High-Performance Sb₂Te₃ Thick Films via Diffusion-Induced Structural Tuning for Flexible Thermoelectric Energy...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Antimony telluride (Sb₂Te₃) is a key p-type thermoelectric material.
• High-performance thick films are crucial for efficient flexible thermoelectric devices.
• Wearable electronics require stable power from energy harvesting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate high-performance Sb₂Te₃ thick films for flexible thermoelectric devices.
• To optimize thermal diffusion for enhanced thermoelectric properties.
• To evaluate the performance and durability of flexible thermoelectric devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 10 μm Sb₂Te₃ thick films using thermal evaporation and thermal diffusion.
• Optimization of thermal diffusion temperature for Sb₂Te₃ films.
• Characterization of thermoelectric properties (electrical conductivity, power factor) and device performance (output voltage, power density).
• Assessment of device flexibility and stability through bending tests.

Main Results:

• Achieved a room-temperature power factor of 25.0 μW cm^-1 K^-2 in optimized 10 μm Sb₂Te₃ films.
• Developed a flexible planar thermoelectric device with 57 mV output voltage and 8.85 μW peak output power under a 60 °C temperature gradient.
• Demonstrated high output power density of 4.42 mW cm^-2.
• Device exhibited excellent mechanical stability with only a 16.7% resistance change after 800 bending cycles at 60% strain.

Conclusions:

• A scalable strategy for enhancing thermoelectric performance of Sb₂Te₃ thick films was presented.
• Optimized thick films and flexible devices show significant potential for wearable energy harvesting.
• The developed technology advances the practical application of thermoelectric generators in flexible electronics.