Cooling Principle of Peltier Semiconductor Devices 

Samsung Electronics has achieved a technological breakthrough that will realize the era of "refrigerators without refrigerants." By actively applying "Peltier (thermoelectric) cooling technology," which uses electricity to transfer heat instead of traditional refrigerants, to home appliances, the company is leading the eco-friendly transition in the appliance industry.

Samsung launched the "Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator" in the second half of last year, incorporating Peltier cooling into an actual product. This refrigerator is equipped with Peltier modules as an auxiliary cooling device, in addition to the traditional compressor system. It significantly improves energy efficiency by controlling the rapid temperature changes that occur during defrosting or by selectively cooling specific zones based on AI analysis. Compared to existing products, power consumption is reduced by approximately 30%, and it is evaluated to offer vibration-free, silent operation, and precise temperature control.

A particularly noteworthy technology is the **thin-film thermoelectric element** that Samsung Electronics is jointly developing with the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. It is considered a next-generation material that increases cooling efficiency by over 75% compared to existing ones and reduces the required resources to 1/1000th. This technology has entered pilot testing in the United States and is expected to be officially launched in the North American market as early as the **second half of 2025**. A launch in Korea is being coordinated for around 2026.

What is Peltier Cooling Technology?

This is a technology based on the phenomenon discovered by French physicist Jean Peltier in 1834, which utilizes the **effect where heat is absorbed on one side and released on the other when an electric current flows through the junction of two different semiconductors**. Cooling is possible without compressors or refrigerants, and it has advantages in **vibration-free operation, precise control, and miniaturization**. Previously, low cooling efficiency limited commercialization, but recent advancements in nanomaterials and thin-film processing have enabled it to achieve practical performance levels.

Based on this technology, Samsung plans to expand its lineup of completely refrigerant-free premium refrigerators, such as the "Bespoke AI Cold Breeze (tentative name)," and subsequently **expand the technology to industrial fields** that require precise cooling, including medical devices, servers, and semiconductor processes.

An industry official emphasized, "Refrigerators without refrigerants go beyond simple functional improvements; they are future-oriented products that respond to global standards of environmental friendliness and energy saving. Peltier technology is a key driver that can change the landscape of cooling technology not only in the home appliance industry but worldwide."

Timeline of Peltier Cooling Technology Application

• 2024: Launch of "Bespoke AI Hybrid Refrigerator" (Peltier + Compressor hybrid system)

• H2 2025: Planned launch of products based on thin-film thermoelectric elements in the North American market

• Around 2026: Plans to expand global lineup of refrigerant-free refrigerators in Korea and other regions

• Future: Expected expansion into B2B cooling technologies for medical, semiconductor, and server industries