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Abstract
A type of Bi1.5Sb0.5Te3/Sb1.5Bi0.5Te3 thin film thermoelectric generators with semi-metal thermoelectric legs is presented. In order to improve the adaptability of the devices to different occasions, Au thin films are introduced into the thin film thermoelectric legs and separate each leg into two parts. Experimental results show that, because the larger area of Au thin films brings more heat dissipation, the output voltage and the equivalent Seebeck coefficient of the devices decrease with the increasing length and width of Au thin films. Although the output power of the thermoelectric generators is lower than that of conventional ones, the introduction of Au thin films might extend the application of the devices.
Highlights
In past decades, thermoelectric generators (TEGs) as a renewable energy technology have attracted much attention because they can directly convert thermal energy into electricity in an environment-friendly and maintenance-free manner.1–6 Recently, thin film TEGs have developed rapidly due to their potential application in micro-devices and their flexibility in installations.7 In order to improve the performance, many efforts on materials, fabrication methods and device’s structures have been paid.8–15 the thin film TEGs have good applicability, there are still some problems that need to be solved
To improve the adaptability of the thin film TEGs, in this work, a new structure of the thin film TEGs is proposed, in which the thermoelectric legs are separated by Au thin films
The dashed curves are the variation of the voltages generated from the two upper thermoelectric legs whose cold ends are Au thin films Au-N and Au-P
Summary
Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) as a renewable energy technology have attracted much attention because they can directly convert thermal energy into electricity in an environment-friendly and maintenance-free manner. Recently, thin film TEGs have developed rapidly due to their potential application in micro-devices and their flexibility in installations. In order to improve the performance, many efforts on materials, fabrication methods and device’s structures have been paid.. Thin film TEGs have developed rapidly due to their potential application in micro-devices and their flexibility in installations.. The thin film TEGs have good applicability, there are still some problems that need to be solved. On the occasions where the distance between hot sources and cold ends is long, or heat conduction paths are squiggling, it is difficult to use non-flexible TEGs to generate electricity. To improve the adaptability of the thin film TEGs, in this work, a new structure of the thin film TEGs is proposed, in which the thermoelectric legs are separated by Au thin films. The performance of the devices are investigated, and a comparison between the new TEGs and conventional ones is made
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