Interfacial bonding enhances thermoelectric cooling in 3D-printed materials

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Xu, Shengduo; Horta, Sharona; Lawal, Abayomi; Maji, Krishnendu; Lorion, Magali; Ibanez, Maria
• 署名单位: Institute of Science & Technology - Austria
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-12397
• DOI: 10.1126/science.ads0426
• 发表日期: 2025-02-21
• 页码: 845-850
• 关键词: lattice thermal-conductivity; high-performance; fabrication; temperature; bi0.5sb1.5te3; generation; devices; micro

摘要

Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are pivotal in modern heat management but face limitations in efficiency and manufacturing scalability. We address these challenges by using an extrusion-based 3D printing technique to fabricate high-performance thermoelectric materials. Our ink formulations ensure the integrity of the 3D-printed structure and effective particle bonding during sintering, achieving record-high figure of merit (zT) values of 1.42 for p-type bismuth antimony telluride [(Bi,Sb)(2)Te-3] and 1.3 for n-type silver selenide (Ag2Se) materials at room temperature. The resulting TEC demonstrates a cooling temperature gradient of 50 degrees C in air. Moreover, this scalable and cost-effective method circumvents energy-intensive and time-consuming steps, such as ingot preparation and subsequently machining processes, offering a transformative solution for thermoelectric device production and heralding a new era of efficient and sustainable thermoelectric technologies.