| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the heat generation from the high-temperature end of the first thermoelectric semiconductor member of a thermoelectric device by providing a light-emitting region which is formed of a semiconductor material, collects first carriers transported to the high-temperature end of the first thermoelectric semiconductor member, and emits light through the recombination of electrons with holes. SOLUTION: A metal M1 is connected to the low-temperature end CC of an n-type thermoelectric semiconductor S1 and a semiconductor (light-emitting region) S2 in which electrons are recoupled with holes for light emission, a P-type semiconductor S3 having a band gap larger than that of the semiconductor S2 has, and a metal M2 are successively connected in this order to the high-temperature end CH of the semiconductor S1 . At the low-temperature end CC, an endothermic reaction takes plate due to, for example, Peltier effect, etc. The energy of all the electrons transported to the high-temperature junction CH is not converted into thermal energy, but part of the energy is converted into light energy by interband transition. Therefore, the heat generation at the high-temperature end CH can be suppressed. |
