High reliability thermoelectric cooling modules

Large thermoelectric cooling/heating systems need in plenty of high reliability thermoelectric cooling modules (TCMs). In this paper we present the TCM manufacturing processes developed with the aim to significantly reduce internal mechanical stresses in TCMs and increase their reliability. TCMs were subjected to two long-time thermocycling tests. The tests included the sequence of operations of heating and cooling one TCM side by passing electric current through TCM in temperature ranges from -15/spl deg/C up to 85/spl deg/C and 35/spl deg/C up to 95/spl deg/C. Typically TCMs passed successfully more than 6000 and 50000 thermocycles in the first and second tests respectively without failure. The ways of TCM reliability increase are discussed.