Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fabrication and Characterization of Brush-Printed p-Type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Thick Films for Thermoelectric Cooling Devices

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bismuth telluride alloys are promising thermoelectric materials used for portable␣and wearable cooling devices due to their excellent thermoelectric properties near the ambient temperature. Here, a simple and cost-effective brush-printing technique, together with a subsequent annealing treatment, has been used to prepare Bi2Te3-based thick films and prototype devices. The composition, microstructure, and electrical properties of the brush-printed p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 thick films at different annealing temperatures are investigated. It is found that annealing temperature plays an important role in promoting densification and preventing the film from cracking, hence improving the electrical transport properties. The maximum power factor of the brush-printed thick films is 0.15 mW K−2 m−1 when annealed at 673 K for 4 h. A prototype thermoelectric device is manufactured by connecting the brush-printed p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 and n-type Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 thick films with Cu thick-film electrodes on an Al2O3 substrate. The cooling performance of the thermoelectric device is evaluated by measuring the temperature difference produced under applied currents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. R. Venkatasubramanian, E. Siivola, T. Colpitts, and B. O’Quinn, Nature 413, 597 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. S.B. Riffat and X.L. Ma, Appl. Therm. Eng. 23, 913 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. L.E. Bell, Science 321, 1457 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. J. Yang and F.R. Stabler, J. Electron. Mater. 38, 1245 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. P. Li, L.L. Cai, P.C. Zhai, X.F. Tang, Q.J. Zhang, and M. Niino, J. Electron. Mater. 39, 1522 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. F.J. DiSalvo, Science 285, 703 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Tan, Y. Wang, Y. Deng, Z.W. Zhang, B.W. Luo, J.Y. Yang, and Y.B. Xu, Sens. Actuator A Phys. 171, 252 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Y. Orikasa, N. Hayashi, and S. Muranaka, J. Appl. Phys. 103, 113703 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. D. Bourgault, C.G. Garampon, N. Caillault, L. Carbone, and J.A. Aymami, Thin Solid Films 516, 8579 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. S. Ohta, T. Nomura, H. Ohta, M. Hirano, H. Hosono, and K. Koumoto, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 092108 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. T.C. Harman, P.J. Taylor, M.P. Walsh, and B.E. LaForge, Science 297, 2229 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Y. Kim, A. DiVenere, G.K.L. Wong, J.B. Ketterson, S. Cho, and J.R. Meyer, J. Appl. Phys. 91, 715 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. J.J. Urban, D.V. Talapin, E.V. Shevchenko, C.R. Kagan, and C.B. Murray, Nat. Mater. 6, 115 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Chen, M.Y. Tang, R.G. Yang, H. Lee, D.Z. Wang, Z.F. Ren, J.-P. Fleurial, and P. Gogna, Adv. Mater. 19, 1043 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. K. Tittes, A. Bund, W. Plieth, A. Bentien, S. Paschen, M. Plötner, H. Gräfe, and W.-J. Fischer, J. Solid State Electron. 7, 714 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. B.Y. Yoo, C.-K. Huang, J.R. Lim, J. Herman, M.A. Ryan, J.-P. Fleurial, and N.V. Myung, Electrochim. Acta 50, 4371 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. D. Madan, A. Chen, P.K. Wright, and J.W. Evans, J. Appl. Phys. 109, 034904 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. D. Madan, Z.Q. Wang, A. Chen, R. Winslow, P.K. Wright, and J.W. Evans, Appl. Phys. Lett. 104, 013902 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. D. Madan, Z.Q. Wang, A. Chen, R.C. Juang, J. Keist, P.K. Wright, and J.W. Evans, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 4, 6117 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Z.Y. Lu, M. Layani, X.X. Zhao, L.P. Tan, T. Sun, S.F. Fan, Q.Y. Yan, S. Magdassi, and H.H. Hng, Small 10, 3551 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. C. Navone, M. Soulier, M. Plissonnier, and A.L. Seiler, J. Electron. Mater. 39, 1755 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. H.-B. Lee, H.J. Yang, J.H. We, K. Kim, K.C. Choi, and B.J. Cho, J. Electron. Mater. 40, 615 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. J.H. We, S.J. Kim, G.S. Kim, and B.J. Cho, J. Alloys Compd. 552, 107 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. X. Liu, W.Y. Zhao, H.Y. Zhou, X. Mu, D.Q. He, W.T. Zhu, P. Wei, H. Wu, and Q.J. Zhang, J. Electron. Mater. 45, 1328 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. C. Navone, M. Soulier, J. Testard, J. Simon, and T. Caroff, J. Electron. Mater. 40, 789 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. H.Y. Zhou, W.Y. Zhao, G. Liu, H. Cheng, and Q.J. Zhang, J. Electron. Mater. 42, 1436 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. W.T. Zhu, W.Y. Zhao, H.Y. Zhou, J. Yu, D.G. Tang, Z.Y. Liu, and Q.J. Zhang, J. Electron. Mater. 43, 1768 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. A. Ghadami Jadval Ghadam and M. Idrees, Iran. J. Chem. Chem. Eng. 32, 27 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  29. D.-H. Kim and G.-H. Lee, Mater. Sci. Eng., B 131, 106 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. M. Takashiri, S. Tanaka, M. Takiishi, M. Kihara, K. Miyazaki, and H. Tsukamoto, J. Alloys Compd. 462, 351 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973-program, No. 2013CB632505) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11274248, 51521001, 51572210, and 51502228).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China

    Han Wu, Xing Liu, Ping Wei, Hong-Yu Zhou, Xin Mu,  Dan-Qi He, Wan-Ting Zhu, Xiao-Lei Nie, Wen-Yu Zhao & Qing-Jie Zhang

Authors
  1. Han Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xing Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ping Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hong-Yu Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xin Mu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Dan-Qi He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Wan-Ting Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Xiao-Lei Nie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Wen-Yu Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Qing-Jie Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wen-Yu Zhao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wu, H., Liu, X., Wei, P. et al. Fabrication and Characterization of Brush-Printed p-Type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Thick Films for Thermoelectric Cooling Devices. J. Electron. Mater. 46, 2950–2957 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-016-5076-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-016-5076-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation