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Fabrication and Characterization of Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2015

Brian L. Geist ,
Madrakhim Zaynetdinov ,
Kirby Myers ,
K. Zhang ,
X. Chen ,
A.D. Ramalingom Pillai ,
Helmut Baumgart ,
Hans D. Robinson  and
Vladimir Kochergin
Brian L. Geist
Affiliation:
MicroXact, Inc., Blacksburg, VA 24060-6376, U.S.A.
Madrakhim Zaynetdinov
Affiliation:
MicroXact, Inc., Blacksburg, VA 24060-6376, U.S.A.
Kirby Myers
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0435, U.S.A.
K. Zhang
Affiliation:
Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, Newport News, VA 23606, U.S.A.
X. Chen
Affiliation:
Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, Newport News, VA 23606, U.S.A.
A.D. Ramalingom Pillai
Affiliation:
Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, Newport News, VA 23606, U.S.A.
Helmut Baumgart
Affiliation:
Applied Research Center, Old Dominion University, Newport News, VA 23606, U.S.A.
Hans D. Robinson
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0435, U.S.A.
Vladimir Kochergin
Affiliation:
MicroXact, Inc., Blacksburg, VA 24060-6376, U.S.A.
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Abstract

We present results of modeling and experimental characterization of thermoelectric (TE) materials built on new fabrication principles, involving the coating of three-dimensionally structured quantum well super-lattice substrates with PbTe/PbSe. A new system for wafer-scale electrochemical deposition of such structures was specifically developed and will be described in this paper. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to measure film thickness and electron diffraction spectroscopy (EDS) was used to determine film material concentration. By adjusting deposition parameters, we were able to build stoichiometric PbSe, PbTe and stacked PbSe/PbTe super-lattice films on planar and pre-structured surfaces. The films were thermoelectrically modelled using COMSOL and then characterized using an infrared Seebeck effect measurement system which measured surface heating of the film while measuring the voltage associated with the temperature gradient. We report advances in the design and fabrication of TE materials which improve cost-effectiveness and TE efficiency.

Keywords

thermoelectricenergy generationatomic layer deposition
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1735: Symposium S/W/CC – Advanced Materials for Photovoltaic, Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer, and Thermoelectric Energy Conversion , 2015 , mrsf14-1735-cc14-35
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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References

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