Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T21:20:42.025Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Short Time Transient Behavior of SiGe-based Microrefrigerators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Ezzahri Younes ,
James Christofferson ,
Kerry Maize  and
Ali Shakouri
Ezzahri Younes
Affiliation:
younes@soe.ucsc.edu, University of California Santa Cruz, Electrical Engineering, Santa Cruz, California, United States
James Christofferson
Affiliation:
jchrist@soe.ucsc.edu, University of California Santa Cruz, Electrical Engineering, Santa Cruz, California, United States
Kerry Maize
Affiliation:
kerry@soe.ucsc.edu, University of California Santa Cruz, Electrical Engineering, Santa Cruz, California, United States
Ali Shakouri
Affiliation:
ali@soe.ucsc.edu, University of California Santa Cruz, Electrical Engineering, Santa Cruz, California, United States
Get access

Abstract

We use a Thermoreflectance Thermal Imaging technique to study the transient cooling of SiGe-based microrefrigerators. Thermal imaging with submicron spatial resolution, 0.1C temperature resolution and 100 nanosecond temporal resolution is achieved. Transient temperature profiles of SiGe-based superlattice microrefrigerator devices of different sizes are obtained. The dynamic behavior of these microrefrigerators, show an interplay between Peltier and Joule effects. On the top surface of the device, Peltier cooling appears first with a time constant of about 10-30 microseconds, then Joule heating in the device starts taking over with a time constant of about 100-150 microseconds. The experimental results agree very well with the theoretical predictions based on Thermal Quadrupoles Method. The difference in the two time constants can be explained considering the thermal resistance and capacitance of the thin film. In addition this shows that the Joule heating at the top metal/semiconductor interface does not dominate the microrefrigerator performance or else we would have obtained the same time constants for the Peltier and Joule effects. Experimental results show that under high current values, pulse-operation the microrefrigerator device can provide cooling for about 30 microseconds, even though steady state measurements show heating. Temperature distribution on the metal leads connected to the microrefrigerator’s cold junction show the interplay between Joule heating in the metal as well as heat conduction to the substrate. Modeling is used to study the effect of different physical and geometrical parameters of the device on its transient cooling. 3D geometry of heat and current flow in the device plays an important role. One of the goals is to maximize cooling over the shortest time scales.

Keywords

thermoelectricitythermionic emissionthin film
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1166: Symposium N – Materials and Devices for Thermal-to-Electric Energy Conversion , 2009 , 1166-N01-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 LaBounty, C., Shakouri, A. and Bowers, J. E., J. Appl. Phys, 89, (2001).Google Scholar
2 Vashaee, D., Christofferson, J., Zhang, Y., Zeng, G., LaBounty, C., Fun, X., Piprek, J., Bowers, J. E., Croke, E., and Shakouri, A., Microscale Thermophys. Eng, 9, 99, (2005).Google Scholar
3 Ezzahri, Y., Dilhaire, S., Patiño-Lopez, L. D., Grauby, S., Claeys, W., Bian, Z., Zhang, Y. and Shakouri, A., Superlattices and Microstructures, 41, 7, (2007).Google Scholar
4 Ezzahri, Y., Zeng, G., Fukutani, K., Bian, Z. and Shakouri, A., Microelectronics J, 39, 981, (2008).Google Scholar
5 Shakouri, A., Proceeding of IEEE, 94, 1613, (2006).Google Scholar
6 Zhou, Q., Bian, Z. and Shakouri, A., J.Phys. D: Appl. Phys, 40, 4376, (2007).Google Scholar
7 Christofferson, J. and Shakouri, A., Rev. Sci. Instrum, 76, 024903, (2005).Google Scholar
8 Grauby, S., Dilhaire, S., Jorez, S. and Claeys, W., Rev. Sci. Instrum, 74, 645, (2003).Google Scholar
9 Komarov, P. L., Burzo, M. G. and Raad, P. E., Proceeding of THERMINIC 12, Nice, CôGoogle Scholar
te d'Azur, France, September 27-29, (2006).Google Scholar
10 Székely, V. and Bien, T. V., Solid-State Electronics, 31, 1363, (1988).Google Scholar
11 Ezzahri, Y., Grauby, S., Dilhaire, S., Rampnoux, J. M. and Claeys, W., J. Appl. Phys, 101, 013705, (2007).Google Scholar
12 Maize, K., Christofferson, J. and Shakouri, A., Proceedings of SEMITHERM 24, San Jose, California, USA, March 16-20, (2008).Google Scholar
13 Christofferson, J., Ezzahri, Y., Maize, K. and Shakouri, A., Proceeding of SEMITHERM 25, San Jose, California, USA, March 15-19, (2009).Google Scholar
14 Maillet, D., André, S., Batsale, J. C., Degiovanni, A., and Moyne, C., “THERMAL QUADRUPOLES: Solving the Heat Equation through Integral Transforms”, John Wiley & Sons, (2000).Google Scholar