Improved thermoelectric performance of highly-oriented nanocrystalline bismuth antimony telluride thin films

Improved thermoelectric performance of highly-oriented nanocrystalline bismuth antimony telluride thin films is described. The thin films are deposited by a flash evaporation method, followed by annealing in hydrogen. By optimizing the annealing conditions, the resulting thin films exhibit almost perfect orientation with the c-axis normal to the substrate, and are composed of nano-sized grains with an average grain size of 150 nm. The in-plane electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient were measured at room temperature. The cross-plane thermal conductivity of the thin films was measured by a 3ω method, and the in-plane thermal conductivity was evaluated by using an anisotropic factor of thermal conductivity based on a single crystal bulk alloy with almost the same composition and carrier concentration. The measured cross-plane thermal conductivity is 0.56 W/(m K), and the in-plane thermal conductivity is evaluated to be 1.05 W/(m K). Finally, the in-plane power factor and figure-of-merit, ZT, of the thin films are 35.6 μW/(cm K²) and 1.0 at 300 K, respectively.     

Comparison of the thermal properties between composites reinforced by raw and amino-functionalized carbon materials

Carbon materials, such as graphite oxides, carbon nanotubes and graphenes, have exceptional thermal conductivity, which render them excellent candidates as fillers in advanced thermal interface materials for high density electronics. In this paper, these carbon materials were functionalized with 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulphone (DDS), to enhance the bonding between the carbon materials and the resin matrix. Their visibly different properties were investigated. It seems that DDS-functionalization can obviously improve the interfacial heat transfer between the carbon materials and the epoxy matrix. The thermal conductivity enhancement of D-Graphene composites (0.493 W/m K) was about 30% higher than that of D-MWNTs composites (0.387 W/m K) at 0.5 vol.% loading. The different effects among EGO, D-EGO, MWNTs, D-MWNTs and D-Graphene in polymer composites were also discussed. It was demonstrated that DDS-functionalized carbon materials had an obvious effect on the thermal performances of composite materials and were more effective in thermal conductivity enhancement.     

Thermophysical properties of free-standing micrometer-thick Poly(3-hexylthiophene) films

The solution of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in chloroform is generally adopted for fabricating P3HT thin films or nanofibers. In this work, 4 regular P3HT solution weight percentages, 2, 3, 5 and 7 wt.%, are compounded to fabricate P3HT thin films by using spin-coating technique. Raman spectrum study suggests that the density of the P3HT thin films varies with different P3HT solution weight percentages while X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the crystal structures are identical for all P3HT thin films. The transient electrothermal technique is employed to measure the thermal diffusivity of the P3HT thin films and an efficient temperature-resistance calibration is performed to cooperatively study the thermal conductivity. When the P3HT weight percentage changes from 2% to 7%, the thermal conductivity varies from 1.29 W/m·K to 1.67 W/m·K and the thermal diffusivity goes down from around 10^− 6 m²/s to 5 × 10^− 7 m²/s. The density of P3HT thin films is also determined from the experimental data. The relationship between the density and thermophysical properties clearly demonstrates that the thermal conductivity increases with density while the thermal diffusivity decreases.     

Fabrication and characterization of aluminum nitride polymer matrix composites with high thermal conductivity and low dielectric constant for electronic packaging

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composites filled with Aluminum Nitride (AlN) were prepared by powder processing technique. The microstructures of the composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy techniques. The effect of AlN filler content (0.1–0.7 volume fraction (vf)) on the thermal conductivity, relative permittivity, and dielectric loss were investigated. As the vf of AlN filler increased, the thermal conductivity of the specimens increased. The thermal conductivity and relative permittivity of AlN/PMMA composites with 0.7 vf AlN filler were improved to 1.87 W/(m K) and 4.4 (at 1 MHz), respectively. The experimental thermal conductivity and relative permittivity were compared with that from simulation model.     

Electrical and thermal property enhancement of fiber-reinforced polymer laminate composites through controlled implementation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are implemented into alumina-fiber reinforced laminates, and enhanced mass-specific thermal and electrical conductivities are observed. Electrical conductivity enhancement is useful for electrostatic discharge and sensing applications, and is used here for both electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and deicing. CNTs were grown directly on individual fibers in woven cloth plies, and maintained their alignment during the polymer (epoxy) infiltration used to create laminates. Using multiple complementary methods, non-isotropic electrical and thermal conductivities of these hybrid composites were thoroughly characterized as a function of CNT volume/mass fraction. DC and AC electrical conductivity measurements demonstrate high electrical conductivity of >100 S/m (at 3% volume fraction, ∼1.5% weight fraction, of CNTs) that can be used for multifunctional applications such as de-icing and electromagnetic shielding. The thermal conductivity enhancement (∼1 W/m K) suggests that carbon-fiber based laminates can significantly benefit from aligned CNTs. Application of such new nano-engineered, multi-scale, multi-functional CNT composites can be extended to system health monitoring with electrical or thermal resistance change induced by damage, fire-resistant structures among other multifunctional attributes.     

Effect of coating on the microstructure and thermal conductivities of diamond-Cu composites prepared by powder metallurgy

Diamond-Cu composites from the direct combination of diamond and Cu show low thermal conductivities due to weak interface and high thermal resistance as a result of chemical incompatibility. In this paper, a new method is proposed to strengthen interfacial binding between diamond and Cu by coating strong carbide-forming elements, e.g., Ti or Cr on the surface of the diamond through vacuum micro-deposition. Interfacial thermal resistance of diamond-Cu composites is greatly decreased when diamond particles are coated by a Cr or Ti layer of a certain thickness before combining with Cu. Thermal conductivity is also increased several times. Cr coating can reduce more effectively interface thermal resistance between diamond and Cu than Ti coating. Moreover, it has a smaller negative impact on the thermal conductivity of the Cu matrix, resulting in higher thermal conductivity of Cr-coated diamond-Cu composites. Through the vacuum micro-deposition technology, Cr on the diamond particle surface is present in the form Cr₇C₃ near diamond and a pure Cr outer layer at 2:1. The optimum thickness is within 0.6-0.9 μm; at this depth, the thermal conductivities of 70 vol% diamond-Cu composites can be increased four times and reach as high as 657 W/m K. In this work, an original theoretical model is proposed to estimate the thermal conductivities of composite materials with an interlayer of a certain thickness. The predicted values from this model are in good agreement with the experimental values.     

Room temperature deposited vanadium oxide thin films for uncooled infrared detectors

We demonstrate the room temperature deposition of vanadium oxide thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique for application as the thermal sensing layer in uncooled infrared (IR) detectors. The films exhibit temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of 2.8%/K implies promising application in uncooled IR detectors. A 2-D array of 10-element test microbolometer is fabricated without thermal isolation structure. The IR response of the microbolometer is measured in the spectral range 8-13 μm. The detectivity and the responsivity are determined as ∼6×10⁵ cm Hz^1/2/W and 36 V/W, respectively, at 10 Hz of the chopper frequency with 50 μA bias current for a thermal conductance G∼10-3 W/K between the thermal sensing layer and the substrate. By extrapolating with the data of a typical thermally isolated microbolometer (G∼10⁻⁷ W/K), the projected responsivity is found to be around 10⁴ V/W, which well compares with the reported values.     

Enhancement of thermoelectric figure of merit by doping Dy in La0.1Sr0.9TiO3 ceramic

Ceramic samples of La_0.1Sr_0.9−xDy_xTiO₃ (x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.07, 0.10) have been prepared by the solid-state reaction method. Characterization from the powder X-ray diffraction indicates that their crystal structure changes from cubic to tetragonal phase. Their electrical and thermal transport properties are measured in the temperature range of 300-1100 K. n-Type thermoelectric is obtained with large Seebeck coefficient. The figure of merit is markedly improved, due to relatively lower electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity by Dy doping effect. A much lower electrical resistivity of 0.8 mΩ cm at room temperature is obtained in La_0.1Sr_0.8Dy_0.1TiO₃, and with a relatively lower thermal conductivity of 2.5 W/m K at 1075 K. The maximum figure of merit reaches ∼0.36 at 1045 K for La_0.1Sr_0.83Dy_0.07TiO₃, which is the largest value among n-type oxide thermoelectric ceramics.     

Structural and thermal characterization of La5Ca9Cu24O41 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on (1 1 0) SrTiO3 substrates

In the present study stoichiometric, b-axis oriented La₅Ca₉Cu₂₄O₄₁ thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on (1 1 0) SrTiO₃ substrates in the temperature range 600-750 °C. High resolution transmission electron microscopy was employed to investigate the growth mechanism and the epitaxial relationship between the SrTiO₃ substrates and the La₅Ca₉Cu₂₄O₄₁ films grown at 700 °C. The 3-ω method was used to measure the cross-plane thermal conductivity of La₅Ca₉Cu₂₄O₄₁ films in the temperature range 50-350 K. The observed glass-like behavior is attributed to atomic-scale defects, grain boundaries and an interfacial layer formed between film and substrate.     

Thermal Conductivity Measurement of an Electron-Beam Physical-Vapor-Deposition Coating

An industrial ceramic thermal-barrier coating designated PWA 266, processed by electron-beam physical-vapor deposition, was measured using a steady-state thermal conductivity technique. The thermal conductivity of the mass fraction 7 % yttria-stabilized zirconia coating was measured from 100 °C to 900 °C. Measurements on three thicknesses of coatings, 170 μm, 350 μm, and 510 μm resulted in thermal conductivity in the range from 1.5 W/(m·K) to 1.7 W/(m·K) with a combined relative standard uncertainty of 20 %. The thermal conductivity is not significantly dependent on temperature.     

Carbon fiber reinforced carbon aerogel composites for thermal insulation prepared by soft reinforcement

To overcome the brittleness and the pyrolysis shrinkage of carbon aerogels, carbon fiber reinforced composites were prepared by copyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile fiber reinforced resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogel composites (PAN/RFs). The PAN/RFs were obtained by impregnating the PAN fiber felt with RF sol and then supercritical drying. Upon carbonization the PAN fiber shrinks with the RF aerogel, thus reducing the shrinkage differences between the fiber and the aerogel, and results in crack-free carbon fiber reinforced carbon aerogel composites, with a thermal conductivity of 0.073 W/m K at 25 °C in air. Our new method may greatly expand the usage of carbon aerogels in general applications.     

A means to estimate thermal and kinetic parameters of coal dust layer from hot surface ignition tests

A method to estimate thermal and kinetic parameters of Pittsburgh seam coal subject to thermal runaway is presented using the standard ASTM E 2021 hot surface ignition test apparatus. Parameters include thermal conductivity (k), activation energy (E), coupled term (QA) of heat of reaction (Q) and pre-exponential factor (A) which are required, but rarely known input values to determine the thermal runaway propensity of a dust material. Four different dust layer thicknesses: 6.4, 12.7, 19.1 and 25.4 mm, are tested, and among them, a single steady state dust layer temperature profile of 12.7 mm thick dust layer is used to estimate k, E and QA. k is calculated by equating heat flux from the hot surface layer and heat loss rate on the boundary assuming negligible heat generation in the coal dust layer at a low hot surface temperature. E and QA are calculated by optimizing a numerically estimated steady state dust layer temperature distribution to the experimentally obtained temperature profile of a 12.7 mm thick dust layer. Two unknowns, E and QA, are reduced to one from the correlation of E and QA obtained at criticality of thermal runaway. The estimated k is 0.1 W/m K matching the previously reported value. E ranges from 61.7 to 83.1 kJ/mol, and the corresponding QA ranges from 1.7 × 10⁹ to 4.8 × 10¹¹ J/kg s. The mean values of E (72.4 kJ/mol) and QA (2.8 × 10¹⁰ J/kg s) are used to predict the critical hot surface temperatures for other thicknesses, and good agreement is observed between measured and experimental values. Also, the estimated E and QA ranges match the corresponding ranges calculated from the multiple tests method and values reported in previous research.     

Texture,transport and mechanical properties of graphite nanoplatelet/silicone composites produced by three roll mill

Thermally conducting and highly compliant composites for thermal interface applications were developed by dispersing graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) in silicone polymer using a three-roll mill process. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy showed that the roll mill produces composites with better dispersion of GNPs than previously achieved by speed and mechanical mixing. The roll mill also allows production of a composite at 25 wt.% GNP loading. The thermal conductivities of the composites reached 1.03 and 3.15 W/m K at 8 and 25 wt.% of GNPs, respectively, compared to 0.17 W/m K for silicone. Compression testing showed that the composites’ moduli increase by 1.5 times up to 20 wt.% loading but the strength and strain to failure decrease. The Shore hardness was similar or slightly lower to that of silicone. The composites are thus promising alternatives to the commercial thermal interface materials currently available.     

Enchanced high-temperature performances of SiC/SiC composites by high densification and crystalline structure

We report the enchanced in situ performances of tensile strength and thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures of the PCS-free SiC/SiC composite with a high fiber volume fraction above 50% fabricated by NITE process for nuclear applications. The composite was fabricated by the optimized combination of the fiber coating, the matrix slurry and the pressure-sintering conditions, based on our previous composites’ study history. The composite showed the excellent tensile strength up to 1500 °C, that it retained approximately 88% of the room-temperature strength. Also, the thermal conductivity of the composites represented over 20 W/m K up to 1500 °C, which was enough high to take the advantage of the assumed design value for nuclear applications. Microstructural observation indicated that the excellent high-temperature performances regarding tensile strength and thermal conductivity up to 1500 °C were the contribution to the high densification and crystalline structure in matrix.     

Measurement technique for thermal conductivity of thin polymer films

We present a modified steady-state heat flow technique, which allows measuring the thermal conductivity of films applied on a substrate. The measurement technique with the here presented setup provides an accuracy (overestimation) of 5-10% for film thickness up to 100 μm. For thicker films a correction factor based on finite-element simulations has to be used or the geometry has to be adapted. The technique is validated with thin glass plates of known thermal conductivity. To demonstrate the application of the technique the thermal conductivity of a thin polymer film of fluorinated acrylate is determined as 0.19 ± 0.02 W/mK.     

Structure and properties of highly oriented polyoxymethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites produced by hot stretching

Highly-oriented polyoxymethylene (POM)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were fabricated through solid hot stretching technology. With the draw ratio as high as 900%, the oriented composites exhibited much improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties along the stretching direction compared with that of the isotropic samples before drawing. The thermal conductivity of the composite with 11.6 vol.% MWCNTs can reach as high as 1.2 W/m K after drawing. Microstructure observation demonstrated that the POM matrix had an ordered fibrillar bundle structure and MWCNTs in the composite tended to align parallel to the stretching direction. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction results showed that the crystal axis of the POM matrix was preferentially oriented perpendicular to the draw direction, while MWCNTs were preferentially oriented parallel to the draw direction. The strong interaction between the POM matrix and the MWCNTs hindered the orientation movement of molecules of POM, but induced the orientation movement of MWCNTs.     

Heat conductivity of water near 4°C

The results of short-term nonsteady-state measurements do not confirm the view that the heat conductivity of water behaves abnormally in the vicinity of 4°C.Notation L thickness of the liquid layer, m - T temperature, K - q heat flux, W/m² - thermal conductivity, W/m·deg K. Indices 0 and L denote the beginning and end of the layer, respectively Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 39, No. 2, pp. 339–342, August, 1980.     

Frequency and temperature dependent dielectric and conductivity behavior of 0.95(K0.5Na0.5)NbO3–0.05BaTiO3 ceramic

Dielectric and conductivity measurements were carried out on the 0.95(K_0.5Na_0.5)NbO₃–0.05BaTiO₃ (KNN–5BT) ceramic both as a function of temperature (∼350–850 K) and frequency (40 Hz to 100 MHz). A high-temperature dielectric relaxation above Curie temperature (∼590 K) was observed and analyzed with the Cole–Cole function. Frequency dependent conductivity was analyzed with an augmented Jonscher relation and exhibited a universal conductivity behavior. The activation energy of dielectric relaxation was estimated to be 1.09 eV. It could be attributed to the thermal motion of double ionized oxygen vacancy or to the formation of defect dipoles between the acceptor ion and charge compensating oxygen vacancies. The mechanism for both the high-temperature dielectric relaxation and the frequency dependent conductivity was proposed based on a possible mode of incorporation of Ba²⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ ions into the KNN lattice sites.     

高热导率Ag-AlN/聚丙烯酸酯导电胶黏剂的制备与性能

分别采用无钯化学镀法和溶液聚合法制备了Ag-AlN和聚丙烯酸酯胶黏剂,并采用超声辅助溶液共混法制备了高热导率Ag-AlN/聚丙烯酸酯导电胶黏剂。采用XRD、EDS和SEM等对Ag-AlN的结构进行分析。结果表明:经过高温和酸性清洗液清洗等处理, AlN表面的杂质被除去,并且在AlN表面形成致密的Al₂O₃层,采用无钯化学镀法制备的Ag-AlN具有优异的电导率和热导率,其电导率由AlN的10-13 S/cm提高到了7.06×102 S/cm,热导率由AlN的170 W/(m·K)提高到了230 W/(m·K)。经过计算, Ag-AlN表面的Ag镀层质量分数约为13%, Ag镀层的厚度约为80 nm。当导电胶黏剂中Ag-AlN填料的质量分数为50%时, Ag-AlN/聚丙烯酸酯导电胶黏剂的电导率为1.9 S/cm,热导率为3.1 W/(m·K)。      

Measuring equipment and a comparator for measuring high values of thermal conductivity

The problems involved in ensuring unity of measurements of the thermal conductivity of solids when it has high values are considered. The results of the development of instruments for reproducing and transferring values of the thermal conductivity in the 100–500 W/(m∙K) range are presented.