Thermoelectric Cooling Solutions

Cycling miniature TECs

RMT has developed new single-stage thermoelectric Peltier coolers (TECs) suitable for applications in which durability to cyclic temperature changes is required. These are so-called cycling TECs. They are characterized by high heating or cooling rates up to 20°C/sec and the ability to ensure stable operation in reversal polarity of applied voltage during hundreds of thousands (up to a million or even more) cycles.

Cycling TECs are manufactured by many thermoelectric companies in the version of "large" TECs, in which the size of ceramics is not less than 20×20 mm2 and the cross-sectional dimensions of the pellets are 1 mm2 and more. RMT is the first TEC manufacturer that offers miniature cycling TECs in which both ceramics and pellets can have smaller sizes at the customer’s request. In addition, these TECs can be mounted into the equipment by soldering, which is not applicable in the case of "large" TECs.

The main application of cycling TECs is medical equipment for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines used for DNA analysis. Currently "large" TECs are used in PCR machines where all DNA probes (typically 48-96 units) are cycled simultaneously by one program. But for the progress in PCR technique (for example, portable PCR machines) individually cycling of each probe or small group of probes (1-4 units) is required. This is what RMT miniature cycling TECs can provide. Usually a few of miniature cycling TECs are used for operation in PCR machines, and every TEC has its own individual control electronic system.

For PCR applications RMT offers standard single-stage TECs, for instance 1MC06, 1MD06 or 1MDL06 series, but produced with the use of special technique to increase reliability for very long time cycling.

Below is an example that illustrates the reliability of RMT 1MC06-126-05 cycling TECs. They have successfully passed the tests in an amount of 500 thousand cycles. Test parameters were as follows: base temperature 40°C, TEC cold side temperature +20/+100°C, cycle time = 30 sec.


RMT cycling TECs can be used not only for PCR, but also for other applications that require high reliability, for example, analytical and testing equipment, etc. For these cases, TECs of other series up to 1MD02 can be used.

Please contact RMT concerning TECs for these applications, particularly for selection of most optimal TEC solutions.