Fabrication of Bismuth Telluride-Based Alloy Thin Film Thermoelectric Devices Grown by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Bismuth–antimony–telluride based thin film materials were grown by metal organic vapor phase deposition (MOCVD). A planar-type thermoelectric device was fabricated with p -type Bi 0.4 Sb 1.6 Te 3 and n -type Bi 2 Te 3 thin films. The generator consisted of 20 pairs of p -type and n -type legs. We demonstrated complex structures of different conduction types of thermoelectric elements on the same substrate using two separate deposition runs of p -type and n -type thermoelectric materials. To demonstrate power generation, we heated one side of the sample with a heating block and measured the voltage output. An estimated power of 1.3 μ W was obtained for the temperature difference of 45 K. We provide a promising procedure for fabricating thin film thermoelectric generators by using MOCVD grown thermoelectric materials that may have a nanostructure with high thermoelectric properties.