AGGREGATION OF THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENTS, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME AND THERMOELECTRIC MODULE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the fear of unbalanced load acting on thermoelectric conversion elements in a thermoelectric module. SOLUTION: A group of the thermoelectric conversion elements obtained by connecting n-type semiconductors 6a and p-type semiconductors 6b in series with electrodes 3 alternately are inserted and held between a pair of ceramic substrates 4. Among them, the semiconductors 6a and the semiconductors 6b are embedded within a plate-like aggregation 2 of the thermoelectric conversion elements in the state of being exposed from both of the plate faces of it, and the electrodes 3 are inserted and held between the respective substrates 4 and the aggregations 2 in the state of extending across the semiconductors 6a and the semiconductors 6b. Thus, though the unbalanced load acts on the semiconductors 6a and the semiconductors 6b via the electrodes 3, the load is received by not only the semiconductors 6a and 6b but also the aggregations 2 for embedding them (load distribution).