The present invention relates to a novel chalcogen-containing compound that exhibits excellent phase stability even at a temperature corresponding to the driving temperature of a thermoelectric element, and has a high output factor and thermoelectric figure of merit, a method for preparing the same, and a thermoelectric element including the same.

A compound containing Sn, Te and Mg, and further containing either one or both of Sb and Bi.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric leg comprises: a thermoelectric material layer comprising Bi and Te; a first metal layer and a second metal layer respectively arranged the thermoelectric material layer; a first adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the first metal layer and comprising the Te, and a second adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the second metal layer and comprising the Te; and a first plating layer arranged between the first metal layer and the first adhesive layer, and a second plating layer arranged between the second metal layer and the second adhesive layer, wherein the thermoelectric material layer is arranged between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the amount of the Te is higher than the amount of the Bi in the thermoelectric material layer.

To provide a thermoelectric conversion module member which has a high connecting property between a thermoelectric conversion layer and a diffusion prevention layer and is also excellent in heat resistance.

A thermoelectric conversion module member comprising a thermoelectric conversion layer and a diffusion prevention layer in contact with the above-described thermoelectric conversion layer, wherein the above-described thermoelectric conversion layer is a layer containing a thermoelectric conversion material having a silicon element or a tellurium element, the above-described diffusion prevention layer is a layer containing a metal and the same thermoelectric conversion material as that contained in the above-described thermoelectric conversion layer, and the amount of the above-described thermoelectric conversion material in the above-described diffusion prevention layer is 10 to 50 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the above-described metal.

An optical fiber has an optical fiber core for high-power laser transmission, an optical cladding surrounding the optical fiber core, and at least one harvesting cell disposed around the optical cladding, where the harvesting cell includes an anode, a thermoelectric layer disposed adjacent to and electrically connected to the anode, and a cathode disposed adjacent to and electrically connected to the thermoelectric layer, and where the thermoelectric layer includes a polymer-based thermoelectric material.

A fast-rate thermoelectric device control system includes a fast-rate thermoelectric device, a sensor, and a controller. The fast-rate thermoelectric device includes a thermoelectric actuator array disposed on a wafer, and the thermoelectric actuator array includes a thin-film thermoelectric (TFTE) actuator that generates a heating and/or a cooling effect in response to an electrical current. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature associated with the heating or cooling effect and output a feedback signal indicative of the measured temperature. The controller is in communication with the fast-rate thermoelectric device and the sensor, and is configured to control the electrical current based on the feedback signal.

A low-temperature high-performance thermoelectric material possesses a chemical formula of (Ag.sub.yCu.sub.2−y).sub.1−xTe.sub.1−zSe.sub.z, wherein −0.025≤x≤0.075, 0.6≤y≤1.4, 0<z≤0.25, diffraction peaks of a main phase of the thermoelectric material are indexed as a cubic structure at room temperature of 300 K, a highest ZT value between 300 K and 673 K is in range of 0.4 to 1.6, an average ZT value (ZT).sub.avg is in range of 0.2 to 1.4. The highest ZT value of this material at the room temperature is comparable to that of Bi.sub.2Te.sub.3, which is an excellent complement to existing low-temperature thermoelectric materials. At the same time, the present invention also indicates a new strategy to improve the low-temperature thermoelectric performance of Cu.sub.2X-based (here, X is S, Se, Te) materials, and lays a foundation for the application of Cu.sub.2X-based materials in the field of low-temperature thermoelectricity.

The present disclosure relates to a thermoelectric material, and more specifically to a superlattice thermoelectric material and a thermoelectric device using the same. The superlattice thermoelectric material has a composition of a following Chemical Formula 1:
(AX).sub.n(D.sub.2X′.sub.3).sub.m  ,<Chemical Formula 1> wherein, in the Chemical Formula 1, A is at least one of Ge, Sn, and Pb, X is a chalcogen element, and at least one of S, Se, and Te, D is at least one of Bi and Sb, each of n and m is an integer between 1 and 100, and A or X is at least partially substituted with a dopant.

A thermoelectric module 1 includes: a plurality of electrodes (high temperature side electrodes 11 and low temperature side electrodes 12); thermoelectric conversion elements (p-type element 21 and n-type element 22) arranged between the two electrodes; and a bonding layer 30 disposed between the electrodes and the thermoelectric conversion elements. The bonding layer 30 contains copper-containing particles, copper balls each having a particle diameter of 30 μm or more, an intermetallic compound of copper and tin, and a fired resin.

The present invention provides apparatuses comprising a plurality of junctions providing a Seebeck effect, configured as alternating hot and cold junctions. The apparatus can be configured such that the cold junctions exhibit a different thermal behavior than the hot junctions in response to incident radiation. The junctions can be connected in series, such that the sum of the Seebeck effect from the plurality of junctions provides a sensitive, inherently calibrated indication of heating of the apparatus responsive to incident radiation, and therefore of the radiation itself.