Inkjet Printing Preparation of AgCuTe Thermoelectric Thin Films

Flexible thermoelectric devices, capable of generating electricity from the slight temperature difference between the human body and the environment, demonstrate significant potential for continuous power supply in wearable devices.However, the poor thermoelectric performance still limits their widespread application.This study reports a method for fabricating high-performance flexible thermoelectric thin films using inkjet printing.AgCuTe nanowires prepared by a chemical transfer method were dispersed in ethanol to form the ink with no significant sedimentation, which could be stably and continuously sprayed to print p-type thermoelectric films on polyimide substrates.Dense thermoelectric films were then obtained through thermal treatment by a spark plasma sintering furnace, and the effect of sintering temperature on thermoelectric properties was studied.The results showed that the film sintered at a pressure of 10 MPa and a temperature of 400 for 15 min possessed a room temperature power factor of 432 Wm -1 K -2 , which is 182% higher than that of inkjet-printed p-type Bi 2 Te 3 films (a