Thermoelectric stack and thermoelectric device

Abstract

To provide a thermoelectric device for easy positioning and bonding processes and a thermoelectric stack for such device. A representative embodiment of the present invention is a thermoelectric stack comprising a thermoelectric material layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite each other and an isolation layer stacked on the first surface of the thermoelectric material layer, wherein the thermoelectric material layer has a magnetization component perpendicular to the first surface and the second surface, and the isolation layer comprises, when a second thermoelectric stack is stacked on the surface opposite to the surface on which the thermoelectric material layer is to be stacked, an insulation region that electrically insulates the thermoelectric material layer and an electrode region that electrically conducts the thermoelectric material layer. Also, a representative embodiment of the present invention is a thermoelectric device in which such thermoelectric stacks are stacked, wherein a plurality of first thermoelectric stacks in which thermoelectric material layers have positive transverse thermoelectric power and a plurality of second thermoelectric stacks in which thermoelectric material layers have negative transverse thermoelectric power are alternately brought into close contact with each other due to the magnetic force of their magnetized components, interposing their respective isolation layers, and are electrically connected by electrode regions of the isolation layers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.