(BI,SB)(2)TE-3-CO CONTACTS WITH ENHANCED THERMAL-STABILITY

We examine the ways of enhancing thermal stability of the (Bi,Sb)(2)Te -3-CO contact used as a hot junction in p-branches of low-temperature thermopiles and the effect of antidiffusion interlayers on reaction di ffusion at the cobalt-thermoelectric material interface. The contact w hose thermal stability was enhanced by introducing an optimized interl ayer ensures, when employed in thermoelectric generators operating on gas fuel, an increase in electric power by 30%, a decrease in fuel con sumption by 15%, and an almost twofold decrease in the consumption of thermoelectric and connection materials per unit power.