Patent ID: 6440212
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: C30B

Abstract:
A method of fabricating thermoelectric coolers from molten components, comprising:providing a plurality of spaced apart conductive site pads on a first substrate; holding molten p-type semiconductor material in a digitally driven ejection device having a reservoir in fluid communication with a first ejection orifice; holding molten n-type semiconductor material in a digitally driven ejection device having a reservoir in fluid communication with a second ejection orifice; holding the first substrate at a crystallization temperature lower than the temperature of the molten semiconductor materials; depositing from the first ejection orifice a series of droplets of p-type semiconductor material onto a first conductive site pad on the substrate to freeze it in a column extending away from the first conductive site pad and having a characteristic height terminating at an end; and depositing from the second ejection orifice a series of droplets of n-type semiconductor material onto the first conductive site pad on the substrate, to freeze it in a column spaced from the column of p-type semiconductor material and extending away from the first conductive site pad and having the same characteristic height terminating at an end.