Planar-type silicon thermoelectric generator with phononic nanostructures for 100 μW energy harvesting

Abstract

Energy harvesting is essential for the internet-of-things networks where a tremendous number of sensors require power. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs), especially those based on silicon (Si), are a promising source of clean and sustainable energy for these sensors. However, the reported performance of planar-type Si TEGs never exceeded power factors of 0.1 $\mu Wc{m}^{-2}{K}^{-2}$ due to the poor thermoelectric performance of Si and the suboptimal design of the devices. Here, we report a planar-type Si TEG with a power factor of 1.3 $\mu Wc{m}^{-2}{K}^{-2}$ around room temperature. The increase in thermoelectric performance of Si by nanostructuring based on the phonon-glass electron-crystal concept and optimized three-dimensional heat-guiding structures resulted in a significant power factor. In-field testing demonstrated that our Si TEG functions as a 100-$\mu W$-class harvester. This result is an essential step toward energy harvesting with a low-environmental load and cost-effective material with high throughput, a necessary condition for energy-autonomous sensor nodes for the trillion sensors universe.