A MICRO-INTEGRATED PELTIER HEAT-PUMP FOR LOCALIZED ON-CHIP TEMPERATURE CONTROL

A thin-Nm Peltier heat pump was fabricated using standard semiconducto r patterning and etching techniques. The device consisted of chrome-go ld and bismuth telluride metallization to form the thermoelectric junc tions. The device achieved a maximum heat-pumping rate of -24 mu W at a current of 0.89 mA when operating in the cooling mode. These values were less than expected primarily due to excessive contact resistance at the Au-Bi2Te3 junctions of the Peltier device. Thermal isolation of the Peltier device on a 2.4 mu m thick oxide bridge was used to enhan ce device performance. Complete etching of the silicon surrounding thi s oxide bridge was not possible, due to resultant damage of the bismut h telluride thin film. The silicon remaining increased thermal losses, resulting in the Peltier device lowering the temperature of the oxide bridge only 0.23 degrees C below ambient.