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Title: Thermoelectric Properties and Morphology of Si/SiC Thin-Film Multilayers Grown by Ion Beam Sputtering

Abstract

Multilayers (MLs) of 31 bi-layers and a 10-nm layer thickness each of Si/SiC were deposited on silicon, quartz and mullite substrates using a high-speed, ion-beam sputter deposition process. The samples deposited on the silicon substrates were used for imaging purposes and structural verification as they did not allow for accurate electrical measurement of the material. The Seebeck coefficient and the electrical resistivity on the mullite and the quartz substrates were reported as a function of temperature and used to compare the film performance. The thermal conductivity measurement was performed for ML samples grown on Si, and an average value of the thermal conductivity was used to find the figure of merit, zT, for all samples tested. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra showed an amorphous nature of the thin films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study the film morphology and verify the nature of the crystallinity. The mobility of the multilayer films was measured to be only 0.039 to 1.0 cm2/Vs at room temperature. The samples were tested three times in the temperature range of 300 K to 900 K to document the changes in the films with temperature cycling. The highest Seebeck coefficient ismore » measured for a Si/SiC multilayer system on quartz and mullite substrates and were observed at 870 K to be roughly -2600 μV/K due to a strain-induced redistribution of the states’ effect. The highest figure of merit, zT, calculated for the multilayers in this study was 0.08 at 870 K.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [2]
  1. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Manufacturing Demonstration Facility
  2. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Plasma Controls, LLC, Fort Collins, CO (United States)
  3. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Plasma Controls, LLC, Fort Collins, CO (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1432155
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725; SC0004278
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Coatings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 8; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2079-6412
Publisher:
MDPI
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; thin-film thermoelectric; Si/SiC multilayers; giant Seebeck

Citation Formats

Cramer, Corson, Farnell, Casey, Farnell, Cody, Geiss, Roy, and Williams, John. Thermoelectric Properties and Morphology of Si/SiC Thin-Film Multilayers Grown by Ion Beam Sputtering. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.3390/coatings8030109.
Cramer, Corson, Farnell, Casey, Farnell, Cody, Geiss, Roy, & Williams, John. Thermoelectric Properties and Morphology of Si/SiC Thin-Film Multilayers Grown by Ion Beam Sputtering. United States. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8030109
Cramer, Corson, Farnell, Casey, Farnell, Cody, Geiss, Roy, and Williams, John. Mon . "Thermoelectric Properties and Morphology of Si/SiC Thin-Film Multilayers Grown by Ion Beam Sputtering". United States. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8030109. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1432155.
@article{osti_1432155,
title = {Thermoelectric Properties and Morphology of Si/SiC Thin-Film Multilayers Grown by Ion Beam Sputtering},
author = {Cramer, Corson and Farnell, Casey and Farnell, Cody and Geiss, Roy and Williams, John},
abstractNote = {Multilayers (MLs) of 31 bi-layers and a 10-nm layer thickness each of Si/SiC were deposited on silicon, quartz and mullite substrates using a high-speed, ion-beam sputter deposition process. The samples deposited on the silicon substrates were used for imaging purposes and structural verification as they did not allow for accurate electrical measurement of the material. The Seebeck coefficient and the electrical resistivity on the mullite and the quartz substrates were reported as a function of temperature and used to compare the film performance. The thermal conductivity measurement was performed for ML samples grown on Si, and an average value of the thermal conductivity was used to find the figure of merit, zT, for all samples tested. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra showed an amorphous nature of the thin films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study the film morphology and verify the nature of the crystallinity. The mobility of the multilayer films was measured to be only 0.039 to 1.0 cm2/Vs at room temperature. The samples were tested three times in the temperature range of 300 K to 900 K to document the changes in the films with temperature cycling. The highest Seebeck coefficient is measured for a Si/SiC multilayer system on quartz and mullite substrates and were observed at 870 K to be roughly -2600 μV/K due to a strain-induced redistribution of the states’ effect. The highest figure of merit, zT, calculated for the multilayers in this study was 0.08 at 870 K.},
doi = {10.3390/coatings8030109},
journal = {Coatings},
number = 3,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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