Development of a Transparent Suspending Micro-thermoelectric Generator Using Surface Micromachining Technology

• Main Authors: Ming-Hung Tasi, 蔡明宏
• Other Authors: I-yu Huang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/s22p47

碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 電機工程學系研究所 === 101 === This thesis aimed to develop a transparent micro thermoelectric generator (μ-TEG) using surface micromachining technology for power generation window application. By integrating the tens of thousands of micro-thermocouple in one centimeter square area, the solar heating absorbed from the transparent μ-TEG can be converted into a useful electrical power, and then applied to the development of the power generation window systems. Traditional study of the μ-TEG devices is mainly connected in series, so easily to cause the individual thermocouples metal layers disconnection of μ-TEG failures led to low yield. In this thesis, a transparent μ-TEG with series-parallel thermocouple array structure components to improve the output power and life time, and then hope to increase the endothermic area of the hot-side planes to increase the thermocouples temperature difference between hot-side and cold-side planes, μ-TEG output power and life time. The main fabrication steps of the proposed transparent μ-TEG include six thin-film deposition and six photolithography processes. All of the materials adopted in this research are transparent, including the quartz glass substrate, the suspending poly-Si thermal couple. On the fabrication technology side, this research utilizes surface micromachining technology to implement series-parallel array μ-TEG on a transparent quartz glass substrate and the main fabrication processes adopted in this research are including six thin-film deposition processes and six photolithography processes. In order to make the materials adopted in this research are transparent, The materials including the quartz substrate and the poly-Si thermal couple of suspending bridge microstructure. The implemented quartz based μ-TEG demonstrates a maximum temperature difference of 10℃ between the environment and substrate, the output power of series μ-TEG equal to 44.8 nW/cm2 and series-parallel μ-TEG equal to 458.2 nW/cm2. In addition, the implemented quartz based μ-TEG demonstrates a maximum transmittance equal to 23.7%. The proposed transparent μ-TEG with series-parallel array thermal couples presents a higher output power than that of the other types of μ-TEG device.