Thermoelectric coolers on TO-46 5pin Header

		Performance @50ºC, Dry N2					Cold Side		Height	PDF
ASM TYPE		dTmax	Qmax	Imax	Umax	ACR	A	B	H
		K	W	A	V	Ohm	mm	mm	mm
TO4605.1MD02004xx
	TO4605.1MD0200403ANt	69	0.19	0.6	0.5	0.7	1.0	1.0	0.7
	TO4605.1MD0200403	68	0.18	0.6	0.5	0.7	1.0	1.0	0.9
	TO4605.1MD0200404ANt	72	0.15	0.4	0.5	0.9	1.0	1.0	0.8
	TO4605.1MD0200404	70	0.14	0.4	0.5	0.9	1.0	1.0	1.0
TO4605.1MD02008xx
	TO4605.1MD0200803ANt	68	0.35	0.5	1.0	1.4	1.2	1.2	0.7
	TO4605.1MD0200803	67	0.33	0.5	1.0	1.4	1.2	1.2	0.9
	TO4605.1MD0200804	70	0.27	0.4	1.0	1.8	1.2	1.2	1.0
	TO4605.1MD0200805	72	0.22	0.3	1.1	2.2	1.2	1.2	1.1
TO4605.1MD02012/1xx
	TO4605.1MD0201203/1ANt	66	0.50	0.5	1.5	2.0	1.2	1.9	0.7
	TO4605.1MD0201203/1	65	0.47	0.5	1.5	2.0	1.2	1.9	0.9
	TO4605.1MD0201204/1	68	0.38	0.4	1.5	2.7	1.2	1.9	1.0
	TO4605.1MD0201205/1	70	0.32	0.3	1.6	3.4	1.2	1.9	1.1
TO4605.1MD03002xx
	TO4605.1MD0300204ANt	72	0.16	1.0	0.3	0.2	1.0	1.0	0.8
	TO4605.1MD0300204	70	0.16	1.0	0.3	0.2	1.0	1.0	1.0
	TO4605.1MD0300205	71	0.13	0.8	0.3	0.3	1.0	1.0	1.1
	TO4605.1MD0300208	72	0.09	0.5	0.3	0.4	1.0	1.0	1.4
TO4605.1MD03004/1xx
	TO4605.1MD0300404/1ANt	71	0.32	1.0	0.5	0.4	1.2	1.9	0.8
	TO4605.1MD0300404/1	70	0.30	0.9	0.5	0.4	1.2	1.9	1.0
	TO4605.1MD0300405/1	71	0.25	0.8	0.5	0.5	1.2	1.9	1.1
	TO4605.1MD0300408/1	72	0.17	0.5	0.5	0.8	1.2	1.9	1.4
TO4605.1MD04003/1xx
	TO4605.1MD0400303/1ANt	67	0.49	2.0	0.4	0.1	1.2	1.9	0.7
	TO4605.1MD0400303/1	66	0.46	2.0	0.4	0.1	1.2	1.9	0.9
	TO4605.1MD0400305/1	71	0.32	1.3	0.4	0.2	1.2	1.9	1.0
	TO4605.1MD0400308/1	73	0.22	0.9	0.4	0.3	1.2	1.9	1.1

The TO-46 header is one of the smallest TO-style headers for thermoelectric cooler (TEC) integrating. Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) on TO-46 are mainly used for VCSEL cooling and similar low-power semiconductor laser diodes, as well as in some types of optical sensors. Despite the very small space for TEC mounting (~1.2x2.3mm2), the number of thermoelectric coolers compatible with TO-46 in TEC Microsystems' standard product line is over three dozen.

TEC Microsystems uses TO-46 with 5 and 6pins, which is usually enough to for TEC, temperature sensor and LD chip. TO-46 headers have Au plating suitable for wire bonding (WB).

Two orientations of the TEC relative to the header pins are available. The thermoelectric cooler itself can be mounted on TO-46 header with WB pads for further bonding or connected to the header pins (by wire or solder drop). TEC is mounted on TO-46 by soldering (Sn-Ag-In, Tmelt=206ºC), thanks to this TO-46 based sub-assembly can withstand short term heat up to 200ºC in subsequent assembly steps.

The most common and typical TEC solutions with TO-46 based packages are shown in the table below. The total number of available configurations is much higher.