New Technology for Microfabrication and Testing of a Thermoelectric Device for Generating Mobile Electrical Power
Abstract
We report the results of the fabrication and testing of a thermoelectric power generation module. The module was fabricated using a new flip-chip module assembly technique that is scalable, modular, and results in a low value of contact resistivity (less or equal to 10(5) omega-cm(2)). It can be used to leverage new advances in thin-film and nanostructured materials for the fabrication of new miniature thermoelectric devices. It may also enable monolithic integration of large devices or tandem arrays of devices on flexible or curved surfaces. Under mild testing, a power of 22 mW/cm2 was obtained from small (<100 K) temperature differences. At higher, more realistic temperature differences, ~500 K, where the efficiency of these materials greatly improves, this power density would scale to between 0.5 and 1 W/cm2. These results highlight the excellent potential for the generation and scavenging of electrical power of practical and usable magnitude for remote military applications using thermoelectric power generation technologies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA482975
Entities
People
- Brian Morgan
- Bruce Geil
- Nibir K. Dhar
- Patrick J. Taylor
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory