Performance Enhancement in Thermoelectric Generators using Selfcurling Metal Thin Films

This paper presents an innovative technique to develop thermoelectric generators (TEGs) using self-curling thin film metals. Multilayered thin film ribbon pairs with opposing Seebeck coefficients are arranged in series and self-assembled into three-dimensional (3D) structures. A geometrically modified SiN coverage thin film layer underneath the ribbons facilitates controlled curving of these structures. When heat flux is applied to the substrate, the 3D structures generate various electromotive forces ranging from 100 µV to 3 mV measured at a substrate temperature of 70 °C, attributed to the Seebeck effect and various ΔT values achieved at different 3D structure elevations.