Integrated flexible thermoelectric device and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An integrated flexible thermoelectric device includes p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and n-type carbon nanoparticle regions which are alternately and continuously connected to each other. In particular, the p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and the n-type carbon nanoparticle regions are formed on the one carbon nanoparticle paper.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermoelectric device, comprising:
 a carbon nanotube paper comprising p-type carbon nanotube regions and a n-type carbon nanotube regions; and   wherein dopants are doped on the n-type nanotube regions to allow the dopants of characteristics in opposition to the carbon nanotube paper to be formed on the carbon nanotube paper and the n-type nanotube regions are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval,   wherein the p-type nanotube regions are undoped regions.   
     
     
         2 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 1 , wherein the dopants are physically adsorbed on a surface of a carbon nanotube of the carbon nanotube paper to form the n-type. 
     
     
         3 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 1 , wherein the p-type carbon nanotube regions and the n-type carbon nanotube regions are alternately and continuously aligned in a line. 
     
     
         4 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 1 , wherein the p-type carbon nanotube regions and the n-type carbon nanotube regions are alternately and continuously laminated. 
     
     
         5 . A thermoelectric device, comprising:
 p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and n-type carbon nanoparticle regions which are alternately and continuously connected to each other,   wherein the p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and the n-type carbon nanoparticle regions are formed on a carbon nanoparticle paper.   
     
     
         6 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 5 , wherein the n-type carbon nanoparticle regions are formed by physically adsorbing n-type dopants on a surface of the carbon nanoparticle of the carbon nanoparticle paper. 
     
     
         7 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 6 , wherein the n-type dopants include a monomolecular material or a polymer material containing group 5B, group 6B or group 7B atoms including unshared electron pairs. 
     
     
         8 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 6 , wherein the n-type dopants include triphenylphosphine (TPP) or polyethyleneimine (PEI). 
     
     
         9 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 6 , wherein the p-type carbon nanoparticle regions are regions in which the n-type dopants are not adsorbed on the carbon nanoparticle paper. 
     
     
         10 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 9 , wherein the p-type carbon nanoparticle regions are regions from which the n-type dopants injected into a carbon nanoparticle are removed by sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) or thionyl chloride (SOCl 2 ). 
     
     
         11 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 5 , wherein the p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and the n-type carbon nanoparticle regions are alternately and continuously aligned in a line. 
     
     
         12 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 5 , wherein the p-type carbon nanoparticle regions and the n-type carbon nanoparticle regions are alternately and continuously laminated. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
 preparing a carbon nanotube emulsion by dispersing a carbon nanotube in a solvent;   forming p-type carbon nanotube paper by molding a layer using the carbon nanotube emulsion; and   forming n-type regions on the p-type carbon nanotube paper by selectively injecting n-type dopants into the n-type regions which are predetermined regions on the p-type carbon nanotube paper, thereby forming a p+n integrated carbon nanotube ribbon in which p-type regions and n-type regions are alternately and continuously aligned.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising alternately and sequentially laminating the p-type regions and the n-type regions by folding interface portions between the p-type regions and the n-type regions of the p+n integrated carbon nanotube ribbon. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein when preparing the carbon nanotube emulsion, the carbon nanotube is dispersed into nanoparticles by adding a powder of the carbon nanotube in the solvent and then performing an ultra sonication. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the solvent includes one or more selected from the group consisting of dimethyl formamide (DMF), water, methyl pyrrolidone (NMP), methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein when forming of the p-type carbon nanotube paper, the p-type carbon nanotube paper are manufactured in a form of a buckypaper by performing a vacuum filtration of the carbon nanotube emulsion and then performing a process of molding a layer. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein when forming of the p+n integrated carbon nanotube ribbon, the p-type carbon nanotube paper is divided into the p-type regions and n-type regions and the n-type dopants are then physically adsorbed on surfaces of carbon nanotubes of the n-type regions. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the n-type dopants are physically adsorbed by injecting an n-type dopant solution into the n-type regions, coating the n-type regions with the n-type dopants, or vacuum-adsorbing the n-type dopants in the n-type regions. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the n-type dopant solution includes triphenylphosphine (TPP) dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or polyethyleneimine (PEI) dissolved in ethanol. 
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing an integrated flexible thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
 forming an n-type carbon nanotube paper by steps comprising dispersing a carbon nanotube in an n-type dopant solution and molding a layer molding, wherein the n-type dopant solution comprises n-type dopants; and   selectively removing the n-type dopants of predetermined regions from the n-type carbon nanotube paper, thereby forming a p+n integrated carbon nanotube ribbon in which p-type regions and n-type regions are alternately and continuously aligned.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the n-type carbon nanotube paper is formed by steps comprising:
 preparing a carbon nanotube emulsion by adding a powder of the carbon nanotube in the n-type dopant solution in which triphenylphosphine (TPP) is dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or polyethyleneimine (PEI) is dissolved in ethanol; and performing an ultra sonication; and   molding a layer by steps comprising performing a vacuum filtration for the carbon nanotube emulsion.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein when selectively removing of the n-type dopant from the n-type carbon nanotube paper, the n-type dopants doped in the p-type regions are washed with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or ethanol. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein when selectively removing of the n-type dopant from the n-type carbon nanotube paper, a surface treatment for the p-type regions is performed with carbonyl functional group including a carbonyl group function using sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) or thionyl chloride (SOCl 2 ).