Fabrication of thermoelectric modules using thermoelectric pastes and an additive technology

Polymer based thermoelectric pastes have been developed by dispersing metal and metal alloy powders into a polymer binder system. Thermoelectric materials and elements are formed by depositing the pastes into a mold or onto a substrate and subsequently sintering them to form a conductive network with thermoelectric properties. A Seebeck coefficient of 65 mu V/degrees K, and a resistivity of 0.05 Omega-cm have been achieved in the early stage of material development. A novel processing method has also been developed for the fabrication of small size thermoelectric elements and thermoelectric modules with a multitude of thermoelectric couples using these pastes. Thermoelectric elements as small as 250 mu m in diameter and 25 mu m in thickness have been achieved. Thermoelectric modules with 275 couples/in(2) have been fabricated using the thermoelectric pastes and the fabrication technique. Further improvement in the material properties and reduction in the sizes of the thermoelectric elements are underway.