Self‐Powered Temperature Electronic Skin Based on Island‐Bridge Structure and Bi‐Te Micro‐Thermoelectric Generator for Distributed Mini‐Region Sensing
Man Kang,
Ruixiang Qu,
Xiaowen Sun
et al.
Abstract:Thermoelectric (TE) effect based temperature sensor can accurately convert temperature signal into voltage without external power supply, which have great application prospects in self‐powered temperature electronic skin (STES). But the fabrication of stretchable and distributed STES still remains a challenge. Here, a novel STES design strategy is proposed by combining flexible island‐bridge structure with BiTe‐based micro thermoelectric generator (μ‐TEG). Furthermore, a 4×4 vertical temperature sensor array w… Show more
“…5e demonstrates that this integration process can realize a high-density one-time integration of multiple μ-TECs on a single substrate whose integration procedures are demonstrated in Supplementary Fig. 13 , providing a potential application for high-resolution array cooling or temperature sensing 41 , 42 . Fig.…”
Micro-thermoelectric coolers are emerging as a promising solution for high-density cooling applications in confined spaces. Unlike thin-film micro-thermoelectric coolers with high cooling flux at the expense of cooling temperature difference due to very short thermoelectric legs, thick-film micro-thermoelectric coolers can achieve better comprehensive cooling performance. However, they still face significant challenges in both material preparation and device integration. Herein, we propose a design strategy which combines Bi2Te3-based thick film prepared by powder direct molding with micro-thermoelectric cooler integrated via phase-change batch transfer. Accurate thickness control and relatively high thermoelectric performance can be achieved for the thick film, and the high-density-integrated thick-film micro-thermoelectric cooler exhibits excellent performance with maximum cooling temperature difference of 40.6 K and maximum cooling flux of 56.5 W·cm−2 at room temperature. The micro-thermoelectric cooler also shows high temperature control accuracy (0.01 K) and reliability (over 30000 cooling cycles). Moreover, the device demonstrates remarkable capacity in power generation with normalized power density up to 214.0 μW · cm−2 · K−2. This study provides a general and scalable route for developing high-performance thick-film micro-thermoelectric cooler, benefiting widespread applications in thermal management of microsystems.
“…5e demonstrates that this integration process can realize a high-density one-time integration of multiple μ-TECs on a single substrate whose integration procedures are demonstrated in Supplementary Fig. 13 , providing a potential application for high-resolution array cooling or temperature sensing 41 , 42 . Fig.…”
Micro-thermoelectric coolers are emerging as a promising solution for high-density cooling applications in confined spaces. Unlike thin-film micro-thermoelectric coolers with high cooling flux at the expense of cooling temperature difference due to very short thermoelectric legs, thick-film micro-thermoelectric coolers can achieve better comprehensive cooling performance. However, they still face significant challenges in both material preparation and device integration. Herein, we propose a design strategy which combines Bi2Te3-based thick film prepared by powder direct molding with micro-thermoelectric cooler integrated via phase-change batch transfer. Accurate thickness control and relatively high thermoelectric performance can be achieved for the thick film, and the high-density-integrated thick-film micro-thermoelectric cooler exhibits excellent performance with maximum cooling temperature difference of 40.6 K and maximum cooling flux of 56.5 W·cm−2 at room temperature. The micro-thermoelectric cooler also shows high temperature control accuracy (0.01 K) and reliability (over 30000 cooling cycles). Moreover, the device demonstrates remarkable capacity in power generation with normalized power density up to 214.0 μW · cm−2 · K−2. This study provides a general and scalable route for developing high-performance thick-film micro-thermoelectric cooler, benefiting widespread applications in thermal management of microsystems.
“…In various application scenarios encompassing noncontact space temperature response, intelligent robotic thermal sensing, and wearable temperature sensing, STES manifests commendable self‐powered attributes and sensing capabilities. [ 217 ]…”
Section: Intelligent Systems Developmentmentioning
Cardiovascular diseases represent a significant threat to the overall well‐being of the global population. Continuous monitoring of vital signs related to cardiovascular health is essential for improving daily health management. Currently, there has been remarkable proliferation of technology focused on collecting data related to cardiovascular diseases through daily electronic skin monitoring. However, concerns have arisen regarding potential skin irritation and inflammation due to the necessity for prolonged wear of wearable devices. To ensure comfortable and uninterrupted cardiovascular health monitoring, the concept of biocompatible electronic skin has gained substantial attention. In this review, biocompatible electronic skins for cardiovascular health monitoring are comprehensively summarized and discussed. The recent achievements of biocompatible electronic skin in cardiovascular health monitoring are introduced. Their working principles, fabrication processes, and performances in sensing technologies, materials, and integration systems are highlighted, and comparisons are made with other electronic skins used for cardiovascular monitoring. In addition, we explore the significance of integrating sensing systems and the updating wireless communication for the development of the smart medical field. Finally, the opportunities and challenges for wearable electronic skin are also examined.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
“…Furthermore, some strategies involve the mixture of metal and aluminum nitride nano/microparticles in the elastomer substrate to enhance the interfacial heat transfer in STEGs. Unfortunately, the inherent rigidity of the filler restricts the stretchability of these STEGs (<30%), ,, thus limiting their conformability to the human body. In addition, some reported stretchable electrodes of STEGs that use liquid metal and cloth electrodes suffer from large contact electrical resistance with pillars (30–1000 μΩ cm 2 ), resulting in a compromised output thermoelectric power.…”
Three-dimensional thermoelectric generators (TEGs) efficiently and reversibly convert energy between heat and electricity without any chemical reactions or noise, revealing the prospect of generating electricity for on-body applications. However, existing flexible TEGs suffer from low output thermoelectric power due to ineffective thermal energy harvesting from the dynamic human body. Here, we report a design strategy to address this problem, in which bulk thermoelectric pillars with an optimized aspect ratio interconnected by serpentine electrodes are sandwiched between two ultrastretchable elastomer substrates with high thermal conductivity (0.83 W m −1 K −1 ). The synergistic effect of the thermoelectric pillars with their optimized aspect ratio and the air insulation layer between the elastomer substrates increases the thermal resistance of the TEG, thereby enhancing heat dissipation to an ambient environment. The combination of stretchable serpentine electrodes and the ultrastretchable elastomer substrate allows for the effective absorption of strain energy under deformation, ensuring mechanical stability and enhancing heat transfer from the human body. Thanks to the thermal design, the stretchable TEG (STEG) demonstrates good stretchability (62.5% elongation) and flexibility with a minimum bending radius of 7 mm; it also shows an output power density of 2.1 mW cm −2 at an applied temperature difference of 19 K and a normalized power density of 6.04 μW cm −2 K −2 . In practice, the STEG, when attached to an elbow, shows a maximum power density of 51.42 μW cm −2 and a steady-state maximum power density of 20 μW cm −2 at an ambient temperature of ∼290.15 K.
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