• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.56-62
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• 2022

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a promising technology for the uniform deposition of thin films. ALD is based on a self-limiting mechanism, which can effectively deposit thin films on the surfaces of powders of various sizes. Numerous studies are underway to improve the performance of thermoelectric materials by forming core-shell structures in which various materials are deposited on the powder surface using ALD. Thermoelectric materials are especially relevant as clean energy storage materials due to their ability to interconvert between thermal and electrical energy by the Seebeck and Peltier effects. Herein, we introduce a surface and interface modification strategy based on ALD to control the performance of thermoelectric materials. We also discuss the properties of the interface between various deposition materials and thermoelectric materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.430-431
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• 2006

Thermoelectric thick film was fabricated by screen printing process with using p-type Bi-Te-Sb powders. The powder was synthesized by melting, milling and sintering process and hydrogen reduced to enhance the thermoelectric property. The thick film of Bi-Te-Sb powder was fabricated by screen printing method and baked at the optimized conditions. The thermal conductivity, the electrical resistivity and Seeback coefficient of thick film were measured and the thermoelectric performance was analyzed in terms of film characteristics and its microstructure. Finally, the feasibility of thermoelectric thick film into micro cooling device on CPU chip was discussed in this study.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.130-139
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• 2023

Thermoelectric materials and devices are energy-harvesting devices that can effectively recycle waste heat into electricity. Thermoelectric power generation is widely used in factories, engines, and even in human bodies as they continuously generate heat. However, thermoelectric elements exhibit poor performance and low energy efficiency; research is being conducted to find new materials or improve the thermoelectric performance of existing materials, that is, by ensuring a high figure-of-merit (zT) value. For increasing zT, higher σ (electrical conductivity) and S (Seebeck coefficient) and a lower κ (thermal conductivity) are required. Here, interface engineering by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is used to increase zT of n-type BiTeSe (BTS) thermoelectric powders. ALD of the BTS powders is performed in a rotary-type ALD reactor, and 40 to 100 ALD cycles of ZnO thin films are conducted at 100℃. The physical and chemical properties and thermoelectric performance of the ALD-coated BTS powders and pellets are characterized. It is revealed that electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity are decoupled, and thus, zT of ALD-coated BTS pellets is increased by more than 60% compared to that of the uncoated BTS pellets. This result can be utilized in a novel method for improving the thermoelectric efficiency in materials processing.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.246-254
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• 2018

In this study, we developed a thermoelectric generation system for coastal fishing boats that allows for a high-density arrangement of thermoelectric modules, verified the improvement in performance by conducting comparative analysis between field test results and results from previous studies. The developed thermoelectric generation system was installed in a 3-ton gill-netter to analyze the engine revolutions per minute and energy production per day for each fishing process over a period of 20 days. From the experimental results, the maximum electric energy generated was 207.1 Wh, the minimum was 53.93 Wh and the average electric energy was 129.98 Wh. In accordance with the increasing of the engine r.p.m., the maximum electric production was 183 W at 1,500 r.p.m. It was approximately 80.5% of designed capacity, 227.2 W. Considering the result in the earlier research was 50.7% of designed capacity, 115.8 W. It was improved by 30% compared to the earlier one. The fishing operation was classified as departure, fishing and arrival. From the result on production analysis of electric energy, the composition of energy was 63% in fishing, 19.5% in departure and 17.5% in arrival. The electric energy production per unit hour was 42.8% in arrival, 32.9% in departure and 24.3% in fishing.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.53-53
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• 2005

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.113.2-113.2
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• 2014

Heat is a familiar form of energy transported from a hot side to a colder side of an object, but not a notion associated with microscopic measurements of electronic properties. A temperature difference within a material causes charge carriers, electrons or holes, to diffuse along the temperature gradient inducing a thermoelectric voltage. Here we show that local thermoelectric measurements can yield high sensitivity imaging of structural disorder on the atomic and nanometre scales. Using this imaging technique, we discovered a defect-mediated dimensional evolution of strain-response patterns in epitaxial graphene with increasing thickness.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.852-856
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• 2015

In this study, we investigate the effect of high-energy ball milling on thermoelectric transport properties in double-filled $CoSb_3$ skutterudite ($In_{0.2}Yb_{0.1}Co_4Sb_{12}$). $In_{0.2}Yb_{0.1}Co_4Sb_{12}$ powders are milled using high-energy ball milling for different periods of time (0, 5, 10, and 20 min), and the milled powders are consolidated into bulk samples by spark plasma sintering. Microstructure analysis shows that the high-energy ball milled bulk samples are composed of nano- and micro-grains. Because the filling fractions are reduced in the bulk samples due to the kinetic energy of the high-energy ball milling, the carrier concentration of the bulk samples decreases with the ball milling time. Furthermore, the mobility of the bulk samples also decreases with the ball milling time due to enhanced grain boundary scattering of electrons. Reduction of electrical conductivity by ball milling has a decisive effect on thermoelectric transport in the bulk samples, power factor decreases with the ball milling time.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.206-211
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• 2021

This paper proposes a Self-Reset Zero-Current Switching (ZCS) Circuit for thermoelectric energy harvesting. The Self-Reset ZCS circuit minimizes the operating current consumed by the voltage comparator, thereby reduces the power consumption of the energy harvesting circuit and improves the energy conversion efficiency by adding the self-reset function to the comparator. The Self-Reset ZCS circuit shows 3.4% of improvement in energy efficiency compared to the energy harvesting system with the conventional analog comparator ZCS for the output/input voltage ratio of 5.5 as a result of circuit simulation. The proposed circuit is useful for improving the performance of the wearable and bio-health-related harvesting circuits, where low-power and energy-efficient thermoelectric energy harvesting is needed.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1999.07d
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• pp.1904-1906
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to manufacture and test a thermoelectric generator which converts unused energy from close-at-hand sources, such as garbage incineration heat and industrial exhaust, to electricity. A manufacturing process and the properties of a thermoelectric generator are discussed before simulating the thermal stress and thermal properties of a thermoelectric module located between an aluminum tube and alumina plate. It was shown that the electric voltage of a thermoelectric generator with 128 thermoelectric modules was 4.8 voltage per Kelvin, and the longitudinal stresses of an aluminum tube with a two-point constrained tube could be released more than those with a one-point constrained tube.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.251-251
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• 2009

The generation of energy and the cooling of system using thermoelectric semiconductor material have been in spotlight. Thermoelectric effect increases with the decrease of the thermal conductivity. In the thermoelectric devices, thermal conductivity is related to phonon scattering. Therefore, few studies have been conducted in the thermoelectric materials dispersed nano oxide particle for increasing the phonon scattering. However, core-shell structure which nano particle disperses in solvents and then which thermoelectric materials coated on the nano oxide particles has not been reported. In this study, we selected commercial nano powder such as $Al_2O_3$. This nano particle was about 20nm and was crushed aggregate by mechanical treatment. We have developed the effect of the dispersant and the solvent. The properties of particles were evaluated by SEM, TEM, particle size analysis, and BET. Dispersion and dispersion stability were evaluated by electronic microscope and turbidity.