Thermoelectric element, thermoelectric module, and heat conversion apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340436-B2
Application number	US-201615561830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a thermoelectric element including a first element portion having a first cross-sectional area, a connection portion connected to the first element portion, and a second element portion connected to the connection portion and having a second cross-sectional area, wherein a cross-sectional area of the connection portion is smaller than at least one of the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric module comprising:
a first substrate;
a thermoelectric element disposed on the first substrate; and
a second substrate disposed on the thermoelectric element,
wherein the thermoelectric element comprises:
a first element portion disposed on the first substrate and having a first cross-sectional area;
a connection portion connected to the first element portion; and
a second element portion connected to the connection portion, disposed between the connection portion and the second substrate, and having a second cross-sectional area;

wherein the connection portion has a third cross-sectional area,
wherein the third cross-sectional area is smaller than at least one of the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area,
wherein the first cross-sectional area increases as the first element portion is distanced from the connection portion,
wherein the second cross-sectional area increases as the second element portion is distanced from the connection portion,
wherein the first element portion and the second element portion each is formed with two protrusions protruding toward the connection portion and a recess between the two protrusions recessing toward the corresponding first or second substrate, and
wherein the first element portion, the second element portion, and the connection portion are formed from stacked unit members and each of the stacked unit members are formed of the same material.

2. The thermoelectric module of claim 1 ,
wherein the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area are different.

3. The thermoelectric module of claim 2 ,
wherein a ratio between a width of the third cross-sectional area of the connection portion and a width of the first cross-sectional area of the first element portion or a width of the cross-sectional area of the second element portion is 1:(1.5 to 4).

4. The thermoelectric module of claim 1 ,
wherein the first element portion, the second element portion, and the connection portion are integrated.

5. The thermoelectric module of claim 1 ,
wherein thicknesses of the first element portion and the second element portion are smaller than a thickness of the connection portion.

6. The thermoelectric module of claim 1 ,
wherein the thermoelectric element is formed by stacking two or more unit members that each include a semiconductor layer on a base material.

7. The thermoelectric module of claim 6 ,
wherein the thermoelectric element further comprises a conducting layer on adjacent unit members.

8. The thermoelectric module of claim 7 ,
wherein the conducting layer comprises a pattern that exposes a surface of the unit member.

9. The thermoelectric module of claim 1 ,
wherein the cross-sectional area of the first element portion increases as the first element portion nears the first substrate,
wherein the cross-sectional area of the second element portion increases as the second element portion nears the second substrate.

10. The thermoelectric module of claim 1 , further comprising a first electrode disposed between the first substrate and the thermoelectric element, and a second electrode disposed between the thermoelectric element and the second substrate.

11. The thermoelectric module of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric element comprises a plurality of P-type thermoelectric elements and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric elements alternately arranged on the first substrate, the thermoelectric module further comprising:
a plurality of first electrodes disposed between the first substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric elements, and between the first substrate and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric elements; and
a plurality of second electrodes disposed between the second substrate and the plurality of P-type thermoelectric elements, and between the second substrate and the plurality of N-type thermoelectric elements.

12. A thermoelectric element comprising:
a first element portion having a first cross-sectional area;
a connection portion connected to the first element portion; and
a second element portion connected to the connection portion and having a second cross-sectional area,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the connection portion is smaller than at least one of the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area,
wherein the connection portion has a third cross-sectional area,
wherein the first cross-sectional area increases as the first element portion is distanced from the connection portion,
wherein the second cross-sectional area increases as the second element portion is distanced from the connection portion,
wherein the first element portion and the second element portion each is formed with two protrusions protruding toward the connection portion and a recess between the two protrusions recessing toward the corresponding first or second substrate, and
wherein the first element portion, the second element portion, and the connection portion are formed from stacked unit members and each of the stacked unit members are formed of the same material.

13. The thermoelectric element of claim 12 , wherein the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area are different.

14. The thermoelectric element of claim 13 ,
wherein a ratio between a width of the third cross-sectional area of the connection portion and a width of the first cross-sectional area of the first element portion or a width of the cross-sectional area of the second element portion is 1:(1.5 to 4).

15. The thermoelectric element of claim 12 , wherein the first element portion, the second element portion, and the connection portion are integrated.

16. The thermoelectric element of claim 12 , wherein thicknesses of the first element portion and the second element portion are smaller than a thickness of the connection portion.

17. The thermoelectric element of claim 12 ,
wherein the connection portion is disposed between the first element portion and the second element portion.

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Won Boone

Classifications

• H01L35/30

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/325 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/34

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/02

  Electricity · mapped topic