the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity zone (4) is not less than two.
5. The novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure with independent transmission of current and heat flow according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heat output port and the current output port have the same width.
6. The novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure with independent transmission of current and heat flow according to claim 3, characterized in that, The thermal conductivity σ5 and electrical conductivity σ5 of the background substrate (5) satisfy the following relative relationship with the thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of other regions: The thermal insulation region (1) has a thermal conductivity of κ1 and an electrical conductivity of σ1, where κ1 and κ5 approach 0 and σ1 and σ5 approach 0. The high-conductivity insulating zone (2) has a thermal conductivity of κ2 and an electrical conductivity of σ2, where κ2\κ5 is close to 0 and σ2\σ5 is much greater than 1; The high thermal conductivity insulating region (3) has a thermal conductivity of κ3 and an electrical conductivity of σ3, where κ3\κ5 is much greater than 1 and σ3\σ5 is close to 0; The high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region (4) has a thermal conductivity of κ4 and an electrical conductivity of σ4, where κ4\κ5 is much greater than 1 and σ4\σ5 is much greater than 1.
7. The novel thermoelectric beam splitter structure with independent transmission of current and heat flow according to claim 5, characterized in that, The thermal insulation region (1) and the background substrate (5) are made of thermoelectric double insulation material; the high electrical conductivity thermal insulation region (2) is made of highly doped semiconductor or metal channel material; the high thermal conductivity insulation region (3) is made of alumina, silicon or high thermal conductivity and low electrical conductivity ceramic material; the high thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity region (4) is made of conductive and thermally conductive material with good thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity.