INTEGRATED THIN-FILM THERMOELECTRIC COOLER

The possibility of fabricating thermoelectric coolers using thin film deposition and micromachining is investigated. The processing sequence s described facilitate fabrication of the thermoelectric cooler and el ectronic components, such as laser diodes. CCD and infrared detectors, as elements of an integrated circuit. Theoretical calculations based on the proposed thin film thermoelectric cooler indicate that a maximu m temperature difference of similar to 40-50K can be obtained with a m aximum pumping capacity of around a few milliwatts.