Patent ID: 7825324

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a thermoelectric cooler including a first set of one or more metal electrodes, a second set of one or more metal electrodes, a first set of one or more doped semiconductor members of a first dopant type and a second set of semiconducting members of a second dopant type, each member of the first and second sets of members physically joining a corresponding one of the electrodes of the first set to a corresponding one of the electrodes of the second set; and wherein the one or more members of the first set and the one or more members of the second set are radially configured in a two-dimensional arrangement about a cooling stage having a topmost surface and a side surface, said side surface being in thermal contact with said electrodes of the first set, with members of the first set alternating with members of the second set, each member having a cross-sectional area that increases along a path from the one metal electrode of the first set to the one metal electrode of the second set, and said topmost surface being configured to be coupled to a heat-generating device by tight thermal coupling.