Patents by Inventor Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI

Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12284918
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element includes a first electrode, a thermoelectric conversion material portion configured to convert heat into electricity, an intermediate layer arranged on the thermoelectric conversion material portion, a conductive bonding material arranged in between the intermediate layer and the first electrode to bond the first electrode to the intermediate layer, and a second electrode connected to the thermoelectric conversion material portion. The intermediate layer includes a first layer arranged on the thermoelectric conversion material portion and containing a dopant, and a second layer arranged on the first layer and configured to suppress diffusion of elements. The intermediate layer has an interface resistivity of not less than 0.0001 m?cm2 and not more than 0.5 m?cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Kotaro Hirose, Masahiro Adachi, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20240334832
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element includes a first electrode, a thermoelectric conversion material portion configured to convert heat into electricity, an intermediate layer arranged on the thermoelectric conversion material portion, a conductive bonding material arranged in between the intermediate layer and the first electrode to bond the first electrode to the intermediate layer, and a second electrode connected to the thermoelectric conversion material portion. The intermediate layer includes a first layer arranged on the thermoelectric conversion material portion and containing a dopant, and a second layer arranged on the first layer and configured to suppress diffusion of elements. The intermediate layer has an interface resistivity of not less than 0.0001 m?cm2 and not more than 0.5 m?cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Kotaro HIROSE, Masahiro ADACHI, Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 12063861
    Abstract: A heat flow switching element includes a substrate of which at least an upper surface is formed of an insulating material, an N-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer, and an insulator layer, in which one semiconductor layer of the N-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer is formed on the substrate, the insulator layer is formed on the one semiconductor layer, and the other semiconductor layer of the N-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer is formed on the insulator layer. In this way, electric charges induced by an external voltage are generated both at and near an interface between the N-type semiconductor layer and the insulator layer and at and near an interface between the P-type semiconductor layer and the insulator layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION, TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Toshiaki Fujita, Koya Arai, Tsunehiro Takeuchi, Takuya Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 12035630
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is represented by a composition formula Ag2-x?xS, where ? is one selected from among Ni, V, and Ti. The value of x is greater than 0 and smaller than 0.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 12035629
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is represented by a composition formula Ag2S(1-x)Sex, where x has a value of greater than 0.01 and smaller than 0.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Kotaro Hirose, Masahiro Adachi, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 12029127
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material includes a base material that is a semiconductor having Si and Ge as constituent elements, a first additive element that is different from the constituent elements, has a vacant orbital in a d or f orbital located inside an outermost shell thereof, and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material, and oxygen. The oxygen content ratio is 6 at % or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 12010917
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is represented by a composition formula Ag2S(1-x)Sex. The value of x is not smaller than 0.2 and not greater than 0.95.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11832519
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is constituted of a semiconductor that contains a constituent element and an additive element having a difference of 1 in the number of electrons in an outermost shell from the constituent element, the additive element having a concentration of not less than 0.01 at % and not more than 30 at %. The semiconductor has a microstructure including an amorphous phase and a granular crystal phase dispersed in the amorphous phase. The amorphous phase includes a first region in which the concentration of the additive element is a first concentration, and a second region in which the concentration of the additive element is a second concentration lower than the first concentration. The first concentration and the second concentration have a difference of not less than 15 at % and not more than 25 at % therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Kotaro Hirose, Masahiro Adachi, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11758813
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is composed of a compound semiconductor including a plurality of base material elements, and includes: an amorphous phase; and crystal phases having an average grain size of more than or equal to 5 nm, each of the crystal phases being in a form of a grain. The plurality of base material elements include a specific base material element that causes an increase of a band gap by increasing a concentration of the specific base material element. An atomic concentration of the specific base material element included in the crystal phases with respect to a whole of the plurality of base material elements included in the crystal phases is higher than an atomic concentration of the specific base material element included in the compound semiconductor with respect to a whole of the plurality of base material elements included in the compound semiconductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Kotaro Hirose, Masahiro Adachi, Takashi Matsuura, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11737364
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material includes: a base material that is a semiconductor composed of a base material element; a first additional element that is an element different from the base material element, has a vacant orbital in a d orbital or f orbital located internal to an outermost shell of the first additional element and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material; and a second additional element that is an element different from both of the base material element and the first additional element and forms a second additional level in the forbidden band of the base material. A difference is 1 between the number of electrons in an outermost shell of the second additional element and the number of electrons in at least one outermost shell of the base material element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Kotaro Hirose, Makoto Kiyama, Takashi Matsuura, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi, Shunsuke Nishino
  • Patent number: 11716903
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element includes: a thermoelectric conversion material portion composed of a material having a band gap; a first electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion; a second electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion and disposed to be separated from the first electrode; and a sealing portion that seals the thermoelectric conversion material portion. A partial pressure of oxygen in a region surrounding the thermoelectric conversion material portion is maintained by the sealing portion so as to be lower than a partial pressure of oxygen in an external air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11706985
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element includes a thermoelectric conversion material portion having a compound semiconductor composed of first base material element A and second base material element B and represented by Ax-cBy with value of x being smaller by c with respect to a compound AxBy according to a stoichiometric ratio, a first electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion, and a second electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion and apart from the first electrode. An A-B phase diagram includes a first region corresponding to low temperature phase, second region corresponding to high temperature phase, and third region corresponding to coexisting phase, sandwiched between the low temperature phase and the high temperature phase, in which the low and high temperature phases coexist. A temperature at a boundary between the first region and the third region changes monotonically with a change in c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11611030
    Abstract: A thermoelectric material element includes: a thermoelectric material portion composed of a thermoelectric material that includes a first crystal phase and a second crystal phase during an operation, the second crystal phase being different from the first crystal phase; a first electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric material portion; and a second electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric material portion and disposed to be separated from the first electrode. During the operation, the thermoelectric material portion includes a first temperature region having a first temperature, and a second temperature region having a second temperature lower than the first temperature of the first temperature region. A ratio of the first crystal phase to the second crystal phase in the first temperature region is larger than a ratio of the first crystal phase to the second crystal phase in the second temperature region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., TOYOTA SCHOOL FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Makoto Kiyama, Takashi Matsuura, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Do-Gyun Byeon, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20220416143
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material includes a base material that is a semiconductor having Si and Ge as constituent elements, a first additive element that is different from the constituent elements, has a vacant orbital in a d or f orbital located inside an outermost shell thereof, and forms a first additional level in a forbidden band of the base material, and oxygen. The oxygen content ratio is 6 at % or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Masahiro ADACHI, Yoshiyuki YAMAMOTO, Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220399485
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion element includes a thermoelectric conversion material portion having a compound semiconductor composed of first base material element A and second base material element B and represented by Ax-cBy with value of x being smaller by c with respect to a compound AxBy according to a stoichiometric ratio, a first electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion, and a second electrode disposed in contact with the thermoelectric conversion material portion and apart from the first electrode. An A-B phase diagram includes a first region corresponding to low temperature phase, second region corresponding to high temperature phase, and third region corresponding to coexisting phase, sandwiched between the low temperature phase and the high temperature phase, in which the low and high temperature phases coexist. A temperature at a boundary between the first region and the third region changes monotonically with a change in c.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Masahiro ADACHI, Yoshiyuki YAMAMOTO, Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 11462670
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material includes: a base material that is a semiconductor; and an additive element that differs from an element constituting the base material. An additional band formed of the additive element is present within a forbidden band of the base material. A density of states of the additional band has a ratio of greater than or equal to 0.1 relative to a maximum value of a density of states of a valence band adjacent to the forbidden band of the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Masahiro Adachi, Makoto Kiyama, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Tsunehiro Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20220310898
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is represented by a composition formula Ag2S(1-x)Sex. The value of x is not smaller than 0.2 and not greater than 0.95.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Masahiro ADACHI, Yoshiyuki YAMAMOTO, Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220310897
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is represented by a composition formula Ag2-x?xS, where ? is one selected from among Ni, V, and Ti. The value of x is greater than 0 and smaller than 0.6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Masahiro ADACHI, Yoshiyuki YAMAMOTO, Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220285602
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is constituted of a semiconductor that contains a constituent element and an additive element having a difference of 1 in the number of electrons in an outermost shell from the constituent element, the additive element having a concentration of not less than 0.01 at % and not more than 30 at %. The semiconductor has a microstructure including an amorphous phase and a granular crystal phase dispersed in the amorphous phase. The amorphous phase includes a first region in which the concentration of the additive element is a first concentration, and a second region in which the concentration of the additive element is a second concentration lower than the first concentration. The first concentration and the second concentration have a difference of not less than 15 at % and not more than 25 at % therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Kotaro HIROSE, Masahiro ADACHI, Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220278263
    Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material is represented by a composition formula Ag2S(1-x)Sex, where x has a value of greater than 0.01 and smaller than 0.6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Toyota School Foundation
    Inventors: Kotaro HIROSE, Masahiro ADACHI, Yoshiyuki YAMAMOTO, Tsunehiro TAKEUCHI