Method for producing a thermoelectric converter

A thermoelectric converter produced according to a method comprising:

• equipping a substrate top side of an electrically conductive substrate with a first thermoelectrically active material;
• applying an electrically conductive upper conducting layer to the first thermoelectrically active material;
• equipping a substrate bottom side of the substrate facing away from the substrate top side with a second thermoelectrically active material;
• applying an electrically conductive lower conducting layer to the second thermoelectrically active material;
• introducing a plurality of upper receptacles, which extend in a longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction, on the substrate top side, and a plurality of lower receptacles, which extend in the longitudinal direction and spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, on the substrate bottom side to produce an intermediate product, wherein the plurality of upper receptacles overlap, in the transverse direction in each case in an overlapping section extending in the transverse direction, with at least one of the plurality of lower receptacles that are adjacent in the transverse direction, and wherein the plurality of upper receptacles and the plurality of lower receptacles in each case remove an associated thermoelectrically active material such that a plurality of material sections that are adjacent in the transverse direction are formed;
• applying an electrically conductive upper cover layer to an intermediate product top side of the intermediate product and an electrically conductive lower cover layer to an intermediate product bottom side of the intermediate product facing away from the intermediate product top side;
• and
• introducing a plurality of upper clearances, which extend in the longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, on the intermediate product top side, and a plurality of bottom clearances, which extend in the longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, on the intermediate product bottom side, wherein the plurality of upper clearances and the plurality of bottom clearances are respectively introduced in one of a plurality of overlapping sections;
• wherein the plurality of upper clearances and the plurality of bottom clearances are introduced such that each removes an associated cover layer and enters the substrate, and each form a hollow space which separates the plurality of material sections that are adjacent in the transverse direction.

A method for producing a thermoelectric converter, comprising:

• equipping a substrate top side of an electrically conductive substrate with a first thermoelectrically active material;
• applying an electrically conductive upper conducting layer to the first thermoelectrically active material;
• equipping a substrate bottom side of the substrate facing away from the substrate top side with a second thermoelectrically active material;
• applying an electrically conductive lower conducting layer to the second thermoelectrically active material;
• producing an intermediate product via:
• removing a plurality of portions of the upper conducting layer and the first thermoelectrically active material to define a plurality of upper receptacles and a plurality of upper material sections arranged on the substrate top side alternatively with one another in a longitudinal direction of the substrate, each of the plurality of upper material sections including a section of the upper conducting layer and a section of the first thermoelectrically active material;
• and
• removing a plurality of portions of the lower conducting layer and the second thermoelectrically active material to define a plurality of lower receptacles and a plurality of lower material sections arranged on the substrate bottom side alternatively with one another in the longitudinal direction, each of the plurality of lower material sections including a section of the lower conducting layer and a section of the second thermoelectrically active material, wherein each lower receptacle of the plurality of lower receptacles and each upper receptacle of the plurality of upper receptacles are arranged overlapping at least one overlapping section of a plurality of overlapping sections, each of the plurality of overlapping sections overlapping one of the plurality of upper receptacles and one of the plurality of lower receptacles arranged adjacent one another in a transverse direction;
• applying an electrically conductive upper cover layer to an intermediate product top side of the intermediate product such that the upper cover layer covers the plurality of upper material sections and fills the plurality of upper receptacles;
• applying an electrically conductive lower cover layer to an intermediate product bottom side of the intermediate product facing away from the intermediate product top side such that the lower cover layer covers the plurality of lower material sections and fills the plurality of lower receptacles;
• removing a portion of the upper cover layer, the substrate, and the lower cover layer disposed in at least one of the plurality of overlapping sections from the intermediate product top side to define a plurality of upper clearances each of which separate one of the plurality of upper material sections from one of the plurality of lower material sections;
• and
• removing a portion of the lower cover layer, the substrate, and the upper cover layer disposed in at least another one of the plurality of overlapping sections from the intermediate product bottom side to define a plurality of lower clearances each of which separate one of the plurality of lower material sections from one of the plurality of upper material sections.