Patent ID: 6400013
Filing Date: 2002-06-04
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A thermoelectric module comprising:a plurality of thermoelectric chips of P-type and N-type arranged in a matrix between a set of first contacts and a set of second contacts both arranged in said matrix to form a series connected electrical circuit which is adapted to flow an electric current therethrough in a selected direction for heating or cooling one side of the first and second contacts due to the Peltier effect at said chips, said chips being arranged to give at least three chip arrays each having a limited number of said chips, a first carrier carrying the set of said first contacts and including first bridges each integrally joining two adjacent first contacts to define first discrete couples for electrical connection of said chips in each of said chip arrays; a rigid dielectric substrate fixedly mounting said first carrier to restrain said first discrete couples to said substrate; and second bridges each integrally joining the two adjacent second contacts for electrical connection of the two adjacent chips in each of said chip arrays on opposite side of said first contacts; wherein said first carrier includes at least two inter-array bridges which are solely responsible for electrical interconnection between the adjacent chip arrays, and wherein said two adjacent ones of said second contacts connected by said second bridges define individual second discrete couples which are isolated from each other on opposite side of said first contacts.