METHOD FOR DEPOSITION OF THERMOELECTRIC MATERIAL

A method for deposition of thermoelectric material on a substrate includes synthesizing nanoparticles of thermoelectric material and providing the nanoparticles in such a way that the printing operations can be implemented optimally, yet with the possibility of pressureless sintering thereafter. Pressureless sintering leads to dense layers, endowing the material with the mechanical and thermoelectric properties obtained by other methods. To prevent the nanoparticles reacting with one another during printing, they are coated with a molecular layer that prevents their aggregation and so leads to their homogeneous distribution in the ink or that renders the powders non-electroconductive for the purposes of laser printing, allowing them to be electrostatically charged so as to operate as toners. After the printing operation, this molecular layer is removed by a pressureless sintering treatment that confers a highly reactive surface on the particles.