Samsung Earns Prestigious Award for Next-Gen Peltier Cooling Technology

Samsung has been honored with a 2025 R&D 100 Award for its groundbreaking Peltier cooling technology, a project developed in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Often described as the ‘Oscars of Innovation,’ the R&D 100 Awards celebrate the most transformative technologies across the globe each year.

The innovation was first introduced earlier this year in Nature Communications. Samsung engineers worked alongside Dr. Rama Venkatasubramanian’s thermoelectrics research team to revolutionize traditional Peltier devices. By leveraging nanotechnology, the team achieved an unprecedented leap in efficiency – up to 75% higher performance while using just 0.1% of the material compared to earlier generations.

Unlike conventional cooling methods that rely on chemical refrigerants harmful to the environment, Peltier devices use semiconductor materials to generate cooling. This new design not only reduces environmental impact but also opens the door for lightweight, compact, and sustainable cooling solutions. In the long run, the technology could find its way into everything from electric vehicles and massive data centers to everyday appliances and even residential cooling systems.

Samsung has already showcased a practical application of this innovation in its AI Hybrid Refrigerator, unveiled at IFA last year. While widespread adoption may still be years away, the recognition signals that Samsung’s work in eco-friendly cooling could shape the future of climate control across industries.