Paper SE+2D+EM-WeA8
Thermoelectric and Optical Properties of Advanced Thermoelectric Devices from Ni/Bi₂Te₃/Ni and Ni/Sb₂Te₃/Ni Thin Films

Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 4:40 pm, Room 101D

Thermoelectric devices were prepared from Ni/Bi₂Te₃/Ni and Ni/Sb₂Te₃/Ni thin films using DC/RF magnetron sputtering and E-beam deposition systems. Thermoelectric devices were annealed at different temperatures to form nanostructures in the multilayer thin films to increase both the Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivity and decrease thermal conductivity. The thin film devices were characterized using Seebeck coefficient measurement systems; four probe van der Pauw measurement system to measure resistivity, sheet resistance, density, mobility and type of the charge carrier concentration. In addition to the Seebeck coefficient and van der Pauw measurements, the laser thermal conductivity system was used for the thermal conductivity measurements. The surface morphology of the fabricated thermoelectric films is characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Raman Spectroscopic technique is used for identification of inherent molecular specificity and analysis of chemical compositions of the films. The resonant features of the scattering spectra measured under the 532 nm and 785 nm wavelength excitation lasers are analyzed.

Acknowledgement

Research was sponsored by NSF with grant numbers NSF-HBCU-RISE-1546965, NSF-EPSCOR-R-II-3-EPS-1158862, DOD with grant numbers W911 NF-08-1-0425, and W911NF-12-1-0063, U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE-NNSA) with grant numbers DE-NA0001896 and DE-NA0002687, Department of Homeland Security-Scientific Leadership Award, Grant No. DHS-SLA 2014-ST-062-000060.