Design and characterization of thin film microcoolers

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Abstract
Thin film coolers can provide large cooling power densities compared to bulk thermoelectrics due to the close spacing of hot and cold junctions. Important parameters in the design of such coolers are investigated theoretically and experimentally. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element simulator (ANSYS) is used to model self-consistently thermal and electrical properties of a complete device structure. The dominant three-dimensional thermal and electrical spreading resistances acquired from the 3D simulation are also used in a one-dimensional model (MATLAB) to obtain faster, less rigorous results. Heat conduction, Joule heating, thermoelectric and thermionic cooling are included in these models as well as nonideal effects such as contact resistance, finite thermal resistance of the substrate and the heat sink, and heat generation in the wire bonds. Simulations exhibit good agreement with experimental results from InGaAsP-based thin film thermionic emission coolers which have demonstrated maximum cooling of 1.15 °C at room temperature. With the nonideal effects minimized, simulations predict that single stage thin film coolers can provide up to 20–30 °C degrees centigrade cooling with cooling power densities of several 1000 W/cm2.