A thermoelectric device can comprise at least one first thermoelectric element, at least one second thermoelectric element, and a bridging structure. The bridging structure can include a bridging layer comprising a silver-gallium alloy. The silver-gallium alloy containing a bridging layer can provide flexibility and stress release to the thermoelectric device when subjected to multiple heating cycles, and may have a very low electrical resistance and thermal resistance.

A thermoelectric device can comprise at least one first thermoelectric element, at least one second thermoelectric element, and a bridging structure. The bridging structure can include a bridging layer comprising a silver-gallium alloy. The silver-gallium alloy containing a bridging layer can provide flexibility and stress release to the thermoelectric device when subjected to multiple heating cycles, and may have a very low electrical resistance and thermal resistance.

Exemplary thermoelectric devices and methods are disclosed herein. Thermoelectric generator performance is increased by the shaping isothermal fields within the bulk of a thermoelectric pellet, resulting in an increase in power output of a thermoelectric generator module. In one embodiment, a thermoelectric device includes a pellet comprising a semiconductor material, a first metal layer surrounding a first portion of the pellet, and a second metal layer surrounding a second portion of the pellet. The first and second metal layers are configured proximate to one another about a perimeter of the pellet. The pellet is exposed at the perimeter. And the perimeter is configured at a sidewall height about the pellet to provide a non-linear effect on a power output of the thermoelectric device by modifying an isotherm surface curvature within the pellet. The device also includes a metal container thermally and electrically bonded to the pellet.

The present disclosure is related to structures for and methods for producing thermoelectric devices. The thermoelectric devices include multiple stages of thermoelements. Each stage includes alternating n-type and p-type thermoelements. The stages are sandwiched between upper and lower sets of metal links fabricated on a pair of substrate layers. The metal links electrically connect pairs of n-type and p-type thermoelements from each stage. There may be additional sets of metal links between the multiple stages. The individual thermoelements may be sized to handle differing amounts of electric current to optimize performance based on their location within the multistage device.

Provided are an electrode material for thermoelectric conversion modules capable of preventing cracking and peeling of electrodes that may occur at the bonding parts of a thermoelectric element and an electrode under high-temperature conditions to thereby maintain a low resistance at the bonding parts, and a thermoelectric conversion module using the material. The electrode material for thermoelectric conversion modules includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, a thermoelectric element formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an electrode formed on at least one substrate of the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the substrate is a plastic film, the thermoelectric element contains a bismuth-tellurium-based thermoelectric semiconductor material, a telluride-based thermoelectric semiconductor material, an antimony-tellurium-based thermoelectric semiconductor material, or a bismuth-selenide-based thermoelectric semiconductor material, the electrode that is in contact with the thermoelectric element is formed of a metal material, and the metal material is gold, nickel, aluminum, rhodium, platinum, chromium, palladium, stainless steel, molybdenum or an alloy containing any of these metals.

A thermoelectric module includes a thermoelectric element disposed between a pair of electrodes, and an anchor layer disposed between the electrode and the thermoelectric element and connected with the thermoelectric element.

A thermoelectric conversion module is a thermoelectric conversion module in which a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements are electrically connected to each other via a first electrode portion disposed on first end side of the thermoelectric conversion elements and a second electrode portion disposed on the second end side of the thermoelectric conversion elements; a first insulating circuit board provided with a first insulating layer of which at least one surface is made of alumina and the first electrode portion formed of a sintered body of Ag formed on the one surface of the first insulating layer is disposed on the first end side of the thermoelectric conversion elements; and a glass component is present at an interface between the first electrode portion and the first insulating layer.

An insulated heat transfer substrate includes a heat transfer layer formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, a conductive layer provided on one surface side of the heat transfer layer, and a glass layer formed between the conductive layer and the heat transfer layer, in which the conductive layer is formed of a sintered body of silver, and a thickness of the glass layer is in a range of 5 μm or larger and 50 μm or smaller.

A thermoelectric conversion material includes a sintered body including a main phase including a plurality of crystal grains including Ce, Mn, Fe, and Sb and forming a skutterudite structure, and a grain boundary between crystal grains adjacent to each other. The grain boundary includes a sintering aid phase including at least Mn, Sb, and O. Thus, with respect to a skutterudite-type thermoelectric conversion material including Sb, which is a sintering-resistant material, it is possible to improve sinterability while maintaining a practical dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT, and to reduce processing cost.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bulk type thermoelectric element implemented so as to simplify the manufacturing process as well as to reduce the manufacturing cost. The method of manufacturing a bulk type thermoelectric element includes the steps of: preparing two types of P-type and N-type substrates by slicing a thermoelectric element material; bonding P-type pellets formed on the P-type substrate and N-type pellets formed on the N-type substrate to each other to alternately engaging with each other, and then polishing (grinding) the bottom of each substrate to form a P/N layer in which the P-type pellets and the N-type pellets are cross-formed; and assembling ceramic substrates with conductive electrode pads (PAD) on the top and the bottom of the P/N layer to complete a thermoelectric element.