High Performance Shape-Conformable Thermoelectric Materials and Devices to Heat Sources

Abstract

Here, we present the shape-conformable thermoelectric materials geometrically to surfaces of any shape by securing the flexibility of thin films or painting and 3D printing processes. We synthesized the molecular Sb2Te3 chalcogenidometallate and utilize them as ink solution for fabricating flexible thin films. At the same time, we prepared Bi2Te3-based inorganic pastes by using Sb2Te3 chalcogenidometallate as an additive for Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric particles, with ZT values of 0.5~0.7 for n-type and 1.0~1.2 for p-type materials that compete the bulk values. Devices directly brush-painted onto curved surfaces produced the high output power of 4.0 mW cm-2 under the temperature difference of 50 oC. Also, the shapes of 3D blocks printed by dispensing process were controllably varied to cube, circle, and half ring.