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Thermoelectric Effects of Nanogaps between Two Tips
Author(s) -
Huang HaoTing,
Ho GuanYou,
Wei ZungHang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201703695
Subject(s) - thermoelectric effect , materials science , thermoelectric materials , thermionic emission , seebeck coefficient , figure of merit , thermal conductivity , thermoelectric generator , optoelectronics , condensed matter physics , nanotechnology , electron , composite material , thermodynamics , physics , quantum mechanics
This study designs a microscaled thermoelectric component featuring a nanogap of varying size (133–900 nm) between the tips of the component. Electricity and heat are transmitted between the gap of the tips through the thermionic emission of electrons. Because the gaps exhibit a discontinuous structure, the phonon's contribution to thermal conductivity can be virtually neglected, thereby enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit ( ZT ) of the designed thermoelectric component. The experimental results reveal that a narrow tip gap generates stronger thermoelectric effects, with Seebeck voltage and Seebeck coefficient being respectively, one and two orders of magnitude greater than those of the thermoelectric effects of nanowires. The thermoelectric figure of merit without considering the contributions from other heat carriers is higher than the value of thermoelectric devices developed in recent years. For a set of asymmetrical thin film electrodes of differing sizes, the thermoelectric effects generated in the heating process of large thin films are stronger than those of small thin films. Furthermore, adding nanoparticles to the nanogap facilitate the thermionic emission of electrons, in which electrons hop from the hot end to the cold end, thereby intensifying the thermoelectric effects of the nanogap.