SEMICONDUCTOR PART AND THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: semiconductor engineering; thermoelectric devices depending for their operation on Peltier and Seebeck effects. SUBSTANCE: semiconductor part made of layer-structure crystalline material of type AV, BV1 with junction planes between layers is made in the form of polyhedron that has first pair of parallel faces and second pair of parallel faces which is in essence perpendicular to junction surfaces. The latter are inclined to parallel faces of first pair through maximum 7 deg. Parallel faces of first pair are formed by surfaces of crystalline material obtained as result of its crystallization and are not subjected to subsequent destruction treatment; parallel faces of second pair are produced by destruction treatment. Thermoelectric device incorporating at least one p-type semiconductor part made of first layer-structure crystalline material and at least one n-type layer-structure semiconductor part has each semiconductor part made in the form of bar whose first surface is connected to electrode and second and third surfaces are perpendicular to first surface. All layers of crystalline material used for manufacturing each semiconductor part are inclined through maximum 7 deg. to mentioned second and third surfaces. EFFECT: provision for maintaining electrical and thermal properties of device in case of cracking of any semiconductor part causing only negligible reduction in its strength. 4 cl, 9 dwg