Inkjet Printing Preparation of AgCuTe Thermoelectric Thin Films

doi:10.15541/jim20240156

Abstract

Abstract:

Flexible thermoelectric devices, capable of generating electricity from the slight temperature difference between the human body and the environment, demonstrate significant potential for continuous power supply in wearable devices. However, the poor thermoelectric performance still limits their widespread application. This study reports a method for fabricating high-performance flexible thermoelectric thin films using inkjet printing. AgCuTe nanowires prepared by a chemical transfer method were dispersed in ethanol to form the ink with no significant sedimentation, which could be stably and continuously sprayed to print p-type thermoelectric films on polyimide substrates. Dense thermoelectric films were then obtained through thermal treatment by a spark plasma sintering furnace, and the effect of sintering temperature on thermoelectric properties was studied. The results showed that the film sintered at a pressure of 10 MPa and a temperature of 400 ℃ for 15 min possessed a room temperature power factor of 432 µW·m^-1·K^-2, which is 182% higher than that of inkjet-printed p-type Bi₂Te₃ films (a room temperature power factor of 153 µW·m^-1·K^-2) reported in literature. This advancement further expands the application of inkjet printing in the field of flexible thermoelectrics and provides more possibilities for the fabrication of a new generation of high-performance flexible thermoelectric devices.

Key words: inkjet printing, flexible thermoelectric thin film, AgCuTe, ink

CLC Number:

TQ174

ZHANG Botao, SUN Tingting, WANG Lianjun, JIANG Wan. Inkjet Printing Preparation of AgCuTe Thermoelectric Thin Films[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2024, 39(12): 1325-1330.

Figures/Tables 9

Fig. 1 XRD pattern of AgCuTe powders

Fig. 2 (a, b) SEM images of AgCuTe powders and (c-e) elemental mappings of AgCuTe nanowire

Fig. 3 (a) Dispersibility and stability of AgCuTe powders in deionized water and ethanol, and (b) TEM image of AgCuTe nanowire

Fig. 4 Droplet morphologies from nozzles 1-16

Fig. 5 Micrographs of films printed at different droplet spacings (a) 5 μm; (b) 10 μm; (c) 20 μm; (d) 30 μm; (e) 40 μm; (f) Size of a single droplet

Fig. 6 XRD patterns of films sintered at different temperatures

Fig. 7 Surface SEM images of films sintered at (a) 300, (b) 350 and (c) 400 ℃, and (d) cross-sectional SEM image of film sintered at 400 ℃

Table 1 Thermoelectric properties of films sintered at different temperatures

Sintering temperature/℃	σ/(S·cm^-1)	S/(μV·K^-1)	PF/(μW·m^-1·K^-2)
300	80	108	93
350	168	126	266
400	227	138	432

Table 2 Performance of inkjet printed p-type thermoelectric materials in this work and reported literatures

Material	σ/ (S·cm^-1)	S/ (μV·K^-1)	PF/ (μW·m^-1·K^-2)	Ref.
PEDOT	267	21.5	12.3	[17]
PEDOT	300	10	3	[18]
Graphene	41	12	18.7	[19]
Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃	135	21	61	[23]
Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃	338	67.3	153	[25]
AgCuTe	227	138	432	This work

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