All chemically fabricated Co-Pt nanoparticle spin thermoelectric generator on plastic sheet

Abstract

The anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) is a heat-charge conversion phenomenon based on magnetic metals that has been extensively studied for use in thermoelectric power generators and heat flow sensors. Thermoelectric power-generation devices require flexibility to accommodate a wide range of applications. In this study, we fabricated a thermoelectric power generator using Co-Pt nanoparticles (NPs) on plastic sheets via a chemical process. The ANE voltage in the Co-Pt NP-assembled film could be successfully observed. Additionally, the thermal conductivity of the NP-assembled film was lower than that of the thin film, owing to the large number of grain boundaries and voids that can scatter phonons. This is important for practical applications because the thermoelectric figure of merit is inversely proportional to thermal conductivity. These results indicate that Co-Pt NP-assembled films are promising materials because they suggest that a thermoelectric generator based on ANE can be fabricated using simple chemical processes that are advantageous for commercial use.