Enhanced Thermoelectric Characteristics of Ag 2 Se Nanoparticle Thin Films by Embedding Silicon Nanowires

Seunggen Yang, Kyoungah Cho and Sangsig Kim
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Seunggen Yang: Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Kyoungah Cho: Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
Sangsig Kim: Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: A solution-processable Ag 2 Se nanoparticle thin film (NPTF) is a prospective thermoelectric material for plastic-based thermoelectric generators, but its low electrical conductivity hinders the fabrication of high performance plastic-based thermoelectric generators. In this study, we design Ag 2 Se NPTFs embedded with silicon nanowires (SiNWs) to improve their thermoelectric characteristics. The Seebeck coefficients are −233 and −240 µV/K, respectively, for a Ag 2 Se NPTF alone and a Ag 2 Se NPTF embedded with SiNWs. For the Ag 2 Se NPTF embedded with SiNWs, the electrical conductivity is improved from 0.15 to 18.5 S/m with the embedment of SiNWs. The thermal conductivities are determined by a lateral thermal conductivity measurement for nanomaterials and the thermal conductivities are 0.62 and 0.84 W/(m·K) for a Ag 2 Se NPTF alone and a Ag 2 Se NPTF embedded with SiNWs, respectively. Due to the significant increase in the electrical conductivity and the insignificant increase in its thermal conductivity, the output power of the Ag 2 Se NPTF embedded with SiNWs is 120 times greater than that of the Ag 2 Se NPTF alone. Our results demonstrate that the Ag 2 Se NPTF embedded with SiNWs is a prospective thermoelectric material for high performance plastic-based thermoelectric generators.

Keywords: thermoelectric; silver selenide nanoparticles; silicon nanowires; thin film (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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