Kelk Ltd.

Komatsu Corporation

Shinichi Fujimoto

Hiroyuki Matsunami

Toshihiko Kishizawa

Hirokuni Hachiuma

Kazuya Makino

Manabu Ishii

Takeshi Kajihara

Hiroyuki Mizukami

Kouichi Ishida

Hideaki Yamagishi

Fumitaka Ueno

A thermoelectric module includes a substrate, a plurality of electrodes arranged on a surface of the substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric elements respectively connected to the plurality of electrodes, and at least three terminals respectively connected to the different electrodes and connected to one or both of a first load and a second load.

Thermoelectric module and adjustment method of thermoelectric module

A thermoelectric module includesa plurality of electrodes (high temperature side electrodes and low temperature side electrodes, thermoelectric conversion elements (p-type element and n-type element) arranged between the two electrodes, and a bonding layer disposed between the electrodes and the thermoelectric conversion elements. The bonding layer includes 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.

Thermoelectric module

A thermoelectric generation module has a cooling surface formed on one of a front side and a rear side and a heating surface formed on the other thereof. The thermoelectric generation module includes: a plurality of thermoelectric elements; a pair of flexible boards holding the thermoelectric elements therebetween and respectively defining the cooling surface and the heating surface; a plurality of interelement electrodes respectively provided on opposed surfaces of the flexible boards and configured to electrically connect the thermoelectric elements to each other; a lead wire configured to be electrically connected to an interelement electrode to which a terminal element located at an end of an electrical arrangement is connected; and a reinforcing pattern interposed between the flexible boards and being closer to the drawn-out lead wire with respect to the terminal element.

Thermoelectric power generation module

A thermoelectric power module which can be manufactured without spoiling solderability or joining strength when a thermoelectric element and an electrode are joined to each other by using solder, and in which electric resistance does not largely increase in long time use. The thermoelectric power module includes: a thermoelectric element consisting essentially of a thermoelectric material containing at least two kinds of elements of bismuth, tellurium, antimony, and selenium as principal components; at least one diffusion prevention layer and a solder joint layer disposed in sequence on a surface of the thermoelectric element, the at least one diffusion prevention layer not containing nickel, and the solder joint layer consisting essentially of at least one of nickel, tin, and an alloy or compound containing them as principal components; an electrode; an electrode protection layer disposed at least on one principal surface of the electrode, and including a film containing nickel as a principal component and having a thickness of 0.2 &#x3bc;m to 3.0 &#x3bc;m; and a solder layer joining the solder joint layer to a partial area of the electrode protection layer.

Thermoelectric power module

A thermoelectric power module capable of suppressing diffusion of not only a material of a solder layer but also a material of a solder joint layer into a thermoelectric element, or suppressing oxidation of the thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric power module includes in sequence: a thermoelectric element consisting essentially of a thermoelectric material containing at least two kinds of elements of bismuth (Bi), tellurium (Te), antimony (Sb), and selenium (Se) as principal components; a first diffusion prevention layer consisting essentially of at least one of molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W); a second diffusion prevention layer consisting essentially of at least one of cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti), and an alloy or compound containing them as principal components; and a solder joint layer consisting essentially of at least one of nickel (Ni), tin (Sn), and an alloy or compound containing them as principal components.

A thermoelectric power module comprising: a thermoelectric element employing a bismuth-tellurium (Bi&#x2014;Te) based thermoelectric material; at least one barrier layer disposed on the thermoelectric element; an electrode; an electrode protection layer disposed at least on one principal surface of the electrode; a solder layer having a side surface formed with a recess, the solder layer joining a first region of the electrode protection layer to the at least one barrier layer; and a coating film disposed on a side surface of the thermoelectric element, a side surface of the at least one barrier layer, and the side surface of the solder layer, the coating film covering a second region adjacent to the first region of the electrode protection layer and being filled into the recess of the solder layer.

A thermoelectric power module capable of withstanding a long time use in a high temperature environment where a temperature (Th) of a higher temperature portion exceeds 250&#xb0; C. The thermoelectric power module includes: a thermoelectric power element; a first diffusion prevention layer consisting of molybdenum (Mo) and disposed on a surface of the thermoelectric power element; a second diffusion prevention layer consisting of an intermetallic compound of nickel-tin (Ni&#x2014;Sn) and disposed on a surface of the first diffusion prevention layer opposite to the thermoelectric power element side; an electrode; a third diffusion prevention layer consisting of an intermetallic compound of nickel-tin (Ni&#x2014;Sn) and disposed on a surface of the electrode; a solder layer containing lead (Pb) at not less than 85% and configured to join the second diffusion prevention layer and the third diffusion prevention layer to each other.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Shinichi Fujimoto