Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-7pwfn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T17:50:46.905Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Thermoelectric Module For Low Temperature Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2011

Sangeeta Lal,
Sim Loo,
Duck-Young Chung,
Theodora Kyratsi,
Mercouri G. Kanatzidis,
Charles Cauchy and
Timothy P. Hogan
Sangeeta Lal
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Sim Loo
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Duck-Young Chung
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Theodora Kyratsi
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Charles Cauchy
Affiliation:
Tellurex Corporation, Traverse City, MI
Timothy P. Hogan
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Get access

Abstract

The possibility of a prototype thermoelectric cooling device for operation near liquid nitrogen temperatures has been explored. In these devices, the figure of merit involves a combination of the properties of the two branches of the module. Here, we investigate the fabrication of a module with a new low temperature material, CsBi4Te6 (p-type), and the best known low temperature n-type materials Bi85Sb15. Transport measurements for each of these materials show high performance at low temperatures. Known values for the figure of merit Zmax of CsBi4Te6 is 3.5 × 10−3 K−1 at 225K and for Bi85Sb15 is 6.5 × 10−3 K−1 at 77K. At 100K these values drop to 2.0×10−3 K−1 for CsBi4Te6 and 6.0×10−3 K−1 for Bi85Sb15. Theoretical simulations based on these data show a cooling of δT = 12K at 100K, which is almost three times the efficiency of a Bi2Te3 module at that temperature. We present transport measurements of elements used in the fabrication of a low temperature thermoelectric module and properties of the resulting module.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

1 Chung, D.-Y., Hogan, T., Brazis, P., Rocci-Lane, M., Kannewurf, C., Bastea, M., Uher, C., Kanatzidis, M. G., “CsBi4Te6: A High-Performance Thermoelectric Material for Low-Temperature Applications,” Science, Vol. 287, pp. 1024–1027, 2000.Google Scholar
2 Yim, W. M., Amith, A., “Bi-Sb Alloys for Magneto-Thermoelectric and Thermomagnetic Cooling,” Solid State Electronics, Vol 15, pp. 1141–1165, 1972.Google Scholar
3 Smith, G. E., and Wolfe, R., “Thermoelectric Properties of Bismuth-Antimony Alloys,” Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp, 841–846, 1962.Google Scholar
4 Hogan, T. et al. , “Transport Measurement System for Characterization of New Thermoelectric Materials,” Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Thermoelectrics, Baltimore, MD, 1999.Google Scholar
5 Maldonado, O., “Pulsed Method for Simultaneous Measurement of Electric Thermopower and Heat Conductivity at Low Temperatures,” Cryogenics, Vol. 32, No. 10 (1992), pp. 908–912.Google Scholar