Contact resistivity temperature dependence of iron-plated lead telluride

Efficient design of thermoelectric devices has resulted in definite contact resistance criteria. These criteria, however, are based on room temperature data. This paper reports measurements of the contact resistance (up to 800°K) of iron-plated lead telluride. Two idealized theoretical models are prepared to explain this temperature dependence. The results agree that the temperature exponent is approximately 2·5. For typical thermoelectric materials this indicates that the temperature dependence of the contact resistance is essentially the same as that of bulk mobility.