Thermionic Refrigeration Effect Based on Semiconductor Heterostructures

摘要

As the number of transistors on LSIs increases, a new technology to remove the heat energydissipated from transistors and reduce the chip temperature is urgently required. We have fabricated anovel semiconductor heterostructure refrigeration device. This device utilizes both tunneling carrierinjection and thermionic emission, as proposed by Chao et al. [1]. The potential profile of this deviceis shown in Fig. 1; a quantum well (QW) is sandwiched by two asymmetric potential barriers. In thisstructure, low energy electrons are injected from the emitter (left electrode) into the quantum well byresonant tunneling through the first thin and high barrier. These electrons absorb heat in the QW andare thermionically emitted over the thicker and low barrier. This thick barrier also works as a wall toreduce the heat backflow [1]. In this system, the low-energy carrier injection and subsequentthermionic emission give rise to refrigeration in the QW.