Bed R Poudel

7586033, Sep 8, 2009

May 3, 2005

11/120729

Zhifeng Ren - Newton MA, US
Gang Chen - Carlisle MA, US
Bed Poudel - West Newton MA, US
Shankar Kumar - Newton MA, US
Wenzhong Wang - Beijing, CN
Mildred Dresselhaus - Arlington MA, US

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA
The Trustees of Boston College - Chestnut Hill MA

C01B 25/14
C01B 19/00
H01L 35/16
H01L 35/22
H01L 35/14

136239, 136201, 136238, 1362361, 977813, 423508

The present invention generally relates to binary or higher order semiconductor nanoparticles doped with a metallic element, and thermoelectric compositions incorporating such nanoparticles. In one aspect, the present invention provides a thermoelectric composition comprising a plurality of nanoparticles each of which includes an alloy matrix formed of a Group IV element and Group VI element and a metallic dopant distributed within the matrix.

8580100, Nov 12, 2013

Feb 24, 2011

12/932372

Hsien-Ping Feng - Watertown MA, US
Gang Chen - Carlisle MA, US
Yu Bo - Chesnut Hill MA, US
Zhifeng Ren - Newton MA, US
Shuo Chen - Newton MA, US
Bed Poudel - Newtonville MA, US

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA
The Trustees of Boston College - Chestnutt Hill MA
GMZ Energy, Inc. - Waltham MA

C25D 5/02
C25D 5/54

205135, 205162, 205118

Methods of forming a conductive metal layers on substrates are disclosed which employ a seed layer to enhance bonding, especially to smooth, low-roughness or hydrophobic substrates. In one aspect of the invention, the seed layer can be formed by applying nanoparticles onto a surface of the substrate; and the metallization is achieved by electroplating an electrically conducting metal onto the seed layer, whereby the nanoparticles serve as nucleation sites for metal deposition. In another approach, the seed layer can be formed by a self-assembling linker material, such as a sulfur-containing silane material.

20060251569, Nov 9, 2006

May 3, 2005

11/120725

Zhifeng Ren - Newton MA, US
Gang Chen - Carlisle MA, US
Bed Poudel - Watertown MA, US
Shankar Kumar - Watertown MA, US
Wenzhong Wang - Newton MA, US
Mildred Dresselhaus - Arlington MA, US

MASS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT) - Cambridge MA
The Trustees of Boston College - Chestnut Hill MA

C01B 19/02
H01M 4/58

423510000, 423561100, 977900000

The present invention provides methods for synthesis of IV-VI nanostructures, and thermoelectric compositions formed of such structures. In one aspect, the method includes forming a solution of a Group IV reagent, a Group VI reagent and a surfactant. A reducing agent can be added to the solution, and the resultant solution can be maintained at an elevated temperature, e.g., in a range of about 20 C. to about 360 C., for a duration sufficient for generating nanoparticles as binary alloys of the IV-VI elements.

20080202575, Aug 28, 2008

Dec 3, 2007

11/949353

Zhifeng Ren - Newton MA, US
Bed Poudel - Brighton MA, US
Gang Chen - Carlisle MA, US
Yucheng Lan - Newton MA, US
Dezhi Wang - Wellesley MA, US
Qing Hao - Cambridge MA, US
Mildred Dresselhaus - Arlington MA, US
Yi Ma - Somerville MA, US
Xiao Yan - Brighton MA, US
Xiaoyuan Chen - Acton MA, US
Xiaowei Wang - Newton MA, US
Joshi R. Giri - Allston MA, US
Bo Yu - Allston MA, US

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT) - Cambridge MA
The Trustees of Boston College - Chestnut Hill MA

H01L 35/34
H01L 35/16

136201, 136240, 136239, 136238

Thermoelectric materials with high figures of merit, ZT values, are disclosed. In many instances, such materials include nano-sized domains (e.g., nanocrystalline), which are hypothesized to help increase the ZT value of the material (e.g., by increasing phonon scattering due to interfaces at grain boundaries or grain/inclusion boundaries). The ZT value of such materials can be greater than about 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 2 and even higher. Such materials can be manufactured from a thermoelectric starting material by generating nanoparticles therefrom, or mechanically alloyed nanoparticles from elements which can be subsequently consolidated (e.g., via direct current induced hot press) into a new bulk material. Non-limiting examples of starting materials include bismuth, lead, and/or silicon-based materials, which can be alloyed, elemental, and/or doped. Various compositions and methods relating to aspects of nanostructured thermoelectric materials (e.g., modulation doping) are further disclosed.

20120160290, Jun 28, 2012

May 28, 2010

13/322280

Gang Chen - Carlisle MA, US
Zhifeng Ren - Newton MA, US
Bed Poudel - Brighton MA, US
Aaron Bent - North Reading MA, US

GMZ Energy, Inc. - Waltham MA

H01L 35/02
H01L 35/30

136206

An apparatus includes an evacuated enclosure which comprises a tubular member extending along a longitudinal axis, a radiation absorber disposed in the enclosure and having a front surface and a back surface, the front surface being adapted for exposure to solar radiation so as to generate heat, at least one thermoelectric converter disposed in the enclosure and thermally coupled to the absorber, the converter having a high-temperature end to receive at least a portion of the generated heat, such that a temperature differential is achieved across the at least one thermoelectric converter, a support structure disposed in the enclosure coupled to a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric converter, where the support structure removes heat from a low-temperature end of the thermoelectric converter, and a heat conducting element extending between the support structure and the evacuated enclosure and adapted to transfer heat from the support structure to the enclosure. The absorber, the at least one thermoelectric converter, and the support structure are arranged as a planar unit located within the tubular member.

20120326097, Dec 27, 2012

Dec 19, 2011

13/330216

Zhifeng Ren - Newton MA, US
Xiao Yan - Chesnut Hill MA, US
Giri Joshi - Brighton MA, US
Gang Chen - Carlisle MA, US
Bed Poudel - Brighton MA, US
James Christopher Caylor - Melrose MA, US

Trustees of Boston College - Chesnut Hill MA
GMZ Energy, Inc. - Waltham MA

H01B 1/02
B22F 3/10
B22F 1/00

252513, 419 33, 419 23

Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size.

20130175484, Jul 11, 2013

Dec 19, 2012

13/719966

GMZ Energy, Inc. - Waltham MA, US
Giri Joshi - Brighton MA, US
Shuo Chen - Newton MA, US
Gang Chen - Carlisle MA, US
Bed Poudel - Brighton MA, US
James Christopher Caylor - Melrose MA, US

TRUSTEES OF BOSTON COLLEGE - Chestnut Hill MA
GMZ ENERGY, INC. - Waltham MA

H01B 1/02

252513

Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size.

20130340801, Dec 26, 2013

Jun 24, 2013

13/924826

James Christopher Caylor - Melrose MA, US
Michael Kozlowski - Boston MA, US
Bed Poudel - Brighton MA, US

H01L 35/30

136201, 136212, 136205

A power generating system comprising a heat exchanger comprising an inlet, an outlet and a conduit extending along a length of the heat exchanger between the inlet and the outlet, and a plurality of thermally conductive fins provided within the conduit, a packing fraction of the fins increasing from a first packing fraction proximate the inlet to a second packing fraction proximate the outlet; and a plurality of thermoelectric power generators positioned along the length of the heat exchanger, each thermoelectric power generator comprising a hot side, a cold side and a thermoelectric element extending there between, wherein the hot sides of the thermoelectric power generators are in thermal contact with the plurality of fins such that the temperature of each hot side is substantially equal along the length of the heat exchanger.