石墨烯热电器件栅控特性研究

为了获得一种稳定可控的能源，提出一种栅控石墨烯热电器件。通过对石墨烯通道的载流子输运机理的分析，获得了温度和栅压对通道电阻的影响。依据半经典Mott公式推导了石墨烯塞贝克系数的表达式，同时给出了石墨烯的电导率和热导率模型。最后通过有限元分析(FEA)建模获得不同栅压条件下的器件温度，当栅极电压V_B=0 V时，石墨烯热电器件热端和冷端温度差为30 K；当V_B=6 V时，最大温差达到50 K；当V_B=30 V时，最小温差只有10 K。结果表明，栅压对热电器件的性能有明显的调控性。该研究可为石墨烯热电器件的设计提供理论参考。     

Design and fabrication of thermoelectric waste heat reutilization system—possible industrial application

The current article discussed the detail design and development of an experimental test rig to derive usable energy by utilizing the waste heat energy through a heat exchanger made of Bi₂Te₃ material. The accuracy including the efficiency of the fabricated device is demonstrated further by verifying the associated parameter through a simulation model (commercial finite element package, ANSYS 15.0). To imitate the waste hot air from the industry is achieved via a heat gun and fed to the test rig for the generation of thermoelectric power. The simulation model accuracy has been demonstrated by juxtaposing the associated experimental data and computational readings. Subsequently, the feasibility and optimum range of design parameters are established by comparing the experimental and the simulation data (triggered temperature difference, voltage output, and heat flux) generated at the interface of the thermoelectric power generators. In addition, the coefficient of determination (R²) value has been evaluated statistically and verified with the current experimental results for the demonstration of the relevancy. The statistical study shows the existence of the correlation between the current experimental and the simulation model. Also, the experimental result indicates the possible implementation of the newly developed system for the recovery from the waste heat either the automobile exhaust or any other kind of dissipated heat from the industries.     

Thermoelectric properties of carbon nanotube reinforced cement-based composites fabricated by compression shear

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with weight percent of 5.0%, 10.0% and 15.0% were added into the cement matrix to fabricate CNT reinforced cement-based composites (CNTs/CC) by mixing and dry compression shear methods. Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the as-received CNTs/CC were measured and analyzed in detail. The CNTs/CC exhibits the thermoelectric behavior of p-type semiconductor. CNTs were dispersed uniformly in cement matrix by compression shear stress, which promoted a relatively high electrical conductivity (0.818 S/cm) and Seebeck coefficient (57.98 μV/°C) of CNTs/CC. Combining with their lower thermal conductivity ranged from 0.734 to 0.947 W m^?1 K^?1, the CNTs/CC shows the highest thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) has reached 9.33 × 10^?5, Which is benefit to the applications in large-scale energy harvesting in the buildings and pavements with low cost in the future cities.     

Morphology-dependent spin Seebeck effect in yttrium iron garnet thin films prepared by metal-organic decomposition

In this study, we examined the dependence of surface morphology and spin Seebeck effect (SSE) voltages on the poly[vinylpyrrolidone] (PVP) concentration in polycrystalline Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ (YIG) ultrathin films on a silicon substrate synthesized by metal-organic decomposition followed by a crystallization process. During fabrication, PVP concentrations of 0.5–2 g were used while all other conditions remained fixed. Atomic force microscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements revealed a strong dependence of crystallinity and sample morphology on PVP concentration. The 1-g PVP sample had the smoothest surface, with a root mean square roughness of 0.2 nm, as well as superior bulk uniformity with respect to the shape and intensity of XRD reflection peaks. This was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy measurements of a cross-section of the sample that revealed a uniform film without pores. SSE measurements were performed to obtain the output SSE voltages (V_SSE) of all samples, to which a platinum layer was added as a spin-detection layer. Repeatedly, the 1-g PVP sample had the best performance, demonstrating the importance of film crystallinity and morphology in the spin-to-charge conversion efficiency of YIG films.     

Inorganic thermoelectric materials: A review

Thermoelectric generator, which converts heat into electrical energy, has great potential to power portable devices. Nevertheless, the efficiency of a thermoelectric generator suffers due to inefficient thermoelectric material performance. In the last two decades, the performance of inorganic thermoelectric materials has been significantly advanced through rigorous efforts and novel techniques. In this review, major issues and recent advancements that are associated with the efficiency of inorganic thermoelectric materials are encapsulated. In addition, miscellaneous optimization strategies, such as band engineering, energy filtering, modulation doping, and low dimensional materials to improve the performance of inorganic thermoelectric materials are reported. The methodological reviews and analyses showed that all these techniques have significantly enhanced the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and reduced the thermal conductivity, consequently, improved ZT value to 2.42, 2.6, and 1.85 for near-room, medium, and high temperature inorganic thermoelectric material, respectively. Moreover, this review also focuses on the performance of silicon nanowires and their common fabrication techniques, which have the potential for thermoelectric power generation. Finally, the key outcomes along with future directions from this review are discussed at the end of this article.     

A study on the thermoelectric properties of ALD-grown aluminum-doped tin oxide with respect to nanostructure modulations

The thermoelectric properties of aluminum-doped tin oxide (ATO) thin films synthesized by thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) were studied with respect to the aluminum concentration. The overall aluminum content in each layer was modulated by adjusting the relative number of tin oxide (SnO₂) and aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) growth cycles, where a sequential process involving n cycles of SnO₂ growth followed by 1 cycle of Al₂O₃ deposition was performed (building up a super-cycle). The electrical conductivity (620 S/cm), free carrier concentration (1.23x10²¹ cm^-3), and power factor (0.49 mW/K²m) increase until their maximum values are reached when the Al content is approximately 1.50 at% of the cations, and decrease as more Al is added in. On the other hand, the Seebeck coefficient decreases monotonically as the Al content increases up to about 2.88 at%, and begins to increase with further Al doping. Here the thermoelectric efficiency is therefore determined primarily by the free carrier concentration, while the Seebeck coefficient appears to be influenced by the overall crystal structure.     

Grain boundary engineered,multilayer graphene incorporated LaCoO3 composites with enhanced thermoelectric properties

Enhancement of thermoelectric properties by virtue of decreased electrical resistance through grain boundary engineering is realised in this study. A robust strategy of optimisation of the transport properties by tuning the energy filtering effects at the interfaces by decreasing the interfacial electrical resistance is achieved in LaCoO₃ (LCO). This is accomplished by the incorporation of multilayer graphene within the parent LCO matrix containing multi-scale nano/micro grains. The present work has attained a substantial increment in electrical conductivity from a value of 96 Scm^-1 for bare LCO to ～5300 Scm^-1 at 750 K by incorporating 0.08 wt% multilayer graphene in LCO. No significant change in thermal conductivity is observed due to the presence of multilayer graphene in LCO. A zT of 0.33 at 550 K for 0.08 wt% multi-layer graphene incorporated LCO composite is achieved which is the highest thermoelectric figure of merit value for undoped LCO reported until now.     

半导体制冷--21世纪的绿色"冷源"

基于节能和环保已是当今一切科技发展进步的基本要求,对半导体制冷技术原理以及应用情况做了较全面的介绍,指出该技术的应用发展前景广阔,是21世纪新的绿色"冷源".