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.