US 12,004,424 B2
Flexible thermoelectric device
Ravi Palaniswamy, Chao Chu Kang (SG); Antonny Flor, Singapore (SG); Sheldon B. Ruiz, Singapore (SG); and Milind B. Sabade, Woodbury, MN (US)
Assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US)
Appl. No. 17/779,623
Filed by 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY, St. Paul, MN (US)
PCT Filed Dec. 6, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/064957
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 25, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/112873, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0019334 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H10N 10/01 (2023.01); H10N 10/13 (2023.01); H10N 10/17 (2023.01); H10N 10/852 (2023.01); H10N 10/855 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 10/01 (2023.02) [H10N 10/13 (2023.02); H10N 10/17 (2023.02); H10N 10/852 (2023.02); H10N 10/855 (2023.02)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
disposing a metal layer on a dielectric layer to form a sub-assembly;
forming patterned circuits on the metal layer;
forming a first and second series of blind vias in the dielectric layer;
fabricating first thermoelectric elements in the first series of blind vias; and
fabricating second thermoelectric elements in the second series of blind vias to form thermoelectric units comprising pairs of individual first thermoelectric elements and individual second thermoelectric elements electrically coupled via the patterned circuits,
wherein the sub-assembly is configured to be joined to an adjacent sub-assembly along a first direction, and wherein fabricating the first and second thermoelectric elements comprises aligning the first and second thermoelectric elements of each thermoelectric unit in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.