Impact Factor:41.0
Journal:Nature materials
Abstract:Solid-state thermoelectric technology presents a compelling solution for converting waste heat into electrical energy. However, its widespread application is hindered by long-term stability issues, particularly at the electrode–thermoelectric material interface. Here we address this challenge by constructing an atomic-scale direct bonding interface. By forming robust chemical bonds between Co and Sb atoms, we develop MgAgSb/Co thermoelectric junctions with a low interfacial resistivity (2.5 µΩ cm2), high bonding strength (60.6 MPa) and high thermal stability at 573 K. This thermally stable and ohmic contact interface enables MgAgSb-based thermoelectric modules to achieve a conversion efficiency of 10.2% at a temperature difference of 287 K and to exhibit negligible degradation over 1,440 h of thermal cycling. Our findings underscore the critical role of atomic-scale interface engineering in advancing thermoelectric semiconductor devices, enabling more efcient and durable thermoelectric modules.
Co-author:Yanxiao Cheng, Meng Jiang, Zhengqian Fu, Rui Liu, Guofeng Cheng, Rui Xu, Lianjun Wang, Denys Makarov
First Author:Yuntian Fu, Ziyi Yu, Hongyi Chen, Wusheng Zuo
Indexed by:Journal paper
Correspondence Author:Fangfang Xu, Qihao Zhang, Wan Jiang
Issue:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02167-0
Translation or Not:no