The device presented in this patent application is a solid state “thermoelectric device”, which receives energy from an external heat source by direct contact or by radiation (input), and uses part of that thermal energy to generate electrical energy by radiation (output). This can be used to compose a thermoelectric generator, and/or as a “thermo electronic regulator” in an electronic circuit. Transducers with the same structure and that operate in a similar way, that is, they receive energy from an external source of electromagnetic radiation, or by direct contact with a heat source and transform it by radiation into electrical energy, they are the elements that make up the photovoltaic cells (photoelectric effect) and thermionic generators (thermionic effect). On the other hand, electronic devices that regulate the flow of current in a certain circuit such as transistors and some type of diode in particular, are composed of materials that interact with each other in a similar way to those used by this thermoelectric device, but are generally powered by electrical energy.

A thermoelectric module including at least a first and a second thermoelectric element comprising a thermoelectric semiconductor; an electrode connecting the first and second thermoelectric elements; and at least a first and a second joining layer, the first joining layer positioned between the first thermoelectric element and the electrode, and the second joining layer positioned between the second thermoelectric element and the electrode; and at least a first and a second barrier layer including an alloy including Cu, Mo and Ti, the first barrier layer positioned between the first thermoelectric element and the first joining layer, and the second barrier layer positioned between the second thermoelectric element and the second joining layer. The module prevents heat diffusion of the material of the joining layer, preventing the oxidation and deformation of the thermoelectric element under high temperature environment, and exhibiting improved operational stability due to excellent adhesion to a thermoelectric element.

A stannide thermoelectric conversion module includes a thermoelectric conversion element, and an electrode material bonded to the thermoelectric conversion element with a bonding material therebetween, the thermoelectric conversion element is a stannide thermoelectric conversion element including a thermoelectric conversion part containing a stannide compound having composition represented by a general expression Mg.sub.2Si.sub.1-xSn.sub.x (where x satisfies a relation of 0.5<x<1 in the general expression), and a first diffusion prevention layer located on a surface of the thermoelectric conversion part, wherein the first diffusion prevention layer includes an Mo layer, and the bonding material is a non-flowable bonding material having no fluidity.

A thermoelectric generation module includes a first substrate and a second substrate, a plurality of first electrodes and second electrodes that are arranged on the first substrate and the second substrate, a thermoelectric conversion element arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a terminal pin connected to the second electrode. The second substrate includes an insulator layer made of an electrical insulating material, a through-hole that penetrates the insulator layer for insertion of the terminal pin, and an annular metal layer arranged at a peripheral portion of the through-hole. A space between the terminal pin and the through-hole is sealed by solder.

A metal junction thermoelectric device includes at least one thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element has first and second opposite sides, and a first conductor made from a first metal, and a second conductor made from a second metal. The first and second conductors are electrically interconnected in series, and the first and second conductors are arranged to conduct heat in parallel between the first and second sides. The first metal has a first occupancy state, and the second metal has a second occupancy state that is lower than the first occupancy state. A temperature difference between the first and second sides of the thermoelectric element causes a charge potential due to the difference in occupancy states of the first and second metals. The charge potential generates electrical power.

Provided is a thermoelectric material which exhibits excellent thermoelectric characteristics at room temperature; a method for producing this thermoelectric material; and a thermoelectric power generation element using this thermoelectric material. In an embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric material contains an inorganic compound that contains magnesium (Mg), antimony (Sb) and/or bismuth (Bi), copper (Cu), and if necessary M (M is composed of at least one element that is selected from the group consisting of selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te)); and inorganic compound is represented by MgaSb.sub.2-b-cBi.sub.bM.sub.cCu.sub.d, wherein a, b, c and d satisfy 3≤a 3.5, 0≤b≤2, 0≤c≤0.06, 0≤d≤0.1, and (b+1)≤2.

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.

[Object] To provide a thermoelectric generation cell using a safe and inexpensive general-purpose thermoelectric material. [Solving Means] A thermoelectric generation cell, including: a fire-resistant-material frame (310) that holds a plurality of stacked thermoelectric generation units in a state of being insulated from adjacent thermoelectric generation units with each other; a heating section (311) of a plurality of stacked bodies of the thermoelectric generation units, the heating section being provided to the fire-resistant-material frame; and first and second cooling insulation oil sections (312a and 312b) that are provided at both sides of the fire-resistant-material frame, the first and second cooling insulation oil portions (312a and 312b) being provided on sides of first and second cooling sections of the thermoelectric generation units, the thermoelectric generation cell having a structure in which the thermoelectric generation units are bridged while being extended between the first cooling insulation oil section, the fire-resistant-material frame, and the second cooling insulation oil section.

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.

A thermoelectric element of the present invention comprises a first metal substrate, a first resin layer, a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric legs and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric legs, a plurality of second electrodes, a second resin layer, and a second metal substrate, wherein the first metal substrate is a low-temperature portion, the second metal substrate is a high-temperature portion, the second resin layer comprises a first layer and a second layer arranged on the first layer, the first and second layers include a silicon (Si)-based resin, and the bonding strength of the first resin layer is higher than the bonding strength of the second resin layer.