Fabrication and Output Evaluation of Si-Ge Multilayered Thermoelectric Element

A Si0.8Ge0.2 multilayered thermoelectric element with ten pairs of p-n layers was fabricated by simultaneous sintering and joining of Si-Ge powders with a sandwiched alumina cloth. Every p-n joint of the element was firmly connected without any cracks and the alumina layer inserted here remained unchanged even after a pulse-current sintering process. The maximum output, Pmax, of this element was determined in the temperature range of 473-1273 K, and then increased in proportion to the second order of the temperature difference between the hot and cold ends of the element. As a result, Pmax was 120 mW when the temperature difference was 500 K.