A thermoelectric cooler works on the principal of converting temperature by applied electric voltage. The device which is a thermoelectric heat pump converts the temperature on either of its side, that is, it converts the hot part to cold and the cold part to a hotter temperature. This device is powered by electricity and causes a change in temperatures between two materials of different kinds. This device is mainly used for cooling and therefore it is known as a thermoelectric cooler.

The thermoelectric cooler is much less efficient than a compressor, but having no parts that move and being practically free of maintenance, this device is mainly used in areas where such parameters are important. It is mainly used in cooling components in electronic devices and in camping gear where coolers have to be portable. It also finds application in various scientific procedures and research applications. Thermoelectric cooler is now mainly used in cooling components like chips in computers. The device keeps the chips at an operational temperature without the necessity of a fan. It is also used to stabilise the functioning of a component whose clock speed is increased beyond what it was built for.

Thermoelectric coolers like any other device has undergone major changes with the advancement of technology and discovery new methods for enhancing its performance. A major step was achieved recently by Nextreme Thermal Solutions Inc., when their thermoelectric cooler, OptoCooler HV14 was able to achieve a difference of 60 degrees centigrade between the two sides. This achievement will translate into better cooling with a lesser power input and obtaining better efficiency in different electronic equipments.

There are various companies making different types of thermoelectric coolers suited for different applications and devices. TE Technology Inc., is one such company which has a wide range of cooling solutions through thermoelectric coolers. They have an in-house design team and also manufacture very reliable liquid coolers, thermoelectrical cool plates and various other thermoelectric coolers. They manufacture thermoelectric cooler modules, capable of high performance. The difference in temperatures is achieved by either using thermoelectric material of a superior quality or by increasing the capacity of pumping heat.

Thermoelectric coolers come in various sizes, but the most revolutionary is a cooler the size of a chip. A group of researchers from different institutions and companies have come together to demonstrate such a cooler. The capacity of the computer chip has increased manifold and this has brought about an increase in generation of heat. This rise in temperature, in turn retards the chip’s performance. A solution has been found and it is in the form of a thermoelectric cooler which can be embedded in the chip assembly. When electricity passes through it, the cooler is able to pump the heat out of the chip. Rather than cooling the whole chip, the thermoelectric cooler tries to cool the spots which have become very hot on the chip. This cooler is so small that the materials had to be fabricated on a nano scale. The materials used were selenium, antimony, bismuth and tellurium.