Efforts Toward the Fabrication of Thermoelectric Cooling Module Based on N-Type and P-Type PbTe Ingots

Thermoelectric cooling has gained much attention due to its significant application in 5G communication chip cooling. Enhancing the performance of thermoelectric cooling devices is an imminent and pressing concern. Applying the same material for both n-type and p-type components can promote the compatibility of thermoelectric cooling module due to their similar mechanical properties. This work focuses on the development of thermoelectric cooling module based on n-type and p-type PbTe ingots. The high ZT values near room temperature are achieved through fabricating PbTe ingots. This approach substantially enhances the carrier mobility by minimizing charge carrier scattering at grain boundaries compared to polycrystals. These optimized ingots are then utilized to construct a thermoelectric cooling device consisting of seven pairs of thermoelectric couples, which achieves a maximum cooling temperature difference of approximate to 14 K at room temperature and approximate to 28 K at 350 K. This study offers fresh insights into the development of thermoelectric cooling module using PbTe-based materials. PbTe ingots can minimize charge carrier scattering at grain boundaries and enhance carrier mobility. Utimately ZT values of approximate to 0.4 and 0.6 at 300 K are obtained in p-type and n-type PbTe ingots, thus fabricating a thermoelectric cooling module with a maximum cooling temperature difference of approximate to 14 K at 300 K. image