Patent ID: 7880079

Claim:
A thermoelectric device, comprising: a first substrate portion, a first ohmic contact on the first substrate portion, a first p-type conductive portion on the first ohmic contact and a first n-type conductive portion on the first ohmic contact, the first p-type portion electrically coupled to the first n-type conductive portion; a second substrate portion, a second ohmic contact on the second substrate portion, a second p-type conductive portion on the second ohmic contact and a second n-type conductive portion on the second ohmic contact, the second substrate portion being positioned proximate to the first substrate portion such that the first and second p-type conductive portions are approximately aligned and the first and second n-type conductive portions are approximately aligned; and wherein the first and second p-type conductive portions are spaced apart to form a first gap, and the first and second n-type conductive portions are spaced apart to form a second gap, the first and second gaps being sized to allow thermally-driven electron tunneling that results in conduction of electrons across the gap between the n-type portions and conduction of holes across the gap between the p-type portions, whereby a net current flows between the ohmic contacts.