Thermoelectric effects can be used for direct conversion of heat into electricity using a solid-state device. We describe novel metal/semiconductor nanostructured materials where the heat and charge transport are modified at the atomic level. Hot electron filtering using heterostructure barriers is used to break the trade off between high Seebeck coefficient and high electrical conductivity. Embedded ErAs nanoparticles are used to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity without significant effect on electrical conductivity. The thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient of ErAs:InGaAlAs alloys are characterized. The measured ZT is ∼1 at high temperatures 650 K. Integrated circuit fabrication techniques are used to transfer the n- and p-type thin films onto AlN plates and power generation modules are made with hundreds of thin film elements. An output power density >1W/cm2 is demonstrated at an external temperature difference of 120K across the module. Finally, the prospect of other metal semiconductor multilayer structures based on TiN/GaN for high temperature operation will be briefly reviewed.
Skip Nav Destination
ASME 2007 2nd Energy Nanotechnology International Conference
September 5–7, 2007
Santa Clara, California, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Nanotechnology Institute
ISBN:
0-7918-4799-3
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Metal/Semiconductor Nanocomposites for Direct Thermal to Electric Energy Conversion Available to Purchase
Ali Shakouri
Ali Shakouri
University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Search for other works by this author on:
Ali Shakouri
University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Paper No:
ENIC2007-45062, pp. 13-14; 2 pages
Published Online:
March 9, 2009
Citation
Shakouri, A. "Metal/Semiconductor Nanocomposites for Direct Thermal to Electric Energy Conversion." Proceedings of the ASME 2007 2nd Energy Nanotechnology International Conference. ASME 2007 2nd Energy Nanotechnology International Conference. Santa Clara, California, USA. September 5–7, 2007. pp. 13-14. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/ENIC2007-45062
Download citation file:
9
Views
Related Proceedings Papers
Nano Materials and Physics
NANO2005
Related Articles
Heat Transfer in Nanostructures for Solid-State Energy Conversion
J. Heat Transfer (April,2002)
Modeling of Thermoelectric Properties of Semi-Conductor Thin Films With Quantum and Scattering Effects
J. Heat Transfer (April,2007)
The Compatibility of Thin Films and Nanostructures in Thermoelectric Cooling Systems
J. Heat Transfer (July,2007)
Related Chapters
PVDF/CO 3 O 4 Nanocomposites: Porosity, Crystallinity and Conductivity
International Conference on Advanced Computer Theory and Engineering, 4th (ICACTE 2011)
Handy Facts Regarding Types of Thermal Insulation
Hydraulics, Pipe Flow, Industrial HVAC & Utility Systems: Mister Mech Mentor, Vol. 1
Physiology of Human Power Generation
Design of Human Powered Vehicles