Authors: Tianyi Cao, Xiao‐Lei Shi, Boxuan Hu, Siqi Liu, Wanyu Lyu, Meng Li, Sen Wang, Wenyi Chen, Wei‐Di Liu, Raza Moshwan, Tuquabo Tesfamichael, Jennifer MacLeod, Zhi‐Gang Chen
Published: 2025-03-17
Source: Full article
AbstractEnhancing the thermoelectric performance of Ag2Se thin films via physical vapor deposition remains challenging. In this study, a precursor doping strategy is introduced to fabricate In‐doped Ag2Se thin films. In substitutional doping at the Ag cation sites increases the charge density distribution of Ag2Se, improving electrical conductivity, while maintaining a high Seebeck coefficient and relatively low thermal conductivity. This approach yields a competitive room‐temperature power factor of ≈26.3 µW cm−1 K−2 and a ZT value approaching 1. The films, supported by a polyimide substrate and optimized for thickness, exhibit uniform composition and excellent flexibility, retaining over 90% of their initial electrical conductivity after 500 bending cycles with a 5 mm bending radius. Additionally, a five‐leg flexible thermoelectric device constructed from these films achieves a power density of up to 630.6 µW cm−2 under a temperature difference of 18 K, corresponding to a normalized power density of nearly 2 µW cm−2 K−2, highlighting its potential for practical applications.