DIFFUSION-CONTROLLED DEGRADATION ANALYSIS OF HIGH-TEMPERATURE (BI,SB)(2)(TE,SE)(3) SEMICONDUCTOR THERMOELECTRIC-POWER MODULES

Close-packed array (Bi,Sb)(2)(Te,Se)(3) compound semiconductor thermoe lectric power modules have been used extensively in terrestrial thermo electric generators for converting thermal energy directly into electr icity. In this paper a diffusion controlled degradation model based on a new modified Whipple-type grain boundary diffusion model has been d eveloped. This model considers the effect of temperature gradient on a high diffusivity path and has been developed for studying the degrada tion mechanism of (Bi,Sb)(2)(Te,Se)(3) compound semiconductor power th ermoelectric modules caused by the formation of dark bands.