High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTs
Abstract Micro thermoelectric generators (µTEGs) can harvest waste heat to generate electricity, making them a potential solution to the growing problem of powering autonomous electronics, such as sensors for the Internet of Things. Until now, µTEGs have not been able to provide power for these appl...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley-VCH
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Advanced Electronic Materials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400198 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849327572316323840 |
|---|---|
| author | Aditya S. Dutt Nithin B Pulumati Kangfa Deng Jens Wagner Andreas Brönner Frank Ellinger Gabi Schierning Kornelius Nielsch Heiko Reith |
| author_facet | Aditya S. Dutt Nithin B Pulumati Kangfa Deng Jens Wagner Andreas Brönner Frank Ellinger Gabi Schierning Kornelius Nielsch Heiko Reith |
| author_sort | Aditya S. Dutt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Micro thermoelectric generators (µTEGs) can harvest waste heat to generate electricity, making them a potential solution to the growing problem of powering autonomous electronics, such as sensors for the Internet of Things. Until now, µTEGs have not been able to provide power for these applications. This is because the output power of µTEGs is limited due to insufficient contacts and poor thermal coupling between the device and the heat source. In this work, the contact resistance as well as the thermal coupling between the heat source and the device through process optimization are improved. The former by improved electrochemical deposition (ECD) conditions, the latter by introducing a thin solder adhesion layer, which smooths the uneven surface of µTEG due to its good wetting properties. Using these improvements in combination with optimized packing density, here the fabrication and characterization of a µTEG with 126 leg pairs connected in series are reported that exhibits an open circuit voltage of 339.2 mV at a temperature difference of 20.6 K and a record‐high normalized power density of 25.1 µW cm−2 K−2 for ECD based µTEGs. This µTEG is used to power a temperature sensor, bringing this work one step closer to application. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ad1a6d4e28c44ad6baa92b2d996c8c83 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2199-160X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley-VCH |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advanced Electronic Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-ad1a6d4e28c44ad6baa92b2d996c8c832025-08-20T03:47:49ZengWiley-VCHAdvanced Electronic Materials2199-160X2025-02-01112n/an/a10.1002/aelm.202400198High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTsAditya S. Dutt0Nithin B Pulumati1Kangfa Deng2Jens Wagner3Andreas Brönner4Frank Ellinger5Gabi Schierning6Kornelius Nielsch7Heiko Reith8Institute for Metallic Materials Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden Helmholtzstrasse 20 01069 Dresden GermanyInstitute for Metallic Materials Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden Helmholtzstrasse 20 01069 Dresden GermanyInstitute for Metallic Materials Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden Helmholtzstrasse 20 01069 Dresden GermanyChair for Circuit Design and Network Theory Dresden University of Technology 01062 Dresden GermanyR&D‐Advanced Development WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE&Co.KG 63911 Klingenberg GermanyChair for Circuit Design and Network Theory Dresden University of Technology 01062 Dresden GermanyDepartment of Physics Experimental Physics Bielefeld University 100131 Bielefeld GermanyInstitute for Metallic Materials Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden Helmholtzstrasse 20 01069 Dresden GermanyInstitute for Metallic Materials Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden Helmholtzstrasse 20 01069 Dresden GermanyAbstract Micro thermoelectric generators (µTEGs) can harvest waste heat to generate electricity, making them a potential solution to the growing problem of powering autonomous electronics, such as sensors for the Internet of Things. Until now, µTEGs have not been able to provide power for these applications. This is because the output power of µTEGs is limited due to insufficient contacts and poor thermal coupling between the device and the heat source. In this work, the contact resistance as well as the thermal coupling between the heat source and the device through process optimization are improved. The former by improved electrochemical deposition (ECD) conditions, the latter by introducing a thin solder adhesion layer, which smooths the uneven surface of µTEG due to its good wetting properties. Using these improvements in combination with optimized packing density, here the fabrication and characterization of a µTEG with 126 leg pairs connected in series are reported that exhibits an open circuit voltage of 339.2 mV at a temperature difference of 20.6 K and a record‐high normalized power density of 25.1 µW cm−2 K−2 for ECD based µTEGs. This µTEG is used to power a temperature sensor, bringing this work one step closer to application.https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400198contact resistanceelectrochemical depositiongeometry optimizationmicro thermoelectric devicesthermoelectric devices |
| spellingShingle | Aditya S. Dutt Nithin B Pulumati Kangfa Deng Jens Wagner Andreas Brönner Frank Ellinger Gabi Schierning Kornelius Nielsch Heiko Reith High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTs Advanced Electronic Materials contact resistance electrochemical deposition geometry optimization micro thermoelectric devices thermoelectric devices |
| title | High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTs |
| title_full | High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTs |
| title_fullStr | High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTs |
| title_full_unstemmed | High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTs |
| title_short | High Power Density Micro Thermoelectric Generators for Powering IoTs |
| title_sort | high power density micro thermoelectric generators for powering iots |
| topic | contact resistance electrochemical deposition geometry optimization micro thermoelectric devices thermoelectric devices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202400198 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adityasdutt highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT nithinbpulumati highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT kangfadeng highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT jenswagner highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT andreasbronner highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT frankellinger highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT gabischierning highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT korneliusnielsch highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots AT heikoreith highpowerdensitymicrothermoelectricgeneratorsforpoweringiots |