Abstract
We report an efficient thermoelectric device with power density of 8.9 W/cm2 and efficiency of 8.9% at 678°C temperature difference using hot-pressed titanium metal contact layers on nanostructured half-Heusler materials. The high power density and efficiency are due to the efficient nanostructured materials and very low contact resistance of ~1 μΩ cm2 between the titanium layer and half-Heusler material. Moreover, the bonding strength between the titanium and half-Heusler is more than 50 MPa, significantly higher compared with conventional contact metallization methods. The low contact resistance and high bonding strength are due to thin-layer diffusion of titanium (<100 μm) into the half-Heusler at high temperature (>600°C). The low contact resistance and high bonding strength result in a stable and efficient power generation device with great potential for use in recovery of waste heat, e.g., in automotive and industrial applications.
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Joshi, G., Poudel, B. Efficient and Robust Thermoelectric Power Generation Device Using Hot-Pressed Metal Contacts on Nanostructured Half-Heusler Alloys. J. Electron. Mater. 45, 6047–6051 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-016-4692-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-016-4692-1