Micro-Power Generation Characteristics of Thermoelectric Thin Film Devices Processed by Electrodeposition and Flip-Chip Bonding

Abstract

A thermoelectric thin film device of cross-plane configuration was fabricated by the flip-chip process using an anisotropic conductive adhesive. The Cu/Au bonding bumps electrodeposited on the Ti/Cu/Au electrodes in the top substrate were flip-chip bonded to the 242 pairs of the n-type Bi2Te3 and p-type Sb2Te3 thin film legs electrodeposited on the Ti/Cu/Au electrodes in the bottom substrate. Using the output voltage–current curve, the internal resistance of the thin film device was measured to be 21.4 Ω at temperature differences of 9.8–39.7 K across the device. The thin film device exhibited an open-circuit voltage of 320 mV and a maximum output power of 1.1 mW with a power density of 3.84 mW/cm2 at a temperature difference of 39.7 K applied across the thin film device.