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Abstract

A method of making a microelectronic thermoelectric device comprises the steps of providing a substrate of a predetermined material, creating thermally isolated, alternating P-type and N-type semiconductor materials on the substrate, electrically connecting the P-type areas to adjacent N-type areas on opposite sides of each P-type area so that each side of a P-type area is connected to an adjacent different N-type area and leaving a free P-type end and a free N-type end, and providing an electrical lead on the free end of the P-type area and an electrical lead on the free end of said N-type area for connection to a source of electrical power. Further, a microelectronic thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of sections of semiconductor material of a first conductivity type and a plurality of sections of second conductivity type opposite to the first type. The sections are arranged to alternate from one type to the other and are thermally isolated from one another. A plurality of metal bridges are provided to interconnect each opposite end of a section to an end of an adjacent different section of opposite conductivity type. Sections of opposite conductivity type at free ends of the arrangement have metal leads attached thereto for the application of electrical energy. The sections have a predetermined height in the range of less than 1 micron to several hundreds of microns. Systems for heating or cooling are described incorporating the microelectronic thermoelectric device.

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