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A thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first set of semiconductor elements and a second set of semiconductor elements, which include dissimilar electrical properties. The semiconductor elements are oriented in a substantially hexagonal array that include

A thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first set of semiconductor elements and a second set of semiconductor elements, which include dissimilar electrical properties. The semiconductor elements are oriented in a substantially hexagonal array that includes rows in which semiconductor elements of the first and second sets of semiconductor elements alternate. The thermoelectric device also comprises a first set of electrical conductors and a second set of electrical conductors; each of the first set of electrical conductor being electrically coupled to the first end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the first end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements, each of the second set of electrical conductors are electrically coupled to the second end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the a second end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements such that the plurality of semiconductor elements are electrically coupled to each other in series.

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1. A thermoelectric device comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed apart from each other, the first and second substrates configured to provide electrical insulation;a plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first set of semiconductor elements and a second set of semic

1. A thermoelectric device comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed apart from each other, the first and second substrates configured to provide electrical insulation;a plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first set of semiconductor elements and a second set of semiconductor elements, the first and second sets of semiconductor elements having dissimilar electrical properties, each of the plurality of semiconductor elements having a first end disposed towards the first substrate, a second end disposed towards the second substrate and a body extending between the first and second end, the plurality of semiconductor elements disposed in a substantially hexagonal array comprising rows in which semiconductor elements of the first and second sets of semiconductor elements alternate; anda first set of electrical conductors and a second set of electrical conductors; each of the first set of electrical conductor being electrically coupled to the first end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the first end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements, each of the second set of electrical conductors are electrically coupled to the second end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the a second end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements such that the plurality of semiconductor elements are electrically coupled to each other in series and in an alternating arrangement;wherein a separation distance between adjacent semiconductor elements is less than a diameter of the semiconductor elements, and wherein at least some of the electrical conductors comprise a width, in a dimension perpendicular to the separation distance, that is less than the diameter of the semiconductor elements, so that a density of the hexagonally-arranged semiconductor elements can be increased. 2. The thermoelectric device of claim 1, wherein the bodies of at least some of the semiconductor elements comprise a substantially circular cross-section. 3. The thermoelectric device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor elements comprise a substantially cylindrical shape. 4. The thermoelectric device of claim 3, wherein the bodies of the substantially cylindrical semiconductor elements comprise a substantially circular cross-section. 5. The thermoelectric device of claim 1, wherein the bodies of at least some of the semiconductor elements comprise a cross-sectional shape that includes at least one flat side. 6. The thermoelectric device of claim 1, wherein the hexagonal array includes a group of six semiconductor elements that have centers that are equally separated by an angle of about 60 degrees about a center of a central semiconductor element. 7. The thermoelectric device of claim 1, wherein the hexagonal array includes a group of six semiconductor elements that have centers that are separated by an angle of about 40 degrees to about 80 degrees about a center of a central semiconductor element. 8. The thermoelectric device of claim 1, wherein at least some adjacent semiconductor elements are configured to generally contact one another. 9. The thermoelectric device of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to provide thermal isolation between at least some of the semiconductor elements. 10. The thermoelectric device of claim 9, wherein the thermal isolation comprises a second spacing between adjacent semiconductor elements, wherein at least some adjacent semiconductor elements are separated by a first spacing, and wherein said second spacing is greater than said first spacing, thereby creating at least two regions within the thermoelectric device with varying semiconductor element density per unit area. 11. A thermoelectric device comprising: first and second substrates;a plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a center, the semiconductor elements disposed between the first and second substrates, the plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first group of semiconductor elements having a first set of electrical properties and a second group of semiconductor elements having a second set of electrical properties, wherein the semiconductor elements are arranged in a hexagonal pattern between the first and second substrates; anda first set of electrical conductors disposed between the plurality of semiconductors and the first substrate; anda second set of electrical conductors disposed between the plurality of semiconductors and the second substrates;wherein the plurality of semiconductor elements, the first set of electrical conductors and the second set of electrical conductors are arranged such that the plurality of semiconductor elements are electrically coupled to each other in series with the first and second groups of semiconductor elements in an alternating arrangement;wherein the semiconductor elements are positioned along at least two generally linear rows; andwherein semiconductor elements from a row are generally positioned half-way between semiconductor elements from an adjacent row;wherein the centers of each of at least three immediately adjacent semiconductor elements form a triangle shape, the triangle shape comprising three internal angles;wherein a separation distance between adjacent semiconductor elements is less than a diameter of the semiconductor elements;wherein each of the electrical conductors comprises a unitary structure having a narrowed middle portion to avoid contact with adjacent semiconductor elements; andwherein each of the narrowed middle portions of the electrical conductors comprises a width, in a dimension perpendicular to the separation distance, that is less than a diameter of the semiconductor elements. 12. The thermoelectric device of claim 11, wherein at least some of the plurality of semiconductor elements comprise a substantially circular cross-section. 13. The thermoelectric device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of semiconductor elements comprise a substantially cylindrical shape. 14. The thermoelectric device of claim 13, wherein the body of the substantially cylindrical semiconductor elements comprise a substantially circular cross-section. 15. The thermoelectric device of claim 11, wherein each of the internal angles of the triangle is approximately 60 degrees. 16. The thermoelectric device of claim 11, wherein at least two of the internal angles of the triangle are approximately equal. 17. The thermoelectric device of claim 16, wherein each of the at least two equal internal angles of the triangle is generally greater than 50 degrees. 18. The thermoelectric device of claim 16, wherein each of the at least two equal internal angles of the triangle is generally less than 40 degrees. 19. The thermoelectric device of claim 11, wherein each of the internal angles of the triangle is approximately 20 to 80 degrees. 20. A thermoelectric device comprising: a first substrate;a second substrate generally parallel with and separated from the first substrate, the first and second substrates configured to provide electrical insulation;a plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first set of semiconductor elements and a second set of semiconductor elements, the first and second sets of semiconductor elements having dissimilar electrical properties, each of the plurality of semiconductor elements having a first end disposed towards the first substrate, a second end disposed towards the second substrate and a body extending between the first and second end;wherein the plurality of semiconductor elements are disposed in a substantially hexagonal array comprising rows in which semiconductor elements of the first and second sets of semiconductor elements alternate; anda first set of electrical connector tabs and a second set of electrical connector tabs; each of the first set of electrical connector tabs being electrically coupled to the first end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the first end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements, each of the second set of electrical connector tabs are electrically coupled to the second end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the a second end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements such that the plurality of semiconductor elements are electrically coupled to each other in series;wherein at least one of the electrical connector tabs of the first set of electrical connector tabs and the second set of electrical connector tabs comprises a width, in a dimension perpendicular to a separation distance between adjacent semiconductor elements, that is generally smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the semiconductor elements to which such electrical connector tab couples, to avoid contact with adjacent semiconductor elements, thereby increasing a density of the semiconductor elements with the thermoelectric device. 21. The thermoelectric device of claim 20, wherein a separation distance between adjacent semiconductor elements is less than a diameter of the semiconductor elements. 22. A thermoelectric device comprising: a first substrate;a second substrate generally parallel with and separated from the first substrate, the first and second substrates configured to provide electrical insulation;a plurality of semiconductor elements comprising a first set of semiconductor elements and a second set of semiconductor elements, the first and second sets of semiconductor elements having dissimilar electrical properties, each of the plurality of semiconductor elements having a first end disposed towards the first substrate, a second end disposed towards the second substrate and a body extending between the first and second end;wherein the plurality of semiconductor elements comprise a generally circular shape and are disposed in a substantially hexagonal array between the first and second substrates so as to increase a density of semiconductor elements within a particular space of the thermoelectric device; anda first set of electrical connector tabs and a second set of electrical connector tabs; each of the first set of electrical connector tabs being electrically coupled to the first end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the first end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements, each of the second set of electrical connector tabs are electrically coupled to the second end of a semiconductor element of the first set of semiconductor elements and the a second end of a semiconductor element of the second set of semiconductor elements such that the plurality of semiconductor elements are electrically coupled to each other in series and in an alternating arrangement;wherein a separation distance between adjacent semiconductor elements is less than a diameter of the semiconductor elements, and wherein at least one of the electrical connector tabs of the first set of electrical connector tabs and the second set of electrical connector tabs comprises a width, in a dimension perpendicular to the separation distance, that is less than the diameter of the semiconductor element.