High-Performance Planar Thin-Film Thermoelectric Cooler Based on Sputtered Nanocrystalline Bi2Te3/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Thin Films for On-Chip Cooling

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c19653
• Publication Date: 2025-03-06T04:30:26Z
• Authors: Tingrui Gong; Chuangwei Ma; Lianghui Li; Lei Gao; Linwei Cao; Maolin Shi; Juntao Li; Wei Su
• Keywords: Nanocrystalline material

The development of high-performance thin-film thermoelectric coolers (TFTECs) that are compatible with standard integrated circuit processes and can reduce power consumption is critical to achieving large-scale applications. In this work, we fabricate a planar TFTEC based on nanocrystalline p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 n-type Bi2Te3 thin films using magnetron sputtering, lithography, postannealing processes. factors the reach 3.63 4.28 mW/mK2, respectively, ZT values 0.82 0.93, which comparable those bulk TE materials. radial configuration device allows cold-side thermal resistance be increased hot-side decreased, thereby facilitating substantial cooling temperature difference. Furthermore, large in-plane contact area helps consumption. At heating stage 360 K 4.76 mW, net difference reaches 4 °C. maximum between hot end cold 7.26 °C, while remains below ambient temperature. TFTECs demonstrated in work exhibit both high performance competitive fabrication cost, rendering them ideal for on-chip hotspot cooling.