Abstract: A thermoelectric device includes a flexible first substrate, and a number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs coupled to the first substrate. Each set includes an N and a P thermoelectric leg electrically contacting each other through a conductive material on the first substrate. The thermoelectric device also includes a rigid second substrate, a conductive thin film formed on the second substrate, and a number of pins corresponding to the number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs. Each pin couples the each set on an end thereof away from the first substrate to the conductive thin film formed on the second substrate, and is several times longer than a height of the N and P thermoelectric legs.

Abstract: A method includes sputter depositing pairs of N-type and P-type thermoelectric legs electrically in contact with one another on a flexible substrate to form a thin-film based thermoelectric module, and rendering the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module flexible and less than or equal to 100 ?m in dimensional thickness based on choices of fabrication processes with respect to layers thereof including the thermoelectric legs. The method also includes directly coupling the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module to a layer of heat absorber material or a layer of photovoltaic material configured to receive sunlight to form the solar device, and leveraging a temperature difference across a first surface of the flexible thin-film based thermoelectric module directly in contact with the layer of heat absorber material or the layer of photovoltaic material and a second surface away therefrom to generate increased solar thermal power and/or electrical power output through the solar device.

Abstract: A method includes coupling a number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs to a substrate. Each set includes an N thermoelectric leg and a P thermoelectric leg electrically contacting each other through a conductive material on the substrate. The method also includes forming a conductive thin film on another substrate, and coupling the each set on an end thereof away from the substrate to the conductive thin film formed on the another substrate through a pin several times longer than a height of the N thermoelectric leg and the P thermoelectric leg of the each set to form a thermoelectric device.

Abstract: A method includes sputter depositing pairs of N-type thermoelectric legs and P-type thermoelectric legs electrically in contact with one another on both metal clad surfaces of a double-sided metal clad laminate, and forming a thin-film based thermoelectric module with the sputter deposited pairs of the N-type thermoelectric legs and the P-type thermoelectric legs on each of the metal clad surfaces. The method also includes rendering the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module flexible based on choices of fabrication processes with respect to layers of the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module, and improving performance of a thermoelectric device including the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module on the each of the metal clad surfaces based on efficiently utilizing a temperature difference between both the metal clad surfaces.

Abstract: A method and/or apparatus of energy harvesting for wearable technology through a thin flexible thermoelectric device is disclosed. A lower conduction layer is deposited onto a lower dielectric layer. An active layer, comprising at least one thin film thermoelectric conduit and a thermal insulator, is above the lower conduction layer. An internal dielectric layer is deposited above the active layer, and conduit holes are drilled above each thermoelectric conduit. An upper conduction layer and upper dielectric layer are deposited, connecting the thermoelectric conduits in series. The resulting flexible thermoelectric device generates a voltage when exposed to a temperature gradient.

Abstract: A method includes forming a thin-film based thermoelectric module by sputter depositing pairs of N-type and P-type thermoelectric legs electrically in contact with one another on corresponding electrically conductive pads on a flexible substrate having a dimensional thickness less than or equal to 25 ?m, with the legs having extended areas compared to the corresponding electrically conductive pads, and rendering the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module flexible and less than or equal to 100 ?m in dimensional thickness based on choices of fabrication processes. The method also includes encapsulating the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module with an elastomer to render the flexibility thereto. The elastomer encapsulation has a dimensional thickness less than or equal to 15 ?m, and the flexibility enables an array of thin-film based thermoelectric modules to be completely wrappable and bendable around a system element from which the array is configured to derive thermoelectric power.

Abstract: A method of encapsulating a thin-film based thermoelectric module includes forming the thin-film based thermoelectric module by sputter depositing pairs of N-type thermoelectric legs and P-type thermoelectric legs electrically in contact with one another on a flexible substrate having a dimensional thickness less than or equal to 25 ?m, and rendering the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module flexible and less than or equal to 100 ?m in dimensional thickness based on choices of fabrication processes with respect to layers of the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module. The method also includes encapsulating the formed thin-film based thermoelectric module with an elastomer to render the flexibility thereto. The elastomer encapsulation has a dimensional thickness less than or equal to 15 ?m, and the flexibility enables an array of thin-film based thermoelectric modules to be completely wrappable and bendable around a system element from which the array is configured to derive thermoelectric power.

Abstract: A method includes coupling a number of sets of N and P thermoelectric legs to a substrate. Each set includes an N thermoelectric leg and a P thermoelectric leg electrically contacting each other through a conductive material on the substrate. The method also includes forming a conductive thin film on another substrate, and coupling the each set on an end thereof away from the substrate to the conductive thin film formed on the another substrate through a pin several times longer than a height of the N thermoelectric leg and the P thermoelectric leg of the each set to form a thermoelectric device.

Abstract: A method includes sputter depositing pairs of N-type thermoelectric legs and P-type thermoelectric legs electrically in contact with one another on a flexible substrate having a dimensional thickness less than or equal to 25 ?m. The method also includes forming a thermoelectric module with the sputter deposited pairs of the N-type thermoelectric legs and the P-type thermoelectric legs. Further, the method includes rendering the formed thermoelectric module flexible and less than or equal to 100 ?m in dimensional thickness based on choices of fabrication processes with respect to layers of the formed thermoelectric module including the sputter deposited N-type thermoelectric legs and the P-type thermoelectric legs. The flexibility enables an array of thermoelectric modules, each of which is equivalent to the thermoelectric module formed on the flexible substrate, to be completely wrappable and bendable around a system element from which the array is configured to derive thermoelectric power.

Abstract: A method and/or apparatus of energy harvesting for wearable technology through a thin flexible thermoelectric device is disclosed. A lower conduction layer is formed on top of a lower dielectric layer. An active layer, comprising at least one thin film thermoelectric conduit and a thermal insulator, is formed above the lower conduction layer. An internal dielectric layer is formed above the active layer, and contact holes are drilled above each thermoelectric conduit. An upper conduction layer and upper dielectric layer are formed, connecting the thermoelectric conduits in series. The resulting flexible thermoelectric device generates a voltage when exposed to a temperature gradient.

Abstract: A method and/or apparatus of energy harvesting for wearable technology through a thin flexible thermoelectric device is disclosed. A lower conduction layer is deposited onto a lower dielectric layer. An active layer, comprising at least one thin film thermoelectric conduit and a thermal insulator, is above the lower conduction layer. An internal dielectric layer is deposited above the active layer, and conduit holes are drilled above each thermoelectric conduit. An upper conduction layer and upper dielectric layer are deposited, connecting the thermoelectric conduits in series. The resulting flexible thermoelectric device generates a voltage when exposed to a temperature gradient.

Abstract: A method and/or device of voltage generation across temperature differentials through a flexible thin film thermoelectric device is disclosed. A thin film thermoelectric layer is deposited onto a cell substrate. A thin film conduction layer is deposited above the thin film thermoelectric layer. The layered composite material is diced into thermoelectric cells. The thermoelectric cells are bonded to the electrically conductive pads of a top and bottom substrate, and are electrically connected in series. The resulting thin film thermoelectric device generates a voltage when exposed to a temperature gradient.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus magnetically coupled electrostatically shiftable memory device and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes electrostatically decoupling a separate structure and a surface that are magnetically coupled (e.g., an electrostatic force to decouple the separate structure and the surface is generated with an electrode), shifting the separate structure between the surface and a other surface with the electrostatic force (e.g., shifting the separate structure moves the entire separate structure), and magnetically coupling the separate structure to the other surface.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method and/or an apparatus of a photovoltaic device having an integrated micro-mirror and of formation. In one embodiment, a photovoltaic structure includes a photovoltaic cell, an oxide layer formed above the photovoltaic cell, and an integrated micro-mirror formed above the oxide layer. The integrated micro-mirror may be fabricated as a flat plate reflection form in which the light energy is deflected to the underlying photovoltaic cell. Alternatively, the integrated micro-mirror may be fabricated in a concentrator form facing a solar source to concentrate a light energy of the solar source into a target region of the integrated photovoltaic cell. An array of the integrated micro-mirrors may be physically bonded to the integrated photovoltaic cell. A shape and geometry of the array of the integrated micro-mirrors may be designed to maximize an efficiency of the integrated photovoltaic cell.

Abstract: A method, system, and apparatus magnetically coupled electrostatically shiftable memory device and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes electrostatically decoupling a separate structure and a surface that are magnetically coupled (e.g., an electrostatic force to decouple the separate structure and the surface is generated with an electrode), shifting the separate structure between the surface and a other surface with the electrostatic force (e.g., shifting the separate structure moves the entire separate structure), and magnetically coupling the separate structure to the other surface.

Abstract: An electro-magnetic storage device and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory device includes a first magnetic material to attract a movable structure (e.g., a ferromagnetic material) when a first voltage is applied between the first magnetic material and the movable structure, and a second magnetic material to release the movable structure when a second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure. The movable arm may create a closed circuit when the second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure. There may be a vacuum-gap between the movable structure and at least one of the first magnetic material and/or the second magnetic material. The memory device may be stackable on other memory devices having similar properties, and/or electrically coupled with other memory devices having similar properties in a memory array.

Abstract: An electro-magnetic storage device and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory device includes a first magnetic material to attract a movable structure (e.g., a ferromagnetic material) when a first voltage is applied between the first magnetic material and the movable structure, and a second magnetic material to release the movable structure when a second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure. The movable arm may create a closed circuit when the second voltage is applied between the second magnetic material and the movable structure. There may be a vacuum-gap between the movable structure and at least one of the first magnetic material and/or the second magnetic material. The memory device may be stackable on other memory devices having similar properties, and/or eletrically coupled with other memory devices having similar properties in a memory array.