Bi2Te3 / Si Thermophotovoltaic Cells Converting Low-Temperature Radiation into Electricity

Abstract

The thermophotovoltaic cells which can convert the infrared radiation from room-temperature surroundings into electricity are of significance due to their potential applications in many fields. In this work, narrow bandgap Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 thin film thermophotovoltaic cells were fabricated, and the formation mechanism of Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 p-n heterojunctions was investigated. During the formation of the heterojunctions at room temperature, both electrons and holes diffuse in the same direction from n-type Bi2Te3 thin films to p-type Sb2Te3 thin films rather than conventional bi-directional diffusion. Because the strong intrinsic excitation generates a large number of intrinsic carriers which weaken the built-in electric field of the heterojunctions, their I-V curves become similar to straight lines. It is also demonstrated that Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 thermophotovoltaic cells can output electrical power under the infrared radiation from a room-temperature heat source. This work proves that it is possible to convert the infrared radiation from dark and room-temperature surroundings into electricity through narrow bandgap thermophotovoltaic cells.