Self-cooled vertical electronic component

Abstract

A self-cooled electronic component comprising a vertical monolithic circuit, in which the vertical monolithic circuit is electrically connected in series with a Peltier cooler so that the D.C. current flowing through the circuit supplies the cooler and in which the circuit and the cooler are placed against each other so that the cold surface of the cooler is in thermal contact with the circuit.

1 . A self-cooled electronic component comprising a vertical monolithic circuit electrically connected in series with a Peltier cooler so that a D.C. current flowing through the circuit supplies the cooler and wherein the circuit and the cooler are placed against each other so that the cold surface of the cooler is in thermal contact with the circuit, wherein the cooler comprises an odd number of concentric regions of a thermoelectric semiconductor material, of alternate conductivity types, laterally isolated, and electrically connected in series, a surface of a central region corresponding to a first terminal, and an opposite surface of an external region corresponding to a second terminal.  
   
   
       2 . The self-cooled electronic component of  claim 1 , wherein the cooler comprises three concentric regions: 
 a central region of a first conductivity type;    a ring-shaped region of a second conductivity type extending around the central region and electrically and thermally laterally isolated from the central region; and    a peripheral region of the first conductivity type extending around the ring-shaped region and electrically and thermally laterally isolated from the ring-shaped region;    the central, ring-shaped, and peripheral regions being of same depth;    the central and ring-shaped regions being thermally and electrically interconnected by a central metal plate on a first hot or cold surface of the cooler; and    the ring-shaped and peripheral regions being thermally and electrically interconnected by a ring-shaped metal plate on a second cold or hot surface of the cooler.    
   
   
       3 . The self-cooled electronic component of  claim 2 , wherein the central region is integral with a first current input/output metallization; and wherein the peripheral region is integral with a second current input/output metallization, the first and second current input/output metallizations being formed on opposite surfaces of the cooler and being thermally and electrically isolated from the neighboring metal plate of interconnection of the central region to the ring-shaped region or of the ring-shaped region to the peripheral region.  
   
   
       4 . The self-cooled electronic component of  claim 3 , wherein the surface areas of the central, ring-shaped, and peripheral regions are equal.  
   
   
       5 . The self-cooled electronic component of  claim 3 , wherein the current coming from the circuit enters the cooler through the first metallization and comes out through the second metallization, the first conductivity type being type P and the second conductivity type being type N.  
   
   
       6 . The self-cooled electronic component of  claim 3 , wherein a full-plate metallization extends over the entire surface of the system comprising the metal plate of interconnection of the central region to the ring-shaped region, and is electrically isolated form said metal interconnection plate.  
   
   
       7 . A Peltier cooler adapted to the cooling of a circuit, comprising an odd number of concentric regions of alternate conductive types of a thermoelectric semiconductor material, these regions being laterally isolated and electrically connected in series, a surface of the central region corresponding to a first terminal, and an opposite surface of the external region corresponding to a second terminal.  
   
   
       8 . The Peltier cooler of  claim 7 , comprising: 
 a central region of a first conductivity type adapted to being placed against at least a portion of a main surface of the one-way component;    a ring-shaped region of a second conductivity type extending around the central region and being laterally electrically and thermally isolated from the central region; and    a peripheral region of the first conductivity type extending around the ring-shaped region and being electrically and thermally laterally isolated from the ring-shaped region;    the central, ring-shaped, and peripheral regions being of same depth;    the central and ring-shaped regions being thermally and electrically interconnected by a central metal plate on a first hot or cold surface of the cooler; and    the ring-shaped and peripheral regions being thermally and electrically interconnected by a ring-shaped metal plate on a second cold or hot surface of the cooler.