221 Gaas GRADED A
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
USOO6403874B1 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 6,403,874 B1 Shakouri et al. (45) Date of Patent: *Jun. 11, 2002 (54) HIGH-EFFICIENCY HETEROSTRUCTURE OTHER PUBLICATIONS THERMONIC COOLERS N N. W. Ashcroft, et al., Solid State Physics, manual, 1976, pp. (75) Inventors: Ali Shakouri, Santa Cruz; John E. 318-319, 320-321, 362-363. Bowers, Santa Barbara, both of CA D. A. Broido et al., “Effect of Superlattice structure on the (US) th ermoelectriclectric fiIlgure OIf meril:t: , Theline Am erican PhPinySIca 1 Society (Physical Review B.), vol. 51, No. 19, May 15, (73) Assignee: The Regents of the University of 1995, pp. 13797-800. California, Oakland, CA (US) D. A. Broido et al., “Comment of Use of quantum well Superlattices to obtain high figure of merit from nonconven (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this tional thermoelectric materials”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 63, 3230 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 (1993), Applied Physics Letters, vol. 67, No. 8, Aug. 21, U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 1995, pp. 1170–1171. D. A. Broido et al., “Thermoelectric figure or merit of This patent is Subject to a terminal dis- quantum wire Superlattices”, Applied Physics Letters, Jul. 3, claimer. 1995, vol. 67, No. 1, 100-102. (21) Appl. No.: 09/441,787 (List continued on next page.) (22) Filed: Nov. 17, 1999 Primary Examiner—Bruce F. Bell ASSistant Examiner Thomas H Parsons Related U.S. Application Data (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Gates & Cooper LLP (60) Pisional application No. 60/109,342, filed on Nov. 20, (57) ABSTRACT 7 A heterostructure thermionic cooler and a method for mak (51) Int. Cl." ................................................ H01L 35/34 ing thermionic coolers, employing a barrier layer of Varying conduction bandedge for n-type material, or varying Valence (52) U.S. Cl. ........... 20 136201 136.203; 1625; bandedge for p-type material, that is placed between two 252/62.3 T. 438/22. 438/As 257/26.25 7/185; layers of material. The barrier layer bandedge is at least kT 257/191; 257/442; 257/443; 257/449; 257/467 higher than the Fermi level of the semiconductor layer, which allows only selected, “hot” electrons, or electrons of (58) Field of Search 2005). - - - - - - - - - - - 136,293, 205, high enough energy, acroSS the barrier. The barrier layer is 136/236.1, 238, 239, 240; 252/623 T; 257/467, constructed to have an internal electric field Such that the 185, 191, 196, 26, 442, 443, 449, 930, electrons that make it over the initial barrier are assisted in 15; 438/22, 54, 478, 466 travel to the anode. Once electrons drop to the energy level (56) References Cited of the anode, they lose energy to the lattice, thus heating the lattice at the anode. The barrier height of the barrier layer is U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS high enough to prevent the electrons from traveling in the 4,353,081 A 10/1982 Allyn et al. ................ 257/191 reverse direction. 4,694,318 A 9/1987 Capasso et al. ............... 257/21 5,955,772 A 9/1999 Shakouri et al. ............ 257/467 51 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets 30 26 24 d J2 d H 221 GaAs As GaAs GRADED A. Ga, X US 6,403,874 B1 Page 2 OTHER PUBLICATIONS L.W. Whitlow, et al., “Superlative applications to thermo P.J. Lin-Chung, et al., “Thermoelectric figure of merit of electricity”, Journal of Applied Physics, Nov. 1, 1995, vol., composite Superlattice Systems, Physical Review B (con 78, No. 9, 5460-5466. densed matter), vol. 51, No. 19, May 15 1995, pp 1324.4–8. G. D. Mahan, et al., “Thermionic refrigeration”, Journal of A. J. Dekker, “Thermionic Emission”, McGraw-Hill Ency clopedia of Science & Technology, 6' Edition, 1987, vol. Applied Physics, vol. 76, No. 7, Oct. 1, 1994, 4362–6. 18, pp. 272-273. Sofo.J.O., “Thermoelectric figure of merit of Superlattices”, L. D. Hicks, et al., “Effect of quantum-well strucutres on the Applied Physics Letters, vol. 65, No. 21, Nov. 21, 1994, thermoelectric figure of merit”, Physical Review B (con 2690-2. densed matter), vol. 47, No. 19, May 15, 1993, pp. 12727-31. D.M. Rowe, et al., “Multiple Potential Barriers as a Possible L. D. Hicks, et al. “Thermoelectric figure of merit of a Mechanism to Increase the Seebeck Coefficient and Elec one-dimensional conductor”, Physical Review B (con trical Power Factor', Thirteenth International Conference on densed matter), vol. 47, No. 24, Jun. 15, 1993, 16631-4. Thermoelectrics, Kansas City, Mo. USA, Aug. 30-Sep. 1, L. D. Hicks, et al. “Use of Quantum-well Superlattices to 1994). obtain a high figure of merit from nonconventional thermo K. K. Ng, “Complete Guide to Semiconductor Devices.” electric materials”, Applied Physics Letters, vol. 63, No. 23, McGraw-Hill, 1995, pp. 48-55. Dec. 6, 1993, 3230–2. L. D. Hicks, et al., Experimental study of the effect of Mahan, G.D. et al., “Multilayer thermionic refrigerator and quantum-Well Structures on the thermoelectric figure of generator,” Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 83, No. 9, May merit, Phyical Review B (condensed matter), vol. 53.No. 1, 1998, pp. 4683–4689, XP-000956318. 16.R 10493-6. Mahan, G.D. et al., “Multilayer Thermionic Refrigeration,” J. M. Houston, “Theoretical efficiency of the thermionic energy converter”, Journal of Applied Phyics, vol. 30 No. 4, Physical Review Letters, vol. 80, No. 18, May 4, 1998, pp. Apr. 1959, pp. 481-487. 4016–4019, XP-000956428. L.W. Whitlow, et al., “Superlative applications to thermo Shakouri, Ali et al., “Heterostructure integrated thermionic electricity”, Journal of Applied Physics, Nov. 1, 1995, vol. coolers,” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 71, No. 9, Sep. 1, 78, No. 9, 5460-5466. 1997, pp. 1234–1236, XP-000720237. U.S. Patent Jun. 11, 2002 Sheet 1 of 7 US 6,403,874 B1 1 O ? 12 FIG. 1A 1 O FIG. 1B 12 1O 16 FIG. 1C 14 Z% W 12 1 O FIG. 1D W F % U.S. Patent Jun. 11, 2002 Sheet 2 of 7 US 6,403,874 B1 FIG. 1 E. 3O 26 24 FIG. 2A de .. 22 GaAs GRADED AlGaAs GaAs 28 24 - d - 3O 22 FIG. 2B J2 46 42 38 FIG. 2C V 48 44 36 U.S. Patent Jun. 11, 2002 Sheet 3 of 7 US 6,403,874 B1 62 FIG. 2D 60, 64 68 66 7O 72 78 |y 74 76 FIG. 2E U.S. Patent Jun. 11, 2002 Sheet 4 of 7 US 6,403,874 B1 8O 86 90 92 94 V 34 83 FIG. 4 1O 52 -1 56 56 - U.S. Patent Jun. 11, 2002 Sheet 5 of 7 US 6,403,874 B1 V=0.065V, i =300K, AT= 10K, m/m=004, A = 1.5m /Vs, A=4W/mk 800 Ihickness (um) 3O4 FIG. 6 900 aaka/ 0.5 eyes \nses 904 906 N. Substrate 3. 902 595 Y 904 i 906 U.S. Patent Jun. 11, 2002 Sheet 6 of 7 US 6,403,874 B1 i 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 I (mA) FIG. 8 Energy axis 1200 12O2 AV kg Fermi energy Barrier height >> kg FIG. 9A U.S. Patent Jun. 11, 2002 Sheet 7 of 7 US 6,403,874 B1 0.5 InGaAs/InAlAs O4 12O4 O3 N 02 InGaAs/InP 1208 O. 1 Bulk InGaAs >/-- - - Doping (cm) FIG. 9B 1214 1212 i US 6,403,874 B1 1 2 HIGH-EFFICIENCY HETEROSTRUCTURE a need for more reliable electronic coolers. It can also be THERMONIC COOLERS Seen that there is a need for electronic coolers that reach lower temperatures. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. The present invention minimizes the above-described No. 08/767,955, filed on on Dec. 17, 1996, entitled “HET problems by using bandgap engineering and modulation EROSTRUCTURE THERMIONIC COOLERS,” by Ali doping to fabricate Small thermionic coolers that operate at Shakouri, et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,772; and U.S. room temperature. By using proper materials and patent application Ser. No. 09/280,284, filed on Mar. 29, geometries, efficient and Space conserving thermionic cooler 1999, entitled “METHOD FOR MAKING HETERO elements which can reach lower temperatures are fabricated STRUCTURE THERMIONIC COOLERS,” by Ali Shak in a cost-effective manner. Further, these coolers can have a ouri et al., both now U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,331 both of which much faster response. applications are incorporated by reference herein. This 15 The present invention comprises a method and apparatus application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. S119(e) of for theomionic cooling. The method of the present invention U.S. Provisional Pat. App. No. 60/109,342, filed Nov. 20, comprises growing two Semiconductor layers. The Second 1998, entitled “HIGH-EFFICENCY HETEROSTRUC layer has a variable conduction bandedge as a function of TURE THERMIONIC COOLERS, ” by Ali Shakouri et al., distance (for the case of electron transport) which has a which application is incorporated by reference herein. Fermi level on the order of kT from the bandedge of the Semiconductor layer. This structure allows for Selective STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY thermionic emission of high energy carriers from cathode to SPONSORED RESEARCH AND anode that Suppresses the reverse current, and creates a cold DEVELOPMENT junction at the cathode and a hot junction at the anode. Using This invention was made with Government support under 25 the same device in contact with a hot and a cold bath will Contract No. 442530-25845, awarded by the Office of Naval create a thermionic generator.