Nanowerk May 1, 2023
To facilitate the development of thermoelectric modules for various operating temperature ranges, a connection technology that is suitable for heat-sensitive thermoelectric materials and capable of realizing both low-temperature connections and high-temperature service is required. Researchers at the University of Houston used low-temperature sintering of silver nanoparticles as an approach to connect the electrode and metallization layer of low- (Bi2Te3-based), medium- (PbTe-based) and high-temperature (half-Heusler-based) thermoelectric modules. Due to the low melting point of Ag nanoparticles and the high stability in the sintered bulk, the processing temperature of the module was decoupled from the operating temperature, avoiding welding thermal stress. They demonstrated a conversion efficiency of ~11% at the temperature difference of 550 K for the PbTe-based module. The module’s performance remained nearly unchanged throughout thermal cycling between hot-side temperatures of 593 and 793 K for 50 cycles. Their work could accelerate the development of advanced modules for thermoelectric power generation… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Characterization of Ag NPs and corresponding sintered junctions. Credit: Nature Energy (2023)