Advanced Search
Article Contents
ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
The Innovation Materials > 2025 Vol. 3 > No. 2 > 100130
Next Article Previous Article
REPORT   Open Access     Cite

High-performance double-stage Mg3Bi2-based thermoelectric cooler

  • 1.

    School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

  • 2.

    School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

  • 3.

    State Key Laboratory of Precision Welding & Joining of Materials and Structures, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China

  • 4.

    These authors contributed equally to this work

More Information
The Innovation Materials  3(2),  https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2025.100130  |  Cite this article
    GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
  • DownLoad: Full size image
    • PUBLIC SUMMARY

    1. Optimized Mg3Bi2-based materials enabling high-performance multistage coolers.

      A technique for the fabrication of multistage thermoelectric cooler was developed.

      Double-stage cooler with a cooling temperature difference of ~103.2 K was realized.

      Mg3Bi2-based multistage thermoelectric coolers are promising for cryogenic cooling.

    • ABSTRACT
  • Thermoelectric coolers (TEC) play a critical role in establishing substantial temperature differences required for cooling photoelectric detectors. While single-stage devices suffice for moderate cooling, multi-stage TECs are indispensable when pursuing cryogenic cooling below 200 K. The existing multi-stage TECs, however, remain constrained by their exclusive dependence on Bi2Te3-based alloys. Recently, the n-type Mg3Bi2-based material with high thermoelectric performance around room temperature has been discovered. Herein, we report the design of the double-stage TEC with 7 pairs of thermoelectric legs in the upper stage and 17 pairs of legs in the bottom stage, utilizing the n-type Mg3.1Sb0.497Bi1.5Te0.003 in combination with p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3. An assembly process that enables precise integration of thermoelectric legs with ceramic substrates through a one-step reflow soldering has been developed. When operating at a hot-side temperature of 350 K, the double-stage TEC achieves a maximum cooling temperature difference of ~103.2 K. The cooling performance of this double-stage TEC is comparable to that of the device based on commercial Bi2Te3 alloys. Our results demonstrate that n-type Mg3Bi2-based materials are highly promising for thermoelectric cooling applications.
    • FullText(HTML)
  • 加载中
    • REFERENCES
  • [1] DiSalvo F. J. (1999). Thermoelectric cooling and power generation. Science 285:703−706. DOI:10.1126/science.285.5428.703

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [2] Bell L. E. (2008). Cooling, heating, generating power, and recovering waste heat with thermoelectric systems. Science 321:1457−1461. DOI:10.1126/science.1158899

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [3] He J. and Tritt T. M. (2017). Advances in thermoelectric materials research: Looking back and moving forward. Science 357:eaak9997. DOI:10.1126/science.aak9997

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [4] Mao J., Chen G. and Ren Z. (2021). Thermoelectric cooling materials. Nat. Mater. 20:454−461. DOI:10.1038/s41563-020-00852-w

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [5] Matsumoto K., Shirahata H. and Fujioka T. (1980). CO2 waveguide laser cooled by a Peltier thermoelectric module. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 19:2187. DOI:10.1143/JJAP.19.2187

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [6] Semenyuk V. A., Pilipenko T. V., Albright G. C., et al. (1994). Miniature thermoelectric coolers for semiconductor lasers. AIP Conf. Proc. 316:150−153. DOI:10.1063/1.46782

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [7] Goldsmid H. J. (1995). Applications of thermoelectric cooling. D.M. Rowe (ed). CRC handbook of thermoelectrics (CRC Press). DOI:10.1201/9781420049718

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [8] Anatychuk L. I. (1995). Thermoelectrically cooled radiation detectors. D.M. Rowe (ed). CRC handbook of thermoelectrics (CRC Press). DOI:10.1201/9781420049718

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [9] Uemura K.-i. (1995). Laboratory equipment. D.M. Rowe (ed). CRC handbook of thermoelectrics (CRC Press). DOI:10.1201/9781420049718

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [10] Hansen J. and Nussbaum M. (1996). Application of bismuth-telluride thermoelectrics in driving DNA amplification and sequencing reactions. Fifteenth international conference on thermoelectrics pp:256-258. DOI:10.1109/ICT.1996.553312

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [11] Redus R., Huber A. and Pantazis J. (2001). Improved thermoelectrically cooled X/γ-ray detectors and electronics. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 458:214−219. DOI:10.1016/S0168-9002(00)00864-0

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [12] Semenyuk V. (2006). Thermoelectric cooling of electro-optic components. D.M. Rowe (ed). Thermoelectrics handbook: Macro to nano (Taylor & Francis). DOI:10.1201/9781420038903

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [13] Iordanishvili E. K. and Stilbans L. S. (1956). Thermoelectric microcoolers. Sov. Phys. Tech. Phys. 1:928−939.

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [14] O'Brien B., Wallace C. and Landecker K. (1956). Cascading of Peltier couples for thermoelectric cooling. J. Appl. Phys. 27:820−823. DOI:10.1063/1.1722490

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [15] Raymond M. and Edward B. (1995). Module design and fabrication. D.M. Rowe (ed). CRC handbook of thermoelectrics (CRC Press). DOI:10.1201/9781420049718

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [16] Semenyuk V., Ivanova L. and Svechnikova T. (1995). Specific features of utilizing bismuth antimony chalcogenide single crystals in miniature coolers. Inorg. Mater. 31:32-36. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/161929

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [17] Goldsmid H. J. and Douglas R. W. (1954). The use of semiconductors in thermoelectric refrigeration. Br. J. Appl. Phys. 5:386−390. DOI:10.1088/0508-3443/5/11/303

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [18] Rosi F. D., Abeles B. and Jensen R. V. (1959). Materials for thermoelectric refrigeration. J. Phys. Chem. Solids 10:191−200. DOI:10.1016/0022-3697(59)90074-5

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [19] Yim W. M., Fitzke E. V. and Rosi F. D. (1966). Thermoelectric properties of Bi2Te3-Sb2Te3-Sb2Se3 pseudo-ternary alloys in the temperature range 77 to 300 K. J. Mater. Sci. 1:52−65. DOI:10.1007/BF00549720

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [20] Uemura K.-i. (1995). Commercial Peltier modules. D.M. Rowe (ed). CRC handbook of thermoelectrics (CRC Press). DOI:10.1201/9781420049718

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [21] Semenyuk V. (2002). Cascade thermoelectric micro modules for spot cooling high power electronic components. Twenty-First International Conference on Thermoelectrics pp:531-534. DOI:10.1109/ICT.2002.1190372

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [22] Cho H., Yun J.-H., Back S. Y., et al. (2021). Superior thermoelectric cooling performance by suppressing bipolar diffusion effect and enhancing anisotropic texture in p-/n-type Bi2Te3 based compounds. J. Alloy Compd. 888:161572. DOI:10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.161572

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [23] Zhu W., Wei P., Zhang J., et al. (2022). Fabrication and excellent performances of bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric devices. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 14:12276−12283. DOI:10.1021/acsami.1c24627

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [24] Liu J., Li A., Fu C., et al. (2023). Band anisotropy in thermoelectric materials. Innov. Mater. 1:100004. DOI:10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2023.100004

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [25] Xie L., Yang J., Liu Z., et al. (2023). Highly efficient thermoelectric cooling performance of ultrafine-grained and nanoporous materials. Mater. Today 65:5−13. DOI:10.1016/j.mattod.2023.03.021

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [26] Zhou J., Feng J., Li H., et al. (2023). Modulation of vacancy defects and texture for high performance n-type Bi2Te3 via high energy refinement. Small 19:2300654. DOI:10.1002/smll.202300654

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [27] Zhu Y.-K., Sun Y., Dong X., et al. (2024). General design of high-performance and textured layered thermoelectric materials via stacking of mechanically exfoliated crystals. Joule 8:2412-2424. DOI:10.1016/j.joule.2024.05.006

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [28] Zhao H. Z., Sui J. H., Tang Z. J., et al. (2014). High thermoelectric performance of MgAgSb-based materials. Nano Energy 7:97−103. DOI:10.1016/j.nanoen.2014.04.012

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [29] Liu Z. H., Wang Y. M., Mao J., et al. (2016). Lithium doping to enhance thermoelectric performance of MgAgSb with weak electron-phonon coupling. Adv. Energy Mater. 6:1502269. DOI:10.1002/aenm.201502269

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [30] Liu Z., Sato N., Gao W., et al. (2021). Demonstration of ultrahigh thermoelectric efficiency of ∼7.3% in Mg3Sb2/MgAgSb module for low-temperature energy harvesting. Joule 5:1196-1208. DOI:10.1016/j.joule.2021.03.017

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [31] Conn J. and Taylor R. (1960). Thermoelectric and crystallographic properties of Ag2Se. J. Electrochem. Soc. 107:977−982. DOI:10.1149/1.2427584

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [32] Mi W., Qiu P., Zhang T., et al. (2014). Thermoelectric transport of Se-rich Ag2Se in normal phases and phase transitions. Appl. Phys. Lett. 104:133903. DOI:10.1063/1.4870509

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [33] Liu M., Zhang X., Zhang S., et al. (2024). Ag2Se as a tougher alternative to n-type Bi2Te3 thermoelectrics. Nat. Commun. 15:6580. DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-50898-6

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [34] Jiang F., Lin C., Cheng J., et al. (2025). Prefer-oriented Ag2Se crystal for high-performance thermoelectric cooling. Adv. Funct. Mater. 35:2415000. DOI:10.1002/adfm.202415000

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [35] Kanno T., Tamaki H., Sato H. K., et al. (2018). Enhancement of average thermoelectric figure of merit by increasing the grain-size of Mg3.2Sb1.5Bi0.49Te0.01. Appl. Phys. Lett. 112:033903. DOI:10.1063/1.5016488

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [36] Imasato K., Kang S. D. and Snyder G. J. (2019). Exceptional thermoelectric performance in Mg3Sb0.6Bi1.4 for low-grade waste heat recovery. Energy Environ. Sci. 12:965-971. DOI:10.1039/c8ee03374a

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [37] Mao J., Zhu H., Ding Z., et al. (2019). High thermoelectric cooling performance of n-type Mg3Bi2-based materials. Science 365:495−498. DOI:10.1126/science.aax7792

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [38] Pan Y., Yao M., Hong X., et al. (2020). Mg3(Bi,Sb)2 single crystals towards high thermoelectric performance. Energy Environ. Sci. 13:1717−1724. DOI:10.1039/d0ee00838a

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [39] Liu Z., Gao W., Oshima H., et al. (2022). Maximizing the performance of n-type Mg3Bi2 based materials for room-temperature power generation and thermoelectric cooling. Nat. Commun. 13:1−9. DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-28798-4

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [40] Chen N., Zhu H., Li G., et al. (2023). Improved figure of merit (z) at low temperatures for superior thermoelectric cooling in Mg3(Bi, Sb)2. Nat. Commun. 14:4932. DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-40648-5

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [41] Zhao P., Xue W., Zhang Y., et al. (2024). Plasticity in single-crystalline Mg3Bi2 thermoelectric material. Nature 631:777−782. DOI:10.1038/s41586-024-07621-8

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [42] Tamaki H., Sato H. K. and Kanno T. (2016). Isotropic conduction network and defect chemistry in Mg3Sb2-based layered Zintl compounds with high thermoelectric performance. Adv. Mater. 28:10182−10187. DOI:10.1002/adma.201603955

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [43] Zhang J., Song L., Pedersen S. H., et al. (2017). Discovery of high-performance low-cost n-type Mg3Sb2-based thermoelectric materials with multi-valley conduction bands. Nat. Commun. 8:13901. DOI:10.1038/ncomms13901

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [44] Shuai J., Mao J., Song S. W., et al. (2017). Tuning the carrier scattering mechanism to effectively improve the thermoelectric properties. Energy Environ. Sci. 10:799−807. DOI:10.1039/C7EE00098G

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [45] Mao J., Shuai J., Song S. W., et al. (2017). Manipulation of ionized impurity scattering for achieving high thermoelectric performance in n-type Mg3Sb2-based materials. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 114:10548−10553. DOI:10.1073/pnas.1711725114

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [46] Mao J., Wu Y., Song S., et al. (2017). Defect engineering for realizing high thermoelectric performance in n-type Mg3Sb2-based materials. ACS Energy Lett. 2:2245−2250. DOI:10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00742

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [47] Shi X., Zhao T., Zhang X., et al. (2019). Extraordinary n-type Mg3SbBi thermoelectrics enabled by yttrium doping. Adv. Mater. 31:1903387. DOI:10.1002/adma.201903387

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [48] Yang J., Li G., Zhu H., et al. (2022). Next-generation thermoelectric cooling modules based on high-performance Mg3(Bi, Sb)2 material. Joule 6:193−204. DOI:10.1016/j.jmat.2022.05.004

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [49] Ying P., Wilkens L., Reith H., et al. (2022). Robust thermoelectric module based on MgAgSb/Mg3(Sb,Bi)2 with an 8.5% conversion efficiency and a 72 K maximum cooling. Energy Environ. Sci. 15:2557-2566. DOI:10.1039/D2EE00883A.

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [50] Goldsmid H. J. (1964). Thermoelectric Refrigeration (Springer US). DOI:10.1007/978-1-4899-5723-8

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [51] Goldsmid H. J. (1986). Electronic Refrigeration (Pion). https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130000796147130624

    View in Article Google Scholar

    [52] Liang K., Yang H., Zhao P., et al. (2023). Characterizing the thermoelectric cooling performance across a broad temperature range. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 94:105112. DOI:10.1063/5.0165551

    View in Article CrossRef Google Scholar

    [53] Ma X., Lin C., Yang H., et al. (2025). Elevating thermoelectric performance in the sub-ambient temperature range for electronic refrigeration. The Innovation:100864. DOI:10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100864.

    View in Article Google Scholar

    • Cited by

  • Cite this article:

    Yang H., Lin C., Liang K., et al. (2025). High-performance double-stage Mg3Bi2-based thermoelectric cooler. The Innovation Materials 3:100130. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2025.100130
    Yang H., Lin C., Liang K., et al. (2025). High-performance double-stage Mg3Bi2-based thermoelectric cooler. The Innovation Materials 3:100130. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-mater.2025.100130

Welcome!

To request copyright permission to republish or share portions of our works, please visit Copyright Clearance Center's (CCC) Marketplace website at marketplace.copyright.com.

Standard PDF
Extended PDF
Figures(4)    

Share

  • Share the QR code with wechat scanning code to friends and circle of friends.

Article Metrics

Article views(6636) PDF downloads(3218)

Relative Articles

Cited by

Catalog

    /

    DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
    Return

    {{newsColumn.name}}

    {{newsColumn.name}}

    Stay connected

    {{newsColumn.name}}

    Website copyright © Innovation Press. Published articles are licensed under CC BY with copyright retained by the authors.