Samsung Wins ‘The Oscars of Innovation’ for Next-Gen Peltier Cooling Technology

A few weeks ago, Samsung confirmed that it is developing next-gen Peltier cooling technology in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). This technology uses nano-engineered thin-film thermoelectrics and earned recognition for both innovation and practicality. It has won the 2025 R&D 100 Award, also known as the ‘Nobel Prize of Engineering’ and ‘The Oscars of Innovation.’

Samsung awarded for breakthrough cooling technology

Sponsored by R&D World Magazine, the R&D 100 Awards recognize the 100 most innovative technologies each year. Winning such an award shows how Samsung’s technology has advanced in recent years. Speaking of Peltier cooling, it is a refrigerant-free solid-state cooling technology. It works by cooling through the Peltier effect, where an electric current through a semiconductor makes one side cool while the other side heats.

“Winning the R&D 100 Awards is a testament to the global recognition of our technology for both innovation and practical use,” said Joonhyun Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of the Life Solution Team at Samsung Research. “This achievement strengthens Samsung’s position as a leader in next-generation cooling solutions, and we will continue to pioneer technologies that can create new value for industries and society.”

Researchers from Samsung Research’s Life Solution Team and APL used nano-engineering techniques to improve Peltier devices. They increased efficiency by nearly 75% through the use of new thin-film semiconductor materials. The team developed a high-efficiency Peltier refrigerator that works better than traditional vapor compression models. Their research is available in the science journal Nature Communications with the title ‘Nano-Engineered Thin-Film Thermoelectric Materials Enable Practical Solid-State Refrigeration.’

The newly developed device also has advantages for mass production. The research team found that the manufacturing process uses only about 1/1,000 of the Peltier materials generally needed. Furthermore, it simplifies production steps, which is beneficial for scaling up production. Apart from refrigerators, several industries such as semiconductors, medical devices, automotive electronics, and data centers could use this technology.