Thermoelectric structure, thermoelectric device and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A thermoelectric structure that may be included in a thermoelectric device may include a thin-film structure that may include a plurality of thin-film layers. The thin-film structure may include Tellurium. The thin-film structure may be on a substrate. The substrate may include an oxide, and a buffer layer may be between the substrate and the thin-film structure. The thermoelectric structure may be manufactured via depositing material ablated from a target onto the substrate. Some material may react with the substrate to form the buffer layer, and thin film layers may be formed on the buffer layer. The thin film layers may be removed from the substrate and provided on a separate substrate. Removing the thin-film layers from the substrate may include removing the thin-film layers from the buffer layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermoelectric structure, comprising:
 an oxide substrate;   a thin-film structure on the oxide substrate, the thin-film structure including tellurium (Te); and   a buffer layer between the oxide substrate and the thin-film structure, the buffer layer including tellurium oxide.   
     
     
         2 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 1 , wherein thin-film structure has a thickness that is about 10 nm to about 100 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film structure has a heat conductivity in a direction of a thickness of the thin-film structure, the heat conductivity ranging from about 0.14 W/(m·K) to about 0.3 W/(m·K). 
     
     
         4 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film structure has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) that is equal to or less than about 0.1 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film structure includes at least one of bismuth (Bi), antimony (Sb), and selenium (Se). 
     
     
         6 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 1 , wherein,
 the thin-film structure includes a plurality of thin-film layers; and   the plurality of thin-film layers are stacked in a direction of a thickness of each of the plurality of thin-film layers.   
     
     
         7 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of thin-film layers include Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 . 
     
     
         8 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 1 , wherein,
 the buffer layer includes,
 a first buffer layer on the oxide substrate, the first buffer layer including tellurium oxide, and 
 a second buffer layer on the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer including Te. 
   
     
     
         9 . The thermoelectric structure of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer layer has a
 thickness ranging from about 0.2 nm to about 2 nm.   
     
     
         10 . A thermoelectric device, comprising:
 a thermoelectric structure including,
 a substrate; and 
 a thin-film structure on the substrate, the thin-film structure including tellurium (Te), the thin-film structure having a heat conductivity in a direction of a thickness of the thin-film structure, the heat conductivity ranging from about 0.14 W/(m·K) to about 0.3 W/(m·K), the thin-film structure having a full width at half maximum (FWHM) that is equal to or less than about 0.1 degrees. 
   
     
     
         11 . The thermoelectric device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a power apparatus coupled to the thermoelectric structure through one or more electrical leads, the power apparatus being configured to supply electrical current to the thermoelectric structure;   wherein the thermoelectric structure is configured to generate a temperature gradient between opposite ends of the thermoelectric structure based on the supplied electrical current.   
     
     
         12 . The thermoelectric device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an electronic apparatus coupled to the thermoelectric structure through one or more electrical leads;   wherein the thermoelectric structure is configured to induce an electrical current through the electronic apparatus based on a temperature gradient between opposite ends of the thermoelectric structure.