Consorzio Delta Ti Research

Agere S.r.l.

Erg S.p.a.

Dario Narducci

Gianfranco Cerofolini

Danilo Mascolo

Antonietta Buosciolo

Giuseppe Latessa

Italo Gison

Enrico Iulianella

Fabio Spaziani

A novel and effective structure of a stackable element (A, A) or more generally adapted to be associated modularly to other similar elements to form a septum of relatively large dimensions for a Seebeck/Peltier thermoelectric conversion device, may be fabricated with common planar processing techniques. The structure basically consists of a stack (A, A) of alternated layers of a first dielectric material (), adapted to be deposited in films of thickness lesser than or equal to about 50 nm, of low heat conductivity and which is etchable by a solution of a specific chemical compound, and of a second dielectric material () of low heat conductivity that is not etched by the solution. For the whole width, the stack is interrupted by parallel trenches (T, T, T) the width (w) of which may correspond to the minimum linewidth of definition allowed by the resolution of the lithographic process used for defining the parallel trenches, but which may eventually be limited by other parameters, in primis the height of the stack (h) to be subjected to the vertical etch to cut the stack in order to form the parallel trenches.

Seebeck/Peltier thermoelectric conversion element with parallel nanowires of conductor or semiconductor material organized in rows and columns through an insulating body and process

The invention relates to Seebeck/Peltier bidirectional thermoelectric conversion devices and in particular to devices employing nanowires of conductive or semiconductive material defined on a substrate by common planar technologies.

Seebeck/peltier bidirectional thermoelectric conversion device using nanowires of conductive or semiconductive material

Significant phonon migration restraint is achieved within a relatively homogeneous polycrystalline doped semiconductor bulk by purposely creating in the crystal lattice of the semiconductor hydrocarbon bonds with the semiconductor, typically Si or Ge, constituting effective organic group substituents of semiconductor atoms in the crystalline domains. An important enhancement of the factor of merit Z of such a modified electrically conductive doped semiconductor is obtained without resorting to nanometric cross sectional dimensions in order to rely on surface scattering eventually enhanced by making the surface highly irregular and/or creating nanocavities within the bulk of the conductive material. A determinant scattering of phonons migrating under the influence and in the direction of a temperature gradient in the homogeneous semiconductor takes place at the organic groups substituents in the crystalline doped semiconductor bulk. Fabrication processes and Seebeck-Peltier energy conversion devices are exemplarily described.

Seebeck/peltier thermoelectric conversion device having phonon confinement layers of crystalline semiconductor containing angstrom-sized organic groups as semiconductor atoms substituents within the crystal lattice and fabrication process

The disclosure relates to Seebeck/Peltier effect thermoelectric conversion devices and in particular devices made of stack of dielectric layers alternated to treated semiconducting layers even of large size, not requiring lithographic patterning in a nano-micrometric scale.

Seebeck/peltier thermoelectric conversion device employing treated films of semiconducting material not requiring nanometric definition

A method for protecting silver and silver alloy surfaces against tarnishing, characterized by initially subjecting the surface to be treated to cleaning pre-treatment in organic solvents; immersing the cleaned surface in an acid solution able to ensure formation of a thin layer of silver oxide; immersing the oxidized surface in a solution of at least one thiol of formula CH(CH)SH where n is between 10 and 16; and chemically reacting the molecules of said thiol with the previously oxidized silver surface, in an environment containing water vapor at a temperature of at least 50&#xb0; C.

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Milan, Italy

Dario Narducci