Fracture mechanics analysis of delamination in a thermoelectric pn-junction sandwiched by an insulating layer

A fracture mechanics analysis is conducted for a delamination problem of a multilayered thermoelectric material (TEM) that consists of an n-type layer and a p-type layer sandwiched by an insulating layer. A time-varying energy release rate is presented when the n-type layer delaminates from the insulating layer. Effects of the temperature difference across the system and the applied electric current on the energy release rate are identified. The influence of the thickness ratio of the insulating layer to the thermoelectric (TE) layer is also examined. Based on the energy release rate criterion, the critical temperature difference for delamination propagation is obtained. Some useful conclusions are given.