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400 element ErAs:InGaAs/InGaAlAs superlattice power generator

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Gehong Zeng ,
Je-Hyeong Bahk ,
John E. Bowers ,
Joshua M. O. Zide ,
Arthur C. Gossard ,
Yan Zhang ,
Rajeev Singh ,
Zhixi Bian ,
Ali Shakouri  and
Woochul Kim
...Show all authors
Gehong Zeng
Affiliation:
gehong@ece.ucsb.edu, University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2221G, ESB building, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, United States
Je-Hyeong Bahk
Affiliation:
jhbahk@ece.ucsb.edu, University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, United States
John E. Bowers
Affiliation:
bowers@ece.ucsb.edu, University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, United States
Joshua M. O. Zide
Affiliation:
jmz@engineering.ucsb.edu, University of California, Santa Barbara, Materials Department, United States
Arthur C. Gossard
Affiliation:
gossard@engineering.ucsb.edu, University of California, Santa Barbara, Materials Department, United States
Yan Zhang
Affiliation:
yzhang@soe.ucsc.edu, University of California, Santa Cruz, Electrical Engineering Department, United States
Rajeev Singh
Affiliation:
rsingh@soe.ucsc.edu, University of California, Santa Cruz, Electrical Engineering Department, United States
Zhixi Bian
Affiliation:
zxbian@soe.ucsc.edu, University of California, Santa Cruz, Electrical Engineering Department, United States
Ali Shakouri
Affiliation:
Electrical Engineering Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Woochul Kim
Affiliation:
woochul@newton.berkeley.edu, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Mechanical Engineering, United States
Suzanne Singer
Affiliation:
slsinger@berkeley.edu, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Mechanical Engineering, United States
Arun Majumdar
Affiliation:
majumdar@me.berkeley.edu, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Mechanical Engineering, United States
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Abstract

We report the fabrication and characterization of thin film power generators composed 400 p- and n-type ErAs:InGaAs/InGaAlAs superlattice thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric elements incorporate erbium arsenide metallic nanoparticles into the semiconductor superlattice structure to provide charge carriers and create scattering centers for phonons. 10 µm p- and n-type InGaAs/InGaAlAs superlattices with embedded ErAs nano-particles were grown on InP substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Thermal conductivity values were measured using the 3ω method and cross-plane Seebeck coefficients were determined using Seebeck device test patterns. 400 element ErAs:InGaAs/InGaAlAs thin film power generators were fabricated from superlattice elements 10 µm thick and 200 µm × 200 µm in area. The output power was 4.7 milliwatts for an external electrical load resistor of 150 Ω at about 80 K temperature difference drop across the generator. We discuss the limitations to the generator's performance and provide suggestions for further improvement.

Keywords

thermoelectricitynanostructurebonding
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 886: Symposium F – Materials and Technologies fore Direct Thermal-to-Electric Energy Conversion , 2005 , 0886-F12-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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