This paper presents an analytical solution for the thermoelastic stress in a typical in-plane＇s thin-film micro- thermoelectric cooling device under different operating con- ditions. The distributions of the permissible temperature fields in multilayered thin-films are analytically obtained, and the characteristics, including maximum temperature dif- ference and maximum refrigerating output of the thermo- electric device, are discussed for two operating conditions. Analytical expressions of the thermoelastic stresses in the layered thermoelectric thin-films induced by the tempera- ture difference are formulated based on the theory of mul- tilayer system. The results demonstrate that, the geometric dimension is a significant factor which remarkably affects the thermoelastic stresses. The stress distributions in layers of semiconductor thermoelements, insulating and support- ing membrane show distinctly different features. The present work may profitably guide the optimization design of high- efficiency micro-thermoelectric cooling devices.
