Claims
- 1. A thermoelectric device, comprising:
a plurality of thermoelectric nanowires, formed of a thermoelectric material, and having an outer extent which is less than one micron in maximum outer diameter, said plurality of thermoelectric nanowires connected to one another to form an operative thermoelectric device.
- 2. A thermoelectric device as in claim 1, wherein said thermoelectric nanowires are less than 500 nm in outer extent.
- 3. A thermoelectric device as in claim 1, wherein said thermoelectric nanowires are less than 100 nm in outer extent.
- 4. A thermoelectric device as in claim 1, wherein said thermoelectric nanowires are less than 60 nm in outer extent.
- 5. A thermoelectric device as in claim 1, further comprising a porous template, having open pores, said open pores holding said thermoelectric material therein, and forming said plurality of thermoelectric nanowires within said open pores.
- 6. A thermoelectric device as in claim 5, wherein said thermoelectric material is Bi2Te3.
- 7. A thermoelectric device as in claim 3, wherein said thermoelectric nanowires are three orders of magnitude taller than their outer extent.
- 8. A thermoelectric device as in claim 1, wherein said operative thermoelectric device has a specific power output greater than 1 watt per cc for a 10 to 20 degrees Kelvin temperature difference.
- 9. A thermoelectric device as in claim 1, wherein said nanowires have an outer extent of a size at which quantum confinement effects may occur.
- 10. A thermoelectric device as in claim 9, wherein said size is less than 100 nm.
- 11. A thermoelectric device as in claim 9, further comprising a contact to said thermoelectric nanowires.
- 12. A thermoelectric device as in claim 11, wherein said contact is a contact to a bundle of multiple wires.
- 13. A thermoelectric device as in claim 12, wherein said bundle of multiple wires is a bundle of approximately 10 microns in diameter.
- 14. A thermoelectric device as in claim 5, wherein said porous template has a fill factor for thermoelectric material of approximately 50 percent.
- 15. A thermoelectric device as in claim 5, further comprising a connection between adjacent thermoelectric nanowires.
- 16. A thermoelectric device as in claim 15, wherein said connection includes an overgrown material cap on a top portion of said porous template which contacts between adjacent nanowires.
- 17. A thermoelectric device as in claim 15, wherein said connection includes a grown cap on one end, and a patterned portion on another end.
- 18. A thermoelectric device as in claim 3, wherein said thermoelectric nanowires are formed within a semiconductor chip substrate.
- 19. A thermoelectric device as in claim 18, further comprising additional circuitry within said substrate, powered by said thermoelectric device.
- 20. A method, comprising:
forming a plurality of thermoelectric elements of less than one micron in maximum outer extent, within a porous substrate that has a plurality of holes of said size less than one micron in maximum outer extent; and connecting to said plurality of thermoelectric elements to allow thermoelectric operation of said plurality of thermoelectric elements.
- 21. A method as in claim 20, wherein said thermoelectric elements are formed of Bi2Te3.
- 22. A method as in claim 20, wherein said connecting comprises connecting to a plurality of thermoelectric elements as a group.
- 23. A method as in claim 20, wherein said connecting comprises connecting N type thermoelectric elements in series with P type thermoelectric elements.
- 24. A method as in claim 20, wherein said thermoelectric elements have a size which is small enough to allow quantum confinement effects to occur.
- 25. A method as in claim 24, wherein said thermoelectric elements have an outer diameter which is less than 100 nm.
- 26. A method as in claim 20, wherein said forming comprises forming said thermoelectric elements within a semiconductor substrate, and further comprising forming additional circuitry to be powered by said thermoelectric elements within said semiconductor substrate.
- 27. A method as in claim 26, wherein said additional circuitry includes a microcomputer chip part.
- 28. A method as in claim 20, wherein said forming comprises forming thermoelectric elements which are three orders of magnitude taller than their diameter.
- 29. A method as in claim 20, wherein said forming comprises forming a portion at a top of said thermoelectric element which connects between adjacent thermoelectric elements.
- 30. A method as in claim 29, wherein said connecting further comprises patterning a conductive portion.
- 31. A thermoelectric device, comprising:
a porous substrate, having pores therein; a plurality of thermoelectric nanowires, formed in said pores of said porous substrate, each having an outer extent of less than approximately 100 nm, connected to one another to form an operative thermoelectric device.
- 32. A device as in claim 31, wherein said thermoelectric material includes Bi2Te3.
- 33. A device as in claim 31, wherein said thermoelectric nanowires are three orders of magnitude taller than their outer extent.
- 34. A thermoelectric device as in claim 31, wherein said device has a specific power output greater than 1 watt per cc for a 10 to 20 degrees Kelvin temperature difference.
- 35. A thermoelectric device as in claim 31, wherein said nanowires have a diameter of a size at which quantum confinement effects will occur.
- 36. A thermoelectric device as in claim 31, wherein said porous substrate has an open space to closed space ratio of approximately 50 percent.
- 37. A thermoelectric device as in claim 36, wherein said substrate is formed of alumina.
- 38. A thermoelectric device as in claim 31, further comprising additional circuitry formed on said porous substrate, and powered by said thermoelectric device.
- 39. A thermoelectric device, comprising:
a substrate; a plurality of thermoelectric nano wires, formed within said substrate, each of said nano wires having a size that causes quantum confinement effects within the nanowires; and a connection between nanowires, allowing said connected nanowires to operate as a thermoelectric device.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/292,052, filed May 18, 2001.
STATEMENT AS TO FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] The invention described herein was made in the performance of work under a NASA 7-1407 contract, and is subject to the provisions of Public Law 96-517 (U.S.C. 202) in which the contractor has elected to retain title.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60292052 |
May 2001 |
US |