Title: Method of manufacturing a thermoelectric device

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Claims: I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing a thermoelectric device which includes a plurality of thin thermoelectric layers and insulative layers comprising the steps of:

forming a first suspension comprising a powdered P-type thermoelectric material, a binder and a liquid carrier;

drawing the first suspension over a surface and allowing the liquid carrier to evaporate to form a first coherent film;

forming a second suspension comprising a powdered N-type thermoelectric material, a binder and a liquid carrier;

drawing the second suspension over a surface and allowing the liquid carrier to evaporate to form a second coherent film;

forming a third suspension comprising an insulative material, a binder and a liquid carrier;

drawing the third suspension over a surface and alowing the liquid carrier to evaporate to form a third coherent film;

stacking said first, second and third coherent films with said third coherent film interposed between and electrically insulating said first and second coherent films;

compressing and heating said stack of films in a inert atmosphere to volatize said binders converting said coherent films to first and second solid thermoelectric layers and a third solid insulative layer and to bond the third insulative layer to the adjacent thermoelectric layers to form a laminate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said inert atmosphere comprises a vacuum.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said heating and compressing step comprises heating and compressing said stack of films at a temperature in the range of about 150.degree. to about 600.degree. C at a pressure in the range of 2 to 16 l KPSI for a period of between 0.5 minutes to 1 hour.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said heating and comprssing step comprises heating and compressing said stack of films at a temperature in the range of about 350.degree. C to about 400.degree. C at a pressure in the range of about 6 to about 12 KPSI for a period of between 2 to 5 minutes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said thermoelectric material comprises bismuth telluride.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming said first and second suspensions comprises the steps of mixing the binder, liquid carrier and powdered thermoelectric material according to the ratio of about 100 milliliters of liquid carrier, about 4 to 12 grams of binder and about 25 to 75 grams of powdered thermoelectric material.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said powdered thermoelectric material comprises particles of thermoelectric material having a size in the range of -40 to -200 mesh.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of interposing metallic contact elements at one end of the stack of films prior to heating and compressing said stack, said contact elements electrically connecting the ends of the first and second coherent films.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said metallic material comprises gold.

10. The method of claim 1 further including the step of machining the laminate subsequent to its formation into a plurality of slices and then assembling said slices into a thermoelectric device.

Other info:

Inventors: Linnon, Robert C. (Livingston, NJ, US)

Application Number: 689730
Filing Date: 1976-05-25
Publication_date: 1977-10-18
Assignee: Nu-Pak Corporation (Denville, NJ)
Primary Class(es): 156/242 156/285, 438/55, 438/455
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3342655	Sep, 1967	Crownover	150/242.
3378704	Apr, 1968	Miller et al.	29/573.
3616003	Oct, 1971	Kohashi et al.	156/242.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Weston, Caleb
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Raskin; Martin G.