Abstract
Flexible and reliable thermoelectric generators (TEGs) will be essential for future energy harvesting sensors. In this study, we synthesized p- and n-type SiGe layers on a high heat-resistant polyimide film using metal-induced layer exchange (LE) and demonstrated TEG operation. Despite the low process temperature (<500 °C), the polycrystalline SiGe layers showed high power factors of 560 µW m−1 K−2 for p-type Si0.4Ge0.6 and 390 µW m−1 K−2 for n-type Si0.85Ge0.15, owing to self-organized doping in LE. Furthermore, the power factors indicated stable behavior with changing measurement temperature, an advantage of SiGe as an inorganic material. An in-plane π-type TEG based on these SiGe layers showed an output power of 0.45 µW cm−2 at near room temperature for a 30 K temperature gradient. This achievement will enable the development of environmentally friendly and highly reliable flexible TEGs for operating micro-energy devices in the future Internet of Things.
Highlights
Energy harvesting technologies will be essential for creating a sustainable society [1,2,3,4]
Flexible Thermoelectric Generator Based on Polycrystalline SiGe Thin Films
III–V compound semiconductors are useful for thermoelectric generators (TEGs) [13,14], group IV materials are suitable for electronic devices in close proximity to humans because they are nontoxic and relatively abundant
Summary
Energy harvesting technologies will be essential for creating a sustainable society [1,2,3,4]. Flexible Thermoelectric Generator Based on Polycrystalline SiGe Thin Films. Flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) will be a key technology for use in ubiquitous sensors and wearable devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) [5].
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