Device optimisation and large-scale roll-to-roll manufacturability of flexible thin-film thermoelectric generators

This article, published in Energy Technology, describes work on large-area manufacturable thin film flexible thermoelectric devices such as might be used, for example, to provide a low-power energy source for wearable technologies by exploiting the difference in temperature between the skin surface and the ambient.

The team from Oxford Materials, headed by Xudong Tao, examined optimal possible conductive contact materials, the optimisation of the device geometry for these thin film flexible devices to maximise power output, and the benefits of segmentation of the semidconductor elements to relieve the strains asssociated with device bending.  

The work formed part of the team's wider activity on roll-to-roll manufacture for flexible electronics.