JPH05152615A

JPH05152615A - Thermoelectric conversion element

Info

Publication number: JPH05152615A
Application number: JP3316291A
Authority: JP
Inventors: Risuke Nayama; 理介名山; Yasuyuki Fujitani; 泰之藤谷; Masaharu Watabe; 正治渡部
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1991-11-29
Filing date: 1991-11-29
Publication date: 1993-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 2014-12-27
Also published as: JP2994826B2

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a thermoelectric conversion element which can be improved in the performance index by putting Au foil which is subjected to a temperature rise and pressurization between a Pb-Te element main body and Cu electrodes. CONSTITUTION:A Pb-Te main body 1 is composed of a quadrangular prism having a cross section of 4mm by 4mm and a height of 8.5mm and Cu electrodes 2 are respectively composed of 1mm thick Cu plates, and then, Au foil 3 put between the body 1 and electrodes 2 has a thickness of 100mum. After the electrodes 2, foil 3, and main body 1 are joined to each other at 670-700 deg.C under a surface pressure of 0.9MPa in an Ar atmosphere, the performance indexes of thermoelectric conversion elements with and without the Au foil and with Ti foil are respectively found. Obtained results show that no significant difference can be found in Seebeck index between the element without the Au foil and the element with the Au foil and the resistivity of the joined body is lower than the conventional example. Therefore, a highly efficient thermoelectric conversion element is obtained, since the joined body thus formed has a high performance index.

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】Detailed Description of the Invention

【０００１】[0001]

【産業上の利用分野】本発明は、熱電変換素子に関す
る。BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion element.

【０００２】[0002]

【従来の技術とその課題】従来よりＰｂ−Ｔｅよりなる
熱電変換素子本体は、Ｃｕ電極と接合されることになる
が、この熱電変換素子とＣｕ電極との間にはＴｉ箔を挿
入して昇温・加圧することにより拡散・接合が行なわれ
ている。2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a thermoelectric conversion element body made of Pb-Te is bonded to a Cu electrode. A Ti foil is inserted between the thermoelectric conversion element and the Cu electrode. Diffusion / bonding is performed by heating and pressurizing.

【０００３】この場合、熱電変換素子の性能は、次式で
示される性能指数Ｚで示され、この性能指数が大きくな
る程効率が良いことが判明している。Ｚ＝α²／ρ・Ｋ（α：ゼーベック係数、ρ：比抵抗、
Ｋ：熱伝導率）In this case, the performance of the thermoelectric conversion element is represented by the performance index Z expressed by the following equation, and it has been found that the efficiency increases as the performance index increases. Z = α ² / ρ · K (α: Seebeck coefficient, ρ: specific resistance,
K: thermal conductivity)

【０００４】上述のＴｉ箔を挿入した熱電変換素子にあ
っては、ゼーベック係数については素子単体のものと大
差はないが、比抵抗については素子単体よりかなり大き
な値となる。したがって、従来の構成では、性能指数が
大幅に低下し効率が悪くなってしまっていた。In the thermoelectric conversion element in which the Ti foil is inserted, the Seebeck coefficient is not much different from that of the element alone, but the specific resistance is considerably larger than that of the element alone. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, the figure of merit is significantly reduced, resulting in poor efficiency.

【０００５】本発明は、上述の問題に鑑み、性能指数を
向上させるようにした熱電変換素子の提供を目的とす
る。In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a thermoelectric conversion element having an improved figure of merit.

【０００６】[0006]

【課題を解決するための手段】上述の目的を達成する本
発明は、Ｐｂ−Ｔｅ素子本体とＣｕ電極との間に昇温加
圧されるＡｕ箔を挿入したことを特徴とする。The present invention which achieves the above object is characterized in that an Au foil which is heated and pressed is inserted between the Pb-Te element body and the Cu electrode.

【０００７】[0007]

【作用】Ｐｂ−Ｔｅよりなる素子本体とＣｕ電極との間
にＡｕ箔を挿入して拡散・接合させたことにより、有害
な反応生成物が生じず、接合部分での比抵抗がＰｂ−Ｔ
ｅ素子単体より増加しないようにできた。The Au foil is inserted between the element body made of Pb-Te and the Cu electrode for diffusion and bonding, so that no harmful reaction product is generated and the specific resistance at the bonding portion is Pb-T.
It was possible to prevent the increase of the number of elements.

【０００８】[0008]

【実施例】ここで、図１を参照して本発明の実施例を説
明する。図１において、１はＰｂ−Ｔｅよりなる熱電変
換素子本体であり、この本体１を挾んで両側にＡｕ箔３
を介してＣｕ電極２が接合されている。この場合、Ａｕ
箔３は昇温・加圧され拡散・接合によりＰｂ−Ｔｅ本体
１とＣｕ電極２とを接合する。EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a thermoelectric conversion element body made of Pb-Te, which is sandwiched between the Au foils 3 on both sides of the body 1.
The Cu electrode 2 is joined via the. In this case Au
The foil 3 is heated and pressurized to diffuse and bond the Pb-Te body 1 and the Cu electrode 2 together.

【０００９】（具体例）ここで、具体例を説明するに、
Ｐｂ−Ｔｅ本体１は断面縦横４mm高さ８．５mmの４角柱
体であり、Ｃｕ電極２は１mm厚さの板であり、本例では
Ａｕ箔は厚さ１００μｍであって、Ａｒ雰囲気中で６７
０℃〜７００℃の温度、面圧０．９MPaにて接合した。
熱電変換素子本体単体と、Ｔｉ箔挿入、Ａｕ箔挿入の各
例について性能指数を求めた。熱電変換素子単体の比抵
抗は２．７×１０^-4Ωcmでありゼーベック係数２３０μ
ｖ／℃であるとき性能指数は１．９×１０^-2（１／℃）
であり、従来のＴｉ箔を挿入した構造にあっては比抵抗
は２．６×１０^-3Ωcmとなり、ゼーベック係数は１７０
μｖ／℃であり、性能指数は１．１×１０^-3（１／℃）
となった。本実施例によるＡｕ箔を挿入した場合には比
抵抗が１．３×１０^-3Ωcmにもなりゼーベック係数が２
００μｖ／℃となるため、性能指数は３．１×１０
^-3（１／℃）となった。(Specific Example) Here, to explain a specific example,
The Pb-Te body 1 is a quadrangular prism having a cross section of 4 mm in length and width of 8.5 mm and a height of 8.5 mm, the Cu electrode 2 is a plate having a thickness of 1 mm, and in this example, the Au foil has a thickness of 100 μm and is in an Ar atmosphere. 67
Bonding was performed at a temperature of 0 ° C. to 700 ° C. and a surface pressure of 0.9 MPa.
The figure of merit was obtained for each example of the thermoelectric conversion element main body alone and the Ti foil insertion and the Au foil insertion. The specific resistance of the thermoelectric conversion element alone is 2.7 × 10 ⁻⁴ Ωcm and the Seebeck coefficient is 230μ.
The figure of merit is 1.9 × 10 ^-2 (1 / ° C) when v / ° C
In the structure in which the conventional Ti foil is inserted, the specific resistance is 2.6 × 10 ⁻³ Ωcm and the Seebeck coefficient is 170.
μv / ° C, performance index 1.1 × 10 ^-3 (1 / ° C)
Became. When the Au foil according to this example was inserted, the specific resistance was 1.3 × 10 ⁻³ Ωcm and the Seebeck coefficient was 2
The figure of merit is 3.1 x 10 because it is 00 μv / ° C.
It became ^-3 (1 / ° C).

【００１０】[0010]

【発明の効果】以上説明したように本発明によれば、ゼ
ーベック係数については素子単体と差がなく、比抵抗に
ついても、従来よりも小さい接合体が、製作できるた
め、性能指数の高い接合体を実現できる。よって、効率
の良い熱電変換素子が得られる。As described above, according to the present invention, a Seebeck coefficient is not different from that of the element alone, and a joined body having a smaller specific resistance than the conventional one can be manufactured. Can be realized. Therefore, an efficient thermoelectric conversion element can be obtained.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief description of drawings]

【図１】本実施例の断面構成図。FIG. 1 is a sectional configuration diagram of the present embodiment.

【符号の説明】[Explanation of symbols]

１Ｐｂ−Ｔｅ熱電変換素子本体２Ｃｕ電極３Ａｕ箔 1 Pb-Te thermoelectric conversion element main body 2 Cu electrode 3 Au foil

Claims

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims]

【請求項１】Ｐｂ−Ｔｅ素子本体とＣｕ電極との間に
昇温・加圧されるＡｕ箔を挿入した熱電変換素子。1. A thermoelectric conversion element in which an Au foil which is heated and pressed is inserted between a Pb-Te element body and a Cu electrode.