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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8404959 | Thermoelectric device A thermoelectric device includes a plurality of thin-film thermoelectric elements. Each thin-film thermoelectric element is a Seebeck-Peltier device. The thin-film thermoelectric elements are electrically coupled in parallel with each other. The thermoelectric devic... | 03/26/2013 |
| 8309838 | Potential amplified nonequilibrium thermal electric device (PANTEC) A semiconductor structure is provided that can be used for cooling, heating, and power generation. A first region of the semiconductor structure has a first length and comprises a first semiconductor material doped at a first concentration with a first dopant. A sec... | 11/13/2012 |
| 8269096 | Low power thermoelectric generator A thermoelectric generator has a top plate disposed in spaced relation above a bottom plate. A series of foil segments are electrically and mechanically connected end-to-end to generate a foil assembly that is spirally wound and in thermal contact with the bottom an... | 09/18/2012 |
| 8242348 | Methods of manufacturing quantum well materials Processes for economical large scale commercial production of blocks of quantum well particles, platelets, or continuous sheets of material imparting minimal or essentially no parasitic substrate loss in quantum well devices such as thermo-electric generators in whi... | 08/14/2012 |
| 8222510 | Complex oxides useful for thermoelectric energy conversion The invention provides for a thermoelectric system comprising a substrate comprising a first complex oxide, wherein the substrate is optionally embedded with a second complex oxide. The thermoelectric system can be used for thermoelectric power generation or thermoe... | 07/17/2012 |
| 8217255 | Method of producing thermoelectric conversion element A method of producing a thermoelectric conversion element includes preparing a dispersion liquid by mixing slurry containing ceramic particles with salts of at least two elements that constitute a thermoelectric conversion material, and then, precipitating the at le... | 07/10/2012 |
| 8193439 | Thermoelectric modules and related methods An example method for making thermoelectric modules generally includes coupling a first wafer and a second wafer together, processing the first and second wafers to produce a first thermoelectric element and a second thermoelectric element where the first thermoelec... | 06/05/2012 |
| 7875790 | Method of preparing a thermoelectric material, method of forming a thermoelectric device, and method of fabricating a thermoelectric module A method of preparing a thermoelectric material includes the following steps. A thermoelectric raw material can be filled into a cavity of a first mold so that the thermoelectric raw material filled in the cavity has first and second dimensions. The first dimension ... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7851691 | Thermoelectric devices and applications for the same High performance thin film thermoelectric couples and methods of making the same are disclosed. Such couples allow fabrication of at least microwatt to watt-level power supply devices operating at voltages greater than one volt even when activated by only small temp... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7847179 | Thermoelectric compositions and process A process for producing bulk thermoelectric compositions containing nanoscale inclusions is described. The thermoelectric compositions have a higher figure of merit (ZT) than without the inclusions. The compositions are useful for power generation and in heat pumps ... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7838759 | Methods of forming thermoelectric devices including electrically insulating matrices between conductive traces A method of forming a thermoelectric device may include forming a pattern of conductive traces, and forming an electrically insulating matrix between the conductive traces of the pattern of conductive traces. In addition, a plurality of thermoelectric elements may b... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7816601 | Device and method for converting thermal energy into electrical energy A device and method for using a field-responsive material that changes temperature when subjected to a respective field in combination with a thermal to electrical energy converter to accomplish the generation of electrical energy. The field-responsive material, suc... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7705233 | Filled skutterudite-based alloy, production method thereof and thermoelectric conversion device fabricated using the alloy A method for producing a filled skutterudite-based alloy includes the steps of melting alloy raw material that includes a rare earth metal R that is at least one species selected from among La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Yb, a transition metal T that is at least one spe... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7619158 | Thermoelectric device having P-type and N-type materials A method of forming a thermoelectric device includes extruding a P/N-type billet to form a P/N-type extrusion having a first plurality of P-type regions and a first plurality of N-type regions. The P/N-type extrusion is sliced into a plurality of P/N-type wafers. A ... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7572973 | Method of making devices for solid state thermal transfer and power generation A method of making a solid state thermal transfer device includes first and second electrically conductive substrates that are positioned opposite from one another. The solid state thermal transfer device also includes a sealing layer disposed between the first and ... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7560639 | Electric power generation method using thermoelectric power generation element, thermoelectric power generation element and method of producing the same, and thermoelectric power generation device The present invention provides an electric power generation method using a thermoelectric power generation element, a thermoelectric power generation element, and a thermoelectric power generation device, each of which has higher thermoelectric power generation perf... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7531739 | Build-in-place method of manufacturing thermoelectric modules A method of manufacturing a thermoelectric module is provided. The method includes mounting a thermoelectric material to a substrate such that a portion of the thermoelectric material covers a removable pattern. The thermoelectric material is then segmented and the ... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7435896 | Thermoelectric conversion material, thermoelectric conversion element using the material, cooling device and electric apparatus using the element, and electric power generation method and cooling method using the element With conventional thermoelectric conversion materials, their thermoelectric conversion performance has been insufficient, and a problem has been to achieve stable performance in an oxidizing atmosphere and an air atmosphere. In view of this, according to the present... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7371960 | Figure of merit in Ytterbium-Aluminum-Manganese intermetallic thermoelectric and method of preparation This invention provides novel thermoelectric compounds comprising: a) atomic percent Ytterbium b) between 50 and 74.999 atomic percent Aluminum c) between 0.001 and 25 atomic percent Manganese and ... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7369014 | Flexible surface acoustic wave device A surface acoustic wave device is provides and comprises a flexible substrate having a first side and a piezoelectric film attached to at least a portion of the first side of the flexible substrate. The piezoelectric film can have a first side and a second side. A s... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7368827 | Electrical assembly for monitoring conditions in a combustion turbine operating environment An electrical assembly for use in various operating environments such as a casing of a combustion turbine 10 is provided. The assembly may include an electrical energy-harvesting device 51 disposed in a component within the casing of the turbine to con... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7365264 | Thermoelectric converter and manufacturing method thereof A thermoelectric converting device includes a P type thermoelectric element, an N type thermoelectric element, the N type thermoelectric element connected with the P type thermoelectric element alternately to be electrically in series, an electrode circuit contactin... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7365265 | Thermoelectric materials comprising nanoscale inclusions to enhance seebeck coefficient A thermoelectric material having enhanced Seebeck coefficient is characterized by a microstructure comprising nanoscale Pb inclusions dispersed in matrix substantially composed of PbTe. The excess Pb is obtained either by adding Pb in an amount greater than the stoi... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7351974 | Integrated circuit infrared sensor and associated methods An integrated circuit sensor may include at least one infrared sensing element on a substrate. The sensing element may include at least one first thermocouple junction heated from infrared radiation, at least one second thermocouple junction connected to the first t... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7351973 | Apparatus and method for providing thermal conductance in thermally responsive photonic imaging devices Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a photonic sensor and method of operation, in one embodiment a photonic has: a sensing element; a dielectric layer; a first electrode disposed between the sensing element and the dielectric layer; a seco... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7351906 | Method of manufacturing crystalline film, method of manufacturing crystalline-film-layered substrate, method of manufacturing thermoelectric conversion element, and thermoelectric conversion element It is often the case that a substrate suitable for epitaxial growth does not match a substrate desirable for the use in functional elements such as thermoelectric conversion elements or the like. The present invention makes it possible to separate a predetermined la... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7342169 | Phonon-blocking, electron-transmitting low-dimensional structures A thermoelectric structure and device including at least first and second material systems having different lattice constants and interposed in contact with each other, and a physical interface at which the at least first and second material systems are joined with ... | 03/11/2008 |
| 7325405 | Utensil cooling device An electric clipper cooling device includes a body that has a cavity, spaced inner and outer layers, an external power source, a combination fan and vent, and a thermoelectric cooler disposed therein. A heat absorbing material is disposed between said inner and oute... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7321157 | CoSb-based thermoelectric device fabrication method A method of fabricating a CoSb3-based thermoelectric device is disclosed. The method includes providing a high-temperature electrode, providing a buffer layer on the high-temperature electrode, forming composite n-type and p-type layers, attaching the buf... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7321701 | Infrared biometric finger sensor and associated methods A finger sensor apparatus may include an integrated circuit substrate for receiving a user's finger adjacent thereto, and a plurality of infrared sensing pixels on the integrated circuit substrate. The infrared sensing pixels are for sensing infrared radiation natur... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7317296 | Electric motor The electric motor is equipped with an electronic control, for example in the form of a frequency converter (2) and comprises at least one Seebeck element (6) whose one side is connected to the motor (1) in a heat-conducting manner and whose oth... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7311044 | Imaging device cooling system One embodiment of the present invention provides a cooling system in an imaging device having an element that generates heat. The cooling system comprises a thermoelectric generator and a cooling device. The thermoelectric generator is thermally coupled to the eleme... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7308795 | Method and system for cooling electrical components downhole A method and system that uses the flow of drilling fluid to cool electrical components in a downhole environment. A substantially cylindrical housing comprises a wall which houses at least one electrical component directly coupled to a thermoelectric cooling device.... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7305839 | Thermal transfer device and system and method incorporating same A thermal transfer device having a first substrate layer, a second substrate layer and first and second electrodes disposed between the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer. The thermal transfer device also includes a release layer disposed between t... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7305850 | Distillation process using microchannel technology The disclosed invention relates to a process for distilling a fluid mixture in a microchannel distillation unit, the microchannel distillation unit comprising a plurality of microchannel distillation sections, the fluid mixture comprising a more volatile component a... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7301233 | Semiconductor chip package with thermoelectric cooler The semiconductor chip package may include a substrate having circuit patterns and substrate pads connected with the circuit patterns. At least one semiconductor chip is mounted on the substrate, and a thermoelectric cooler having a P-type material plate and an N-ty... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7299634 | Combustion chamber A combustion chamber (4) for a gas turbine (1), the combustion chamber wall (24) of which is furnished on the inside with a lining formed of a number of heat shield elements (26), is to be designed for a particularly high level of operati... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7299639 | Thermoelectric module A thermoelectric module having areas of highly thermally conductive material integrated into a substrate layer. For one embodiment copper pads are integrated into the external surface of the substrate of the hot side of the thermoelectric module. The copper pads all... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7294734 | Process for converting a hydrocarbon to an oxygenate or a nitrile This invention relates to a process for converting a hydrocarbon reactant to a product comprising an oxygenate or a nitrile, the process comprising: (A) flowing a reactant composition comprising the hydrocarbon reactant, and oxygen or a source of oxygen, and optiona... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7282384 | Thermoelectric transducing material thin film, sensor device, and its manufacturing method The present invention provides an SiGe-based thin film, a method for manufacturing this thin film, and applications of this thin film. The present invention relates to a method for producing, by sputtering, an SiGe-based semiconductor thin film to serve as a member ... | 10/16/2007 |
