Journal ArticleDOI
Improved Thermoelectric Power Factor in Metal-Based Superlattices
Daryoosh Vashaee,Ali Shakouri +1 more
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TLDR
It is shown that metal-based superlattices with tall barriers can achieve a large effective thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT > 5 at room temperature), a key parameter to achieving high performance is the nonconservation of lateral momentum during the thermionic emission process.Abstract:
In this paper we present a detailed theory of electron and thermoelectric transport perpendicular to heterostructure superlattices. This nonlinear transport regime above barriers is also called heterostructure thermionic emission. We show that metal-based superlattices with tall barriers can achieve a large effective thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT > 5 at room temperature). A key parameter to achieving high performance is the nonconservation of lateral momentum during the thermionic emission process. Conservation of lateral momentum is a consequence of translational symmetry in the plane of the superlattice. We also discuss the use of nonplanar barriers and embedded quantum dot structures to achieve high thermoelectric conversion efficiency.read more
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Study of the thermal, electrical and thermoelectric properties of metallic nanofilms
Weigang Ma,Xing Zhang +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, a review summarizes the progress in developing the characterization method, determining the physical properties data, observing the abnormal phenomena, and proposing new theory on the electrical, thermal, and thermoelectric properties of metallic nanofilms.
Journal ArticleDOI
Design of Bulk Thermoelectric Modules for Integrated Circuit Thermal Management
K. Fukutani,Ali Shakouri +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of bulk thermoelectric (TE) modules used for integrated circuit (IC) thermal management is studied. And an effective circuit model is developed that takes into account various ideal and non-ideal effects in the module, which is shown that there is an optimum module thickness and an optimum operating current which depend on the overall heat dissipation and on the external thermal resistances.
Journal ArticleDOI
Critical role of nanoinclusions in silver selenide nanocomposites as a promising room temperature thermoelectric material
TL;DR: In this article, the authors introduced nonmetal (tellurium and selenium) and metal (copper) nanodomains into a silver selenide matrix through a bottom-up strategy using colloidal nanoparticles as building blocks.
Journal ArticleDOI
Design optimization of micro-fabricated thermoelectric devices for solar power generation
TL;DR: In this article, a planar thin-film solar thermoelectric generator has been designed and optimized for micro-fabrication processing, and the efficiency of the generator is comparable with the conventional solar cells while providing less interruptive source of energy.
Journal ArticleDOI
Is thermoelectric conversion efficiency of a composite bounded by its constituents
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the conversion efficiency of bilayered thermoelectric composite, and concluded that the efficiency of a composite is not bounded by its constituents, and can be higher than all its constituents in the absence of size and interface effects.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Thin-film thermoelectric devices with high room-temperature figures of merit
TL;DR: Th thin-film thermoelectric materials are reported that demonstrate a significant enhancement in ZT at 300 K, compared to state-of-the-art bulk Bi2Te3 alloys, and the combination of performance, power density and speed achieved in these materials will lead to diverse technological applications.
Journal ArticleDOI
Quantum dot superlattice thermoelectric materials and devices.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that improved cooling values relative to the conventional bulk (Bi,Sb)2(Se,Te)3thermoelectric materials using a n-type film in a one-leg thermoelectrics device test setup, which cooled the cold junction 43.7 K below the room temperature hot junction temperature of 299.8 K.
Journal ArticleDOI
Heterostructure integrated thermionic coolers
Ali Shakouri,John E. Bowers +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a single-stage room temperature cooling of high power electronic and optoelectronic devices is achieved by selective emission of hot electrons over a barrier layer from the cathode to the anode.
Journal ArticleDOI
Multilayer Thermionic Refrigeration
TL;DR: In this paper, a new method of refrigeration is proposed by thermionic emission of electrons over Schottky barriers between metals and semiconductors, which can have only a small temperature difference.
Journal ArticleDOI
Electronic and thermoelectric transport in semiconductor and metallic superlattices
Daryoosh Vashaee,Ali Shakouri +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, a detailed theory of nonisothermal electron transport perpendicular to multilayer superlattice structures is presented, and the currentvoltage and cooling power density are calculated using Fermi-Dirac statistics, density-of-states for a finite quantum well and the quantum mechanical reflection coefficient.