TY - JOUR
T1 - Thermal deposition method for p-n patterning of carbon nanotube sheets for planar-type thermoelectric generator
AU - Yamaguchi, Ryohei
AU - Ishii, Taiki
AU - Matsumoto, Masamichi
AU - Borah, Angana
AU - Tanaka, Naoki
AU - Oda, Kaito
AU - Tomita, Motohiro
AU - Watanabe, Takanobu
AU - Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank to Dr Daichi Suzuki for useful discussion of the measurements. This study was supported in part by the Nanotechnology Platform Project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan, KAKENHI (No. JP18H01816), the bilateral program (JPJSBP120208814) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), PRESTO (No. JPMJPR15R6), and CREST (No. JPMJCR19Q5) of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan. We also thank Dr Maho Yoshiizumi (ADVANCE RIKO, Yokohama Japan) for the Seebeck coefficient mapping measurements.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
PY - 2021/5/28
Y1 - 2021/5/28
N2 - Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) using flexible single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) sheets have a high Seebeck coefficient, remarkable electrical conductivity, and good flexibility, making them promising for the realization of wearable electronics. TEGs with a planar structure are preferable to those with π-shaped structures, as the planar surface enables the device to be attached flat to a surface such as skin. To realize a planar configuration, sequentially repeating p- and n-type areas must be fabricated with high precision. However, there is considerable molecular diffusion in the lateral directions when using solution doping methods, which decreases the patterning resolution. Therefore, in this study, a dry patterning process is developed based on thermal vapor deposition using patterned masks. For the patterning, p-type SWCNT sheets are doped using 2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-dimethyl-1H-benzoimidazol-3-ium iodide as the n-type dopant. The 50 μm-thick SWCNT sheets are doped from the top to the bottom of the sheet with a lateral diffusion of only ∼100 μm. Planar SWCNT-based TEGs with four p-n units exhibit an efficient power generation of 60 nW cm-2 (at ΔT = 25 °C), with scope for further optimization via simulation-based design.
AB - Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) using flexible single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) sheets have a high Seebeck coefficient, remarkable electrical conductivity, and good flexibility, making them promising for the realization of wearable electronics. TEGs with a planar structure are preferable to those with π-shaped structures, as the planar surface enables the device to be attached flat to a surface such as skin. To realize a planar configuration, sequentially repeating p- and n-type areas must be fabricated with high precision. However, there is considerable molecular diffusion in the lateral directions when using solution doping methods, which decreases the patterning resolution. Therefore, in this study, a dry patterning process is developed based on thermal vapor deposition using patterned masks. For the patterning, p-type SWCNT sheets are doped using 2-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-dimethyl-1H-benzoimidazol-3-ium iodide as the n-type dopant. The 50 μm-thick SWCNT sheets are doped from the top to the bottom of the sheet with a lateral diffusion of only ∼100 μm. Planar SWCNT-based TEGs with four p-n units exhibit an efficient power generation of 60 nW cm-2 (at ΔT = 25 °C), with scope for further optimization via simulation-based design.
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U2 - 10.1039/d1ta02206g
DO - 10.1039/d1ta02206g
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85106660395
VL - 9
SP - 12188
EP - 12195
JO - Journal of Materials Chemistry A
JF - Journal of Materials Chemistry A
SN - 2050-7488
IS - 20
ER -