111-V Based Heterostructure Integrated Thermionic Coolers

Solid state coolers based on 111-V material can be monolithically integrated with optoelectronic and hgh-speed electronics components. The use of thermionic emission in heterostructures will permit to enhance cooling capacities beyond linear transport regime. Monte Carlo calculations are used to study main energy relaxation mechanisms in 111-V thin barrier heterostructures, i.e., polar optical phonon and intervalley scattering. The bias dependence of electron energy relaxation length is analyzed and important parameters for the design of heterostructure integrated thermionic (HIT) coolers are identified. Single-stage InCaAsP based HIT coolers have been fabricated and characterized. Cooling up to 0.7K over one micron thick barrier has been measured