초록 ▼

A superlattice thermoelectric device. The device includes p-legs and n-legs, each leg includes a large number of at least two different very thin alternating layers of elements. The n-legs in the device includes alternating layers of silicon and silicon carbide. In preferred embodiments p-legs inclu

A superlattice thermoelectric device. The device includes p-legs and n-legs, each leg includes a large number of at least two different very thin alternating layers of elements. The n-legs in the device includes alternating layers of silicon and silicon carbide. In preferred embodiments p-legs include a superlatice of B-C layers, with alternating layers of different stoichiometric forms of B-C. This preferred embodiment is designed to produce 20 Watts with a temperature difference of 300 degrees C. with a module efficiency of about 30 percent. The module is about 1 cm thick with a cross section area of about 7 cm 2 and has about 10,000 sets of n and p legs each set of legs being about 55 microns thick and having about 5,000 very thin layers (each layer about 10 nm thick).

대표청구항 ▼

1. A thermoelectric module comprised of:A) a plurality of n-legs comprised of at least 100 very thin alternating layers of silicon and silicon carbide said alternating layers defining n-leg interfaces where said alternating layers face each other; andB) a plurality of p-legs,; said p-legs and said n

1. A thermoelectric module comprised of:A) a plurality of n-legs comprised of at least 100 very thin alternating layers of silicon and silicon carbide said alternating layers defining n-leg interfaces where said alternating layers face each other; andB) a plurality of p-legs,; said p-legs and said n-legs being electrically connected to produce said thermoelectric module, with directions of heat flow and electric current flow in said n-legs being parallel to said n-leg interfaces. 2. A thermoelectric module as in claim 1 wherein said p-legs comprise at least 100 very thin alternating layers of boron carbide, said alternating boron carbide layers defining p-leg interfaces where said alternating layers of boron carbide face each other, wherein heat flow and electric current flow in said p-legs is parallel to said p-leg interfaces. 3. A thermoelectric module as in claim 2 wherein said very thin alternating layers of boron carbide comprise two different stoichiometric forms of boron carbide. 4. A thermoelectric module as in claim 3 wherein said very thin alternating layers of boron carbide are alternating layers of B 4 C and B 9 C. 5. A thermoelectric module as in claim 2, wherein said plurality of n-legs is comprised of a plurality of very thin alternating layers of silicon and silicon-carbide and said very thin alternating layers of boron carbide are alternating layers of B 4 C and B 9 C. 6. A thermoelectric module as in claim 1 wherein said alternating layers are deposited on a substrate. 7. A thermoelectric module as in claim 6 wherein said substrate is silicon. 8. A thermoelectric module as in claim 6 wherein said substrate is silicon film. 9. A thermoelectric module as in claim 6 wherein said substrate is a polyimide substrate. 10. A thermoelectric element as in claim 1, wherein said very thin alternating layers are each less than 100 nm thick. 11. A thermoelectric element as in claim 1 wherein said very thin alternating layers are each about 10 nm thick. 12. A thermoelectric element as in claim 9 wherein said plurality of very thin alternating layers is at least 1250 layers.