High-efficiency and reliable same-parent thermoelectric modules using Mg(3)Sb(2)-based compounds.

Thermoelectric modules can convert waste heat directly into useful electricity, providing a clean and sustainable way to use fossil energy more efficiently. Mg(3)Sb(2)-based alloys have recently attracted considerable interest from the thermoelectric community due to their nontoxic nature, abundance of constituent elements and excellent mechanical and thermoelectric properties. However, robust modules based on Mg(3)Sb(2) have progressed less rapidly. Here, we develop multiple-pair thermoelectric modules consisting of both n-type and p-type Mg(3)Sb(2)-based alloys. Thermoelectric legs based on the same parent fit into each other in terms of thermomechanical properties, facilitating module fabrication and ensuring low thermal stress. By adopting a suitable diffusion barrier layer and developing a new joining technique, an integrated all-Mg(3)Sb(2)-based module demonstrates a high efficiency of 7.5% at a temperature difference of 380 K, exceeding the state-of-the-art same-parent thermoelectric modules. Moreover, the efficiency remains stable during 150 thermal cycling shocks (∼225 h), demonstrating excellent module reliability.