Development of low-cost micro-fabrication procedures for planar micro-thermoelectric generators based on thin-film technology for energy harvesting applications

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 19; no. 7; p. e0306540
• Main Authors: Abdelkader, Sobhy M, Nayebare, Donart, Megahed, Tamer F, El-Bab, Ahmed M R Fath, Ismeil, Mohamed A, Abdel-Rahim, Omar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 11.07.2024; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Cold; Design optimization; Electric generators; Electric power production; Electric Power Supplies; Electricity; Electronics; Energy harvesting; Engineering and Technology; Equipment Design; Fabrication; Finite Element Analysis; Finite element method; Heat; Load; Miniaturization; Open circuit voltage; Physical Sciences; Portability; Shadow masks; Silica; Silicon wafers; Temperature; Temperature gradients; Thermal energy; Thermoelectric generators; Thermoelectricity; Thin films; Voltage; Wearable Electronic Devices; Wearable technology
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306540

With the rapid proliferation of portable and wearable electronics, energy autonomy through efficient energy harvesting has become paramount. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) stand out as promising candidates due to their silent operation, high reliability, and maintenance-free nature. This paper presents the design, fabrication, and analysis of a micro-scale TEG for powering such devices. A planar configuration was employed for its inherent miniaturization advantages. Finite element analysis using ANSYS reveals that a double-layer device under a 50 K temperature gradient generates an impressive open-circuit voltage of 1417 mV and a power output of 2.4 μW, significantly exceeding its single-layer counterpart (226 mV, 0.12 μW). Validation against the analytical model results yields errors within 2.44% and 2.03% for voltage and power, respectively. Furthermore, a single-layer prototype fabricated using paper shadow masks and sputtering deposition exhibits a voltage of 131 mV for a 50 K temperature difference, thus confirming the feasibility of the proposed design. This work establishes a foundation for developing highly efficient micro-TEGs for powering next-generation portable and wearable electronics.