Other

O-Flexx Technologies Gmbh

Mahle International Gmbh

Span, Gerhard

Gerhard Span

Stefan Hoppe

Nikolay Iosad

Ralph Teunissen

Arwed Siegloch

Martin Wagner

Juergen Haferkamp

Christian Vitek

The invention relates to a method for producing thermoelectric layers by depositing thermoelectric material on a substrate by means of sputter deposition. In order to create a method for producing thermoelectric layers that are better suited for use in thermogenerators, and in particular have higher Seebeck coefficients, the production of a target made of thermoelectric material is proposed by mixing at least two powdered starting materials having a particle size from 0.01 &#x3bc;m-5000 &#x3bc;m, while coupling in energy and depositing the thermoelectric material from the target on the substrate by way of magnetron sputter deposition.

Method for producing thermoelectric layers

A thermoelectric element having high thermal resistance and requiring less semiconductor material than a conventional thermoelectric element with comparable performance comprises a substrate having a substrate front side and a substrate rear side opposite the substrate front side, a first contact, applied as a layer to the substrate front side, a second contact, applied as a layer to the substrate front side, a cut-off between the first and second contact which thermally and electrically separates the first and second contact from one another, and a thermoelectrically active layer having a top side and a bottom side, which are connected to one another by lateral delimiting surfaces, wherein the thermoelectrically active layer is arranged in the cut-off in such a way that the bottom side is on the substrate front side, and one of the lateral delimiting surfaces is against the first contact and one of the lateral delimiting surfaces is against the second contact. The invention further relates to a method for producing the thermoelectric element.

Thermoelectric element

The invention relates to an arrangement comprising a thermo-electric generator having a hot side which absorbs heat from a heat source, a cold side which discharges heat to a heat sink, and electrical terminals for outputting electrical energy with an output voltage and an electric circuit with a maximum permissible input voltage, the inputs of which are connected to the electrical terminals of the thermo-electric generator. Such arrangements may be used, for example, in exhaust systems of motor vehicles for more efficient use of the energy. In order to provide such an arrangement, which can be connected to a heat source, in particular an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, largely independently of the magnitude of the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides of the thermo-electric generator, it is proposed that the thermo-electric generator be configured in such a way that saturation of the output voltage occurs below the maximum permissible input voltage of the electric circuit, or when said maximum permissible input voltage is reached.

Thermo-electric arrangement

A thermoelectric element includes at least one thermopair and a pn-junction. The thermopair has a first material with a positive Seebeck coefficient and a second material with a negative Seebeck coefficient. The first material is selectively contacted by way of a conductor with the p-side of the pn-junction, and the second material is selectively contacted by way of a conductor with the n-side of the pn-junction.

The invention relates to a thermoelectric element comprising at least one n-type layer ( ) and at least one p-type layer ( ) of one or more doped semiconductors, whereby the n-type layer(s) ( ) are arranged to form at least one pn-type junction ( ). At least one n-type layer ( ) and at least one p-type ( ) are contacted in an electrically selective manner, and a temperature gradient (T , T ) is applied or tapped parallel (x-direction) to the boundary layer ( ) between at the least one n-type layer ( ) and p-type layer ( ). At least one pn-type junction is formed essentially along the entire, preferably longest, extension of the n-type layer(s) ( ) and the p-type layer(s) ( ) and, thus, essentially along the entire boundary layer ( ) thereof.

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Wattens, Austria

Gerhard Span