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Quality of contacts in thermoelements significantly determines their efficiency. In contact systems, the interconnect layers functioning in high-temperature area must be formed at temperatures that exclude thermoelectric generators degradation. In this work, for commutation of thermoelements used in high-temperature thermoelectric generators the procedure of formation of a W-Co/Ag-Zn film contact system consisting of diffusion barrier layer and commutation layer, both formed by electrochemical deposition of metals and their alloys, is proposed. Electrolyte compositions and modes for the formation of contact layers were determined. The barrier layer is implemented based on the W-Co alloy, and the commutation layer, based on the Ag-Zn alloy. The commutation layer is formed by layer-by-layer deposition of films, first Ag, then Zn. The films thickness corresponds to mass ratio required for the formation of the Ag-Zn alloy. The commutation layer provides a permanent connection in the thermoelement up to temperatures of 600 °C, while Ag-Zn alloy is formed in the temperature range that excludes the degradation of thermoelectric materials on the surface of which the contact is formed. It has been established that the W-Co/Ag-Zn contact system is thermostable at temperatures up to 600 °C, has a high adhesion strength of 10.6-11.5 MPa and a low specific contact resistance not exceeding (3.4-3.6)⋅10-9 Ohm·m2.

Key words: thermoelement, contact system, interconnect layers, electrochemical deposition
Published in: TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES
Bibliography link: For citation: Korchagin E. P., Shtern Yu. I., Lavrenova A. M., Shtern M. Yu., Rogachev M. S., Babich A. V. High-temperature W-Co/Ag-Zn contact systems for thermoelements. Izv. vuzov. Elektronika = Proc. Univ. Electronics. 2025;30(3):293–302. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.24151/1561-5405-2025-30-3-293-302.
Financial source: The work has been supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 20-19-00494).

Egor P. Korchagin
National Research University of Electronic Technology (Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1)

Alina M. Lavrenova
National Research University of Electronic Technology (Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1)

Maxim S. Rogachev
National Research University of Electronic Technology (Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1)

Alexey V. Babich
National Research University of Electronic Technology (Russia, 124498, Moscow, Zelenograd, Shokin sq., 1)

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Information about the publication

UDK: 621.362.1:544.654.076.324
Publication type: Scientific article
DOI: 10.24151/1561-5405-2025-30-3-293-302
RISC id: 82507624

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