Tokyo, April 25, 2016 – A thermoelectric (TE) device using cutting edge thermoelectric conversion technology has been created by a team comprising NEC Corporation, NEC TOKIN Corporation and Tohoku University.
The new technology, known as the spin Seebeck effect, has conversion efficiency 10 times higher than the conventional method *3.
Thermoelectric conversion technology that converts energy abandoned as waste heat back to electric power could potentially save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although conventional spin Seebeck thermoelectric devices have the advantage of low manufacturing costs and high versatility and durability, their energy conversion efficiency is inferior.
“We have improved the conversion efficiency of this spin Seebeck thermoelectric device by more than 10 times because of its newly developed material and device structure,” says Soichi Tsumura, General Manager, IoT Device Research Laboratories, NEC Corporation. “Furthermore, devices made of flexible material, such as resin, have been achieved using a manufacturing process that does not require high-temperature heat treatment.”