THERMOS - Tellurium-Free Thermoelectric Modules by Interface Engineering

Thermoelectric (TE) technology offers solutions to solid-state heat recovery and cooling. Till now, only Bi₂Te₃ modules are commercially mature. Their applicability is limited by the scarcity and toxicity of tellurium (Te) with a concentration of <0.001 ppm in the earth’s crust. The replacement of Te will be addressed by THERMOS. As major objective THERMOS will develop highly efficient modules using atomic layer deposition and Te-free Zintl materials with a conversion efficiency of 8.5% and a cooling temperature of 65˚C to outperform Bi₂Te₃ modules. THERMOS will enable novel applications such as powering off-grid Internet-of-Things (IoT) nodes, energy harvesting from low-grade waste heat or cooling of medical devices. Joint efforts of research institutes from Germany and Spain, one university from the Czech Republic, and the Danish company TEGnology will impact the development and production of next-generation TE modules “Made in Europe” with better sustainability and performance.