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Realization of High‐Performance Screen‐Printed Flexible Thermoelectric Generator by Improving Contact Characteristics
Author(s) -
Kim Yong Jun,
Kim Sun Jin,
Choi Hyeongdo,
Kim Choong Sun,
Lee Gyusoup,
Park Sang Hyun,
Cho Byung Jin
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced materials interfaces
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.671
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 2196-7350
DOI - 10.1002/admi.201700870
Subject(s) - materials science , contact resistance , thermoelectric generator , wetting , thermoelectric effect , annealing (glass) , optoelectronics , bilayer , intermetallic , soldering , composite material , bismuth telluride , thermoelectric materials , thermal conductivity , layer (electronics) , physics , genetics , alloy , membrane , biology , thermodynamics
To fabricate a flexible thermoelectric generator (f‐TEG) that can be applied to curvilinear surfaces such as the human body, the screen‐printing technique is a practical method for forming the thermoelectric (TE) elements. One of the main obstacles to fabricating high‐performance screen‐printed f‐TEGs is the high contact resistance. In this work, the output power of a screen‐printed f‐TEG is increased by 80% through engineering of the contact and its formation process. Reduction ambient annealing is a process that removes the surface oxides while modulating the tellurium (Te) concentration on the surface, easily forming a favorable intermetallic compound at the contact interface. The wetting angle of the solder is also drastically reduced by applying an anti‐diffusion bilayer. Using these methods, the specific contact resistivity (ρ C ) is reduced from 8.2 to 3.3 × 10 −6 Ω cm −2 and 75 to 4.7 × 10 −6 Ω cm −2 for p‐ and n‐type TE material respectively. The device figure of merit measured for one leg is increased from 0.301 to 0.595 and 0.247 to 0.481 for p‐ and n‐type respectively. The improved contact characteristics result in an increase in the output power of the complete module (a 72‐couple f‐TEG) from 0.25 to 0.4 W at a temperature difference of 40K.