Thermoelectric conversion device, method for controlling thermoelectric conversion device, method for cooling and/or heating object by using thermoelectric conversion device, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12167692-B2
Application number	US-202217702859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2022
Priority date	Oct 25, 2019
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A thermoelectric conversion device includes: an insulating layer; and a thermoelectric conversion module disposed on the insulating layer. The thermoelectric conversion module has a first thermoelectric conversion region and a second thermoelectric conversion region. The first(second) thermoelectric conversion region includes one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements, a first(third) connection electrode, and a second(fourth) connection electrode. The thermoelectric conversion elements of the first(second) thermoelectric conversion region are electrically connected to the first(third) connection electrode and the second(fourth) connection electrode and located on an electric path connecting these connection electrodes. Each of the thermoelectric conversion elements includes a thermoelectric converter. The thermoelectric converter of at least one of the thermoelectric conversion elements has a phononic crystal layer having a phononic crystal structure including a plurality of regularly arranged through holes. A through direction of the plurality of through holes in this crystal structure is substantially parallel to a direction perpendicular to a principal surface of the insulating layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric conversion device comprising:
an insulating layer; and
a thermoelectric conversion module disposed on the insulating layer, wherein:
the thermoelectric conversion module comprises a first thermoelectric conversion region and a second thermoelectric conversion region,
each of the first thermoelectric conversion region and the second thermoelectric conversion region comprises one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements,
the first thermoelectric conversion region comprises a first connection electrode, and a second connection electrode,
the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the first thermoelectric conversion region are electrically connected to the first connection electrode and the second connection electrode and located on an electric path connecting the first connection electrode and the second connection electrode,
the second thermoelectric conversion region comprises a third connection electrode, and a fourth connection electrode,
the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the second thermoelectric conversion region are electrically connected to the third connection electrode and the fourth connection electrode and located on an electric path connecting the third connection electrode and the fourth connection electrode,
each of the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements comprises a thermoelectric converter,
the thermoelectric converter of at least one of the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements comprises a phononic crystal layer having a phononic crystal structure comprising a plurality of regularly arranged through holes,
a through direction of the plurality of regularly arranged through holes in the phononic crystal structure is substantially parallel to a vertical direction perpendicular to a principal surface of the insulating layer,
the phononic crystal structure comprises a first domain and a second domain that are phononic crystal regions,
the plurality of regularly arranged through holes in the first domain constitute a first unit lattice, the first unit lattice having a first orientation in a cross section perpendicular to the through direction of the through holes, and
the plurality of regularly arranged through holes in the second domain constitute a second unit lattice, the second unit lattice having a second orientation different from the first orientation in the cross section perpendicular to the through direction of the through holes.

2. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric conversion device satisfies at least one of (i) the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the first thermoelectric conversion region comprise two or more thermoelectric conversion elements, or (ii) the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the second thermoelectric conversion region comprise two or more thermoelectric conversion elements.

3. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric conversion device satisfies at least one selected from the group consisting of the following (a) and (b):
(a) the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the first thermoelectric conversion region comprise two or more thermoelectric conversion elements, the two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the first thermoelectric conversion region being electrically connected to each other in series between the first connection electrode and the second connection electrode; and
(b) the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the second thermoelectric conversion region comprise two or more thermoelectric conversion elements, the two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in the second thermoelectric conversion region being electrically connected to each other in series between the third connection electrode and the fourth connection electrode.

4. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the thermoelectric converter of each of the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in at least one of the first thermoelectric conversion region or the second thermoelectric conversion region comprises:
a p-type thermoelectric converter and an n-type thermoelectric converter;
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a third electrode,

a first end of the p-type thermoelectric converter and a first end of the n-type thermoelectric converter are electrically connected to each other through the first electrode,
a second end of the p-type thermoelectric converter is electrically connected to the second electrode, and
a second end of the n-type thermoelectric converter is electrically connected to the third electrode.

5. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the thermoelectric converter of each of the one or two or more thermoelectric conversion elements in at least one of the first thermoelectric conversion region or the second thermoelectric conversion region comprises:
a pair of thermoelectric converters;
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
a third electrode,

the pair of thermoelectric converters include a first thermoelectric converter and a second thermoelectric converter adjacent to each other,
the first thermoelectric converter and the second thermoelectric converter have a same conductivity type,
a first end of the first thermoelectric converter and a second end of the second thermoelectric converter are electrically connected to each other through the first electrode,
a second end of the first thermoelectric converter is electrically connected to the second electrode,
a first end of the second thermoelectric converter is electrically connected to the third electrode, and
the first end of the first thermoelectric converter and the first end of the second thermoelectric converter are located at a same side in the vertical direction.

6. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the phononic crystal layer of the thermoelectric converter of the at least one of the thermoelectric conversion elements comprises a first phononic crystal layer and a second phononic crystal layer, which have a same conductivity type,
the first phononic crystal layer includes a first phononic crystal structure comprising a plurality of regularly arranged first through holes,
the second phononic crystal layer includes a second phononic crystal structure comprising a plurality of regularly arranged second through holes,
an arrangement pattern of the plurality of regularly arranged first through holes is different from an arrangement pattern of the plurality of regularly arranged second through holes, and
the first phononic crystal layer and the second phononic crystal layer are stacked in the direction perpendicular to the principal surface of the insulating layer.

7. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 6 , wherein the first phononic crystal layer and the second phononic crystal layer are in direct contact with each other.

8. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 6 , wherein at least part of the second through holes are not in communication with the first through holes.

9. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the phononic crystal layer comprises a plurality of pillars,
the plurality of pillars are columnar bodies extending linearly,
each of the plurality of pillars is filled into a corresponding one of the through holes in the phononic crystal layer, and
the phononic crystal layer with the plurality of pillars filled thereinto and the pillars are formed of the same material, and a circu

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujikane Masaki
• Takahashi Kouhei
• Tambo Naoki
• Nakamura Kunihiko
• Naito Yasuyuki

Classifications

• H10W40/28 Primary

  comprising Peltier coolers · CPC title

• H10N19/101

  Multiple thermocouples connected in a cascade arrangement · CPC title

• H10N10/01

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10N10/17 Primary

  characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device · CPC title

• H10N10/13

  characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction · CPC title