Current Applied Physics, Vol.21, 121-133, 2021
Flexible thermoelectric module based on zinc oxide thin film grown via SILAR
In this work, we used the low temperature solution growth Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) for a deposition of the nanostructured undoped and indium doped (ZnO and ZnO:In) thin films on flexible polyimide (PI) substrates for their use as cheap non-toxic thermoelectric materials in the flexible thermoelectric modules of planar type to power up portable and wearable electronics and miniature devices. The use of a zincate solution in the SILAR method allows to obtain ZnO:In film, which after post-growth annealing at 300 degrees C has low resistivity rho approximate to 0.02 Omega m, and high Seebeck coefficient-147 mu V/K and thermoelectric power factor similar to 1 mu W K-2 m(-1) at near-room temperatures. As evidence of the operability of the manufactured films as the basis of the TE device, we have designed and tested experimental lightweight thin-film thermoelectric module. This TE module is able to produce specific output power 0.8 mu W/m(2) at Delta T = 50 K.
Keywords:Zinc oxide;ZnO:In;Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction;Thermoelectric module;Crystal structure