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Title: Fabrication of stable electrode/diffusion barrier layers for thermoelectric filled skutterudite devices

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1227941

Disclosed are methods for the manufacture of n-type and p-type filled skutterudite thermoelectric legs of an electrical contact. A first material of CoSi.sub.2 and a dopant are ball-milled to form a first powder which is thermo-mechanically processed with a second powder of n-type skutterudite to form a n-type skutterudite layer disposed between a first layer and a third layer of the doped-CoSi.sub.2. In addition, a plurality of components such as iron, and nickel, and at least one of cobalt or chromium are ball-milled form a first powder that is thermo-mechanically processed with a p-type skutterudite layer to form a p-type skutterudite layer "second layer" disposed between a first and a third layer of the first powder. The specific contact resistance between the first layer and the skutterudite layer for both the n-type and the p-type skutterudites subsequent to hot-pressing is less than about 10.0 .mu..OMEGA.cm.sup.2.

Research Organization:
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM, Houston, TX (United States) MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
EE0005806
Assignee:
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
Patent Number(s):
9,209,378
Application Number:
14/310,840
OSTI ID:
1227941
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2014 Jun 20
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (3)

Nanostructured bulk thermoelectric material patent-application June 2006
Thermoelectric conversion element and thermoelectric conversion module patent-application January 2012
Niobium oxide-based thermoelectric composites patent-application May 2013