ABSTRACT
Since the discovery of semiconductor thermoelements, there has been much e¤ort to enhance the e²- ciency of thermoelectric (TE) devices. Along with e¤orts to increase a material’s œgure of merit, the use of functionally graded materials (FGM) o¤ers other ways to further improve device performance [1-40]. Graded TEs are characterized by a macroscopic gradient in their functional properties, caused by spatial variation of the composition (including doping) or microstructure. Also noncontinuously graded (i.e., segmented) elements are considered FGM since they lead to the same functional e¤ect.
