The factors determining the adhesive strength of film coatings are considered. The functions of contacts in thermoelements used in a wide temperature range were determined. It was established that the adhesive strength of contact is a limiting factor in the mechanical strength of a thermoelement. A method of vacuum sputtering of thin-film contacts was proposed, including the surface treatment of samples of thermoelectric materials. The presence of a transition layer in the area of the metal-thermoelectric material contact, formed during the interaction of the metal with elements of the thermoelectric material, was established. The dependence of the adhesive strength of film contact on roughness of surface on which they formed was established. Thermal stable contacts for thermoelements with low resistivity of the order of 10-9 Ω·m2 and high adhesion strength of at least 12 MPa were obtained by ion-plasma sputtering. Keywords: thermoelements, contacts, thin films, adhesion, contact resistance.