The potentially transformative possibilities of thermoelectric technologies have long been understood and are frequently noted in the 3000+ papers published each year. Over the past two decades, the thermoelectric material figure of merit has been increased substantially, but the promise of widely used commercial thermoelectric technologies has not been realized. Fresh perspectives are needed.

This short course consists of two modules, The modules in this course are designed to introduce semiconductor scientists and engineers to thermoelectric science and technology. The first module (by Lundstrom) is on the theory of thermoelectricity with the goal of understanding the thermoelectric transport coefficients. The second module (by Shakouri) covers thermoelectric devices and systems focusing on issues that must be addressed to realize the promise of thermoelectrics.

The background assumed for this short course is a basic understanding of semiconductor fundamentals, and the goal is to help those new to the field to follow the current research literature and to contribute new ideas that address the roadblocks that remain.

Upon completion of this short course, those who are interested in a more indepth look at thermoelectricity can visit the nanoHUB-U course Thermoelectricity: From Atoms to Systems.