Patent ID: 8692104

Claim:
A thermoelectric element, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate facing said first substrate; a thermoelectric thin film comprising a superlattice structure formed with at least two types of layers which repeatedly alternate, said thermoelectric thin film being placed between said first substrate and said second substrate, generating a thermo-electromotive force with a lateral temperature gradient therebetween; a first electrode electrically connected to a high temperature portion of said thermoelectric thin film; a second electrode electrically connected to a low temperature portion of said thermoelectric thin film; and one or more first stress releasing sections having flexibility and electrical conductivity, wherein each of the one or more first stress releasing sections thermally and electrically connects said first electrode at a first end of each of the one or more first stress releasing sections and said thermoelectric thin film at a second end of the one or more first stress releasing sections via an electrically conductive flat portion composed by a part of said first stress releasing and the electrically conductive flat portion is substantially parallel with a surface of said thermoelectric thin film; said thermoelectric thin film placed on said second substrate via a spacer so that the second substrate and said thermoelectric thin film are substantially in parallel with each other; and said second electrode and said conductive flat portion do not overlap with each other as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of said thermoelectric thin film.