Thermoelectric Thin Film Devices for Energy Harvesting with the Heat Dissipated from High-Power Light-Emitting Diodes

Abstract

We examined the power-generation characteristics of thin-film devices using the heat dissipated from high-power light-emitting diodes. The thin-film device was fabricated around an light-emitting diode (LED) chip by electrodepositing four pairs of the 10 mu m-thick Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 films using either the high resistive Ti seed layer or the more conductive Ti/Cu/Au seed layer. The seed layer effect was more profound for the output power of the thin-film device than its output voltage. The open circuit voltages of 0.61 mV at Delta T for 4.1 K and 0.52 mV at Delta T for 4.9 K were obtained for the thin-film devices fabricated on the highly resistive Ti seed layer and the more conductive Ti/Cu/Au seed layer, respectively. Compared to 0.64 nW at Delta T for 4.1 K for the device processed on the more resistive Ti seed layer, a large maximum output power of 33.6 nW was obtained at Delta T of 4.9 K for the device built on the less resistive Ti/Cu/Au seed layer.