US 11,871,666 B2
Thermoelectric conversion element and thermoelectric conversion module
Miho Uehara, Osaka (JP); Yuriko Kaneko, Nara (JP); Atsushi Ono, Kyoto (JP); Masashige Kawabe, Kyoto (JP); Tsutomu Kanno, Kyoto (JP); Hiromasa Tamaki, Osaka (JP); and Hiroki Sato, Nara (JP)
Assigned to PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD., Osaka (JP)
Filed by Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
Filed on May 21, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/417,791.
Application 16/417,791 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2018/041801, filed on Nov. 12, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-122095 (JP), filed on Jun. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0006616 A1, Jan. 2, 2020
Int. Cl. H10N 10/17 (2023.01); H10N 10/81 (2023.01); H10N 10/852 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 10/17 (2023.02) [H10N 10/81 (2023.02); H10N 10/852 (2023.02)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermoelectric conversion element, comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode;
a first intermediate layer;
a second intermediate layer;
a first external electrode connected to the first electrode via a first joint layer;
a second external electrode connected to the second electrode via a second joint layer; and
a thermoelectric conversion layer, wherein:
the first intermediate layer is provided between the thermoelectric conversion layer and the first electrode,
the first intermediate layer is in contact with the thermoelectric conversion layer,
the first electrode is in contact with the first intermediate layer,
the second intermediate layer is provided between the thermoelectric conversion layer and the second electrode,
the second intermediate layer is in contact with the thermoelectric conversion layer,
the second electrode is in contact with the second intermediate layer,
the first electrode and the second electrode contain at least Cu,
the thermoelectric conversion layer is composed of a thermoelectric conversion material containing Mg,
the thermoelectric conversion material contains at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Sb and Bi,
the thermoelectric conversion material contains at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Se and Te,
the thermoelectric conversion material has a La2O3-type crystalline structure,
the first intermediate layer and the second intermediate layer contain Cu, Mg, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sb and Bi,
the thermoelectric conversion layer, the first intermediate layer and the first electrode are continuous,
the thermoelectric conversion layer, the second intermediate layer and the second electrode are continuous,
the Mg is continuously present in the thermoelectric conversion layer and the first intermediate layer,
the Mg is continuously present in the thermoelectric conversion layer and the second intermediate layer,
a content of Cu in the first intermediate layer is not less than 50 weight percent,
a content of Cu in the second intermediate layer is not less than 50 weight percent,
a content of Mg in the first intermediate layer is smaller than the content of Cu in the first intermediate layer, and
a content of Mg in the second intermediate layer is smaller than the content of Cu in the second intermediate layer.