Method and apparatus of enhanced thermoelectric cooling and power conversion
| DWPI Title: Apparatus for removing heat from object, has channel region positioned laterally with respect to portion of channel region respective controlling gate electrode and channel length more than five times channel width in each of channels |
| Abstract: Methods and apparatus for removing heat from an object for the purpose of cooling or for the purpose of generating electrical power are disclosed. In an embodiment, at least two field-effect transistors (FETs) are operated under inversion. While the FETs are being operated, heat is conducted from the object through body portions of said FETs to an element configured for dissipating the conducted heat. |
| Use: Apparatus for removing heat from object. |
| Advantage: The quantum confinement effect is most utilized in a transistor configuration where the gate is used to create an inversion channel. The channel is made as long as possible to sustain the largest possible temperature gradient in the conduction direction. |
| Novelty: The apparatus has pair of field-effect transistors (FET) consisting of an n-channel FET (900) and a p-channel FET (905). The pair of FET is operated under inversion via an induced inversion channel and connected in a thermally parallel and electrically series arrangement. The pair of FET is thermally connected at one end to the object that in operation as a source of heat and at the other end to a heat-dissipating element. The n-channel FET and the p-channel FET are each fabricated in silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer having a device layer at most 100 nm thick from a top to a bottom of the device layer. The channel region is positioned laterally with respect to portion of channel region respective controlling gate electrode and consists of one or more channels. The channel length is greater than 100 nm in each of the channels. The channel length is more than five times the channel width in each of the channels. The FET have a semiconductor composition that is silicon-germanium alloy. |
| Filed: 4/20/2015 |
| Application Number: US14691441A |
| Tech ID: SD 12784.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
| Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Clarivate content, including by framing or similar means, is prohibited without the prior written consent of Clarivate. Clarivate and its logo, as well as all other trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners and used under license. |