Aerosol jet printing and sintering of thermoelectric devices
Methods, ink compositions, and 3D conformal printed flexible films. The method may include aerosol jet printing a thermoelectric ink composition, followed by photonic or other sintering of the ink to remove surfactant included therein, and to convert the thermoelectric nanoparticles of the ink composition into a dense structure capable of charge carrier transport. The ink compositions may be solution-processed semimetal-chalcogenides (e.g., Te containing materials) in a suitable carrier (e.g., polyol(s), alcohol(s), etc.). A surfactant (e.g., PVP) may be present. Within seconds of photonic sintering, the electrical conductivity of the printed film is dramatically increased from non-conductive to a value on the order of at least 1×10 4 S/m. The films may demonstrate a room-temperature power factor of at least 500 μWm −1 K −2 . The realized values of 730-2200 μWm −1 K −2 achieved are among the highest values reported for flexible thermoelectric films. The film is durable (e.g., 500 bending cycles with no significant performance drop).
1 . An aerosol jet printable ink composition comprising:
a carrier including:
a first polyol, and
a second polyol, the second polyol being different from the first polyol;
thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates, or nanorods dispersed in the carrier; and
a surfactant for preventing or minimizing agglomeration of the nanoparticles, nanoplates, or nanorods wherein the first polyol and the second polyol are present at a weight ratio of from about 2:1 to about 10:1.
2 . A method for producing a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
providing an aerosol jet printable ink composition including thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods and a surfactant in a carrier, wherein the carrier includes a first polyol and a second polyol, and wherein the first polyol and the second polyol are present at a weight ratio of from about 2:1 to about 10:1;
printing the aerosol jet printable ink composition onto a substrate to provide a desired pattern thereon; and
sintering the printed aerosol jet printable ink composition to remove the surfactant and convert the thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods into a dense structure capable of charge carrier transport,
wherein the process is carried out at ambient temperature so that any heating of the substrate is minimal.
3 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein sintering of the printed aerosol jet printable ink composition comprises photonic or thermal sintering.
4 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods comprise a chalcogenide.
5 . A method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the chalcogenide comprises Te.
6 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods comprise a thermoelectric material comprising Bi, Te, and Se, or a thermoelectric material comprising Sb and Te.
7 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods comprise at least one of Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3 or Sb 2 Te 3 .
8 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods comprise an Sb 2 Te 3 —Te composite including Sb 2 Te 3 nanoplates and Te nanorods.
9 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the carrier comprises a lower alcohol having 1-4 carbon atoms, wherein the polyols comprise from 20-60% by weight of the carrier, and the lower alcohol comprises from 40-80% by weight of the carrier.
10 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sintering is photonic sintering, and is performed using intense pulsed light (IPL).
11 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sintering is photonic sintering and is completed within less than 30 minutes, less than 20 minutes, less than 10 minutes, less than 5 minutes, less than 1 minute, less than 30 seconds, less than 10 seconds, or less than 5 seconds.
12 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sintering is photonic sintering and is performed using intense pulsed light (IPL) with a pulse duration from 1 ms to 10 ms, from 1.5 ms to 5 ms, or from 1.5 ms to 3 ms.
13 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sintering is photonic sintering and is performed using intense pulsed light (IPL) with a power density from 1 kW/cm 2 to 10 kW/cm 2 , from 2 kW/cm 2 to 8 kW/cm 2 or from 3 kW/cm 2 to 6 kW/cm 2 .
14 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sintering is photonic sintering and is performed using intense pulsed light (IPL) with a pulse delay from 100 to 3000 ms, from 200 to 2000 ms, or from 300 to 1000 ms between adjacent photonic pulses.
15 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sintering is photonic sintering and is performed using intense pulsed light (IPL) within no more than 10 s, no more than 8 s, no more than 5s, no more than 3 s, or no more than 2 s.
16 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the substrate has a melting temperature of less than 400° C.
17 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the substrate includes a curved surface to which the ink composition is applied.
18 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the substrate is at least one of cellulose-based, polymer-based, glass, or other ceramic.
19 . A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the method is used to produce a multi-layered structure.
20 . A method as recited in claim 19 , wherein each layer of the produced multi-layered structure has a thickness of from about 10 μm to about 1000 μm.
21 . A conformal thermoelectric film comprising:
a matrix of thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods configured as a flexible conformal thermoelectric film;
wherein the thermoelectric film has a power factor of at least 500 μWm −1 K −2 at room temperature;
wherein the matrix of thermoelectric nanoparticles comprises Sb 2 Te 3 nanoplates and Te nanorods.
22 . A method for producing a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
providing an aerosol jet printable ink composition including thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods and a surfactant in a carrier, wherein the thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods comprise an Sb 2 Te 3 —Te composite including Sb 2 Te 3 nanoplates and Te nanorods;
printing the aerosol jet printable ink composition onto a substrate to provide a desired pattern thereon; and
sintering the printed aerosol jet printable ink composition to remove the surfactant and convert the thermoelectric nanoparticles, nanoplates and/or nanorods into a dense structure capable of charge carrier transport,
wherein the process is carried out at ambient temperature so that any heating of the substrate is minimal.