Fabrication of Bismuth Telluride-Based Alloy Thin Film Thermoelectric Devices Grown by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Bismuth-antimony-telluride based thin film materials were grown by metal organic vapor phase deposition (MOCVD). A planar-type thermoelectric device was fabricated with p-type Bi(0.4)Sb(1.6)Te(3) and n-type Bi(2)Te(3) thin films. The generator consisted of 20 pairs of p-type and n-type legs. We demonstrated complex structures of different conduction types of thermoelectric elements on the same substrate using two separate deposition runs of p-type and n-type thermoelectric materials. To demonstrate power generation, we heated one side of the sample with a heating block and measured the voltage output. An estimated power of 1.3 mu W was obtained for the temperature difference of 45 K. We provide a promising procedure for fabricating thin film thermoelectric generators by using MOCVD grown thermoelectric materials that may have a nanostructure with high thermoelectric properties.