High-Throughput Screening for Combinatorial Thin-Film Library of Thermoelectric Materials

J. Comb. Chem., 10 (2), 175–178, 2008. 10.1021/cc700094a
Web Release Date: February 16, 2008

High-Throughput Screening for Combinatorial Thin-Film Library of Thermoelectric Materials

Masaki Watanabe,^† Takuji Kita,^† Tomoteru Fukumura,^‡ Akira Ohtomo,^‡ Kazunori Ueno,^‡ and Masashi Kawasaki^*^‡^§

Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota 471-8571, Japan, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan, and WPI Advance Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan

Received June 12, 2007

Abstract:

A high-throughput method has been developed to evaluate the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of combinatorial thin-film libraries of thermoelectric materials from room temperature to 673 K. Thin-film samples several millimeters in size were deposited on an integrated Al₂O₃ substrate with embedded lead wires and local heaters for measurement of the thermopower under a controlled temperature gradient. An infrared camera was used for real-time observation of the temperature difference ΔT between two electrical contacts on the sample to obtain the Seebeck coefficient. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of constantan thin films were shown to be almost identical to standard data for bulk constantan. High-throughput screening was demonstrated for a thermoelectric Mg−Si−Ge combinatorial library.

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