Patent ID: 9601679
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A thermoelectric module comprising: a plurality of p-type thermoelectric elements and a plurality of n-type thermoelectric elements, all of or a part of the p-type thermoelectric elements and all of or a part of the n-type thermoelectric elements being electrically connected in series to each other, and a stress relaxation electrode produced in the form of woven fabric or nonwoven fabric made of a braided fine nickel wire or a braided fine copper wire on which a metallic film of nickel is formed, the p-type thermoelectric elements and the n-type thermoelectric elements being joined together via the stress relaxation electrode, wherein a density of the woven or nonwoven fabric using the metallic fiber at a part of the stress relaxation electrode with the thermoelectric elements is greater than a density of the woven or nonwoven fabric at another part of the stress relaxation electrode without the thermoelectric elements, and wherein an intermediate layer is disposed only on upper and lower surfaces of the thermoelectric elements to which the stress relaxation electrode is joined, the intermediate layer being a nickel-tin-based alloy or compound, or an aluminum-nickel-based alloy or compound, and portions of the metallic fiber connected to the intermediate layer are closer to each other than portions of the metallic fiber not connected to the intermediate layer, the intermediate layer including a single metallic film and being bonded directly on the stress relaxation electrode.