Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T10:58:24.366Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A high-throughput strategy to screen interfacial diffusion barrier materials for thermoelectric modules

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2019

Ming Gu
Affiliation:
The State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
Shengqiang Bai*
Affiliation:
The State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
Jiehua Wu
Affiliation:
The State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
Jincheng Liao
Affiliation:
The State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
Xugui Xia
Affiliation:
The State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
Ruiheng Liu
Affiliation:
The State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
Lidong Chen*
Affiliation:
The State Key Lab of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: bsq@mail.sic.ac.cn
Get access

Abstract

Diffusion barrier materials play an important role in both structure reliability and performance stability of thermoelectric (TE) modules. Preferred barrier materials are screened out from various candidates by comparing the interdiffusion at the barrier material/TE substrate interfaces. Traditionally, for each barrier material candidate, complicated fabrication processing of TE elements (electrode/barrier material/TE material) must be finished to obtain relative interfaces, which makes the screening costly and time consuming. In this article, using a high-throughput strategy, we developed a high-efficiency screening method of barrier materials. By cosintering the mixture of TE substrate material and various barrier material candidates simply following the TE material’s sintering parameters, various microinterfaces were integrated to one single sample. This enables parallel aging and microstructure characterization of different interfaces, and preferred barrier materials can be swiftly screened out. As a result, it makes the design and optimization of TE modules much more efficient and economical.

Type
Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Holloway, K. and Fryer, P.M.: Tantalum as a diffusion barrier between copper and silicon. Appl. Phys. Lett. 57, 17361738 (1990).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakano, H., Itabashi, T., and Akahoshi, H.: Electroless deposited cobalt-tungsten-boron capping barrier metal on damascene copper interconnection. J. Electrochem. Soc. 152, C163C166 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qu, X-P., Tan, J-J., Zhou, M., Chen, T., Xie, Q., Ru, G-P., and Li, B-Z.: Improved barrier properties of ultrathin Ru film with TaN interlayer for copper metallization. Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 151912 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Civale, Y., Croes, K., Miyamori, Y., Velenis, D., Redolfi, A., Thangaraju, S., Van Ammel, A., Cherman, V., Van der Plas, G., Cockburn, A., Gravey, V., Kumar, N., Cao, Z., Travaly, Y., Tökei, Z., Beyne, E., and Swinnen, B.: On the thermal stability of physically-vapor-deposited diffusion barriers in 3D Through-Silicon Vias during IC processing. Microelectron. Eng. 106, 155159 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brandner, M., Bram, M., Jan, F., Buchkremer, H.P., and Stöver, D.: Electrically conductive diffusion barrier layers for metal-supported SOFC. Solid State Ionics 179, 15011504 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maric, R., Neagu, R., and Zhang-Steenwinkel, Y.: Reactive spray deposition technology—An one-step deposition technique for solid oxide fuel cell barrier layers. J. Power Sources 195, 81988201 (2010).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, S-I., Park, M., and Hong, J.: Fabrication of dense and defect-free diffusion barrier layer via constrained sintering for solid oxide fuel cells. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 37, 32193223 (2017).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haynes, J.A., Zhang, Y., Cooley, K.M., Walker, L., Reeves, K.S., and Pint, B.A.: High-temperature diffusion barriers for protective coatings. Surf. Coat. Technol. 188–189, 153157 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, Y., Guo, H-b., and Peng, H.: Diffusion barrier behaviors of (Ru,Ni)Al/NiAl coatings on Ni-based superalloy substrate. Intermetallics 19, 191195 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joly, A., Brun, P., and Lacombe, J.: Structural characterization of an electrically insulating diffusion barrier on a plasma-sprayed ceramic for severe environment applications. Surf. Coat. Technol. 220, 204208 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, D., Li, X., He, L., Jiang, W., and Chen, L.: Interfacial evolution behavior and reliability evaluation of CoSb3/Ti/Mo–Cu thermoelectric joints during accelerated thermal aging. J. Alloys Compd. 477, 425431 (2009).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hsu, H-H., Cheng, C-H., Chiou, S-H., Huang, C-H., Liu, C-M., Lin, Y-L., Chao, W-H., Yang, P-H., Chang, C-Y., and Cheng, C-P.: Structural stability of diffusion barriers in thermoelectric SbTe: From first-principles calculations to experimental results. J. Alloys Compd. 588, 633637 (2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gu, M., Bai, S., Xia, X., Huang, X., Li, X., Shi, X., and Chen, L.: Study on the high temperature interfacial stability of Ti/Mo/Yb0.3Co4Sb12 thermoelectric joints. Appl. Sci. 7, 952 (2017).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hsieh, H-C., Wang, C-H., Lin, W-C., Chakroborty, S., Lee, T-H., Chu, H-S., and Wu, A.T.: Electroless Co–P diffusion barrier for n-PbTe thermoelectric material. J. Alloys Compd. 728, 10231029 (2017).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowe, D.M.: Thermoelectrics Handbook: Macro to Nano (CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, London, New York, 2006); ch. 1, pp. 212.Google Scholar
Brostow, W., Datashvili, T., Hagg Lobland, H.E., Hilbig, T., Su, L., Vinado, C., and White, J.B.: Bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric materials: Coatings as protection against thermal cycling effects. J. Mater. Res. 27, 29302936 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brostow, W., Chen, I.K., and White, J.B.: Effects of polymeric coatings on service life of bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric materials. Sust. Energ. Fuel 1, 13761380 (2017).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saber, H.H. and El-Genk, M.S.: Effects of metallic coatings on the performance of skutterudite-based segmented unicouples. Energy Convers. Manage. 48, 13831400 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dong, H., Li, X., Tang, Y., Zou, J., Huang, X., Zhou, Y., Jiang, W., Zhang, G-j., and Chen, L.: Fabrication and thermal aging behavior of skutterudites with silica-based composite protective coatings. J. Alloys Compd. 527, 247251 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
El-Genk, M.S. and Saber, H.H.: High efficiency segmented thermoelectric for operation between 973 K and 300 K. Energy Convers. Manage. 44, 10691088 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joshi, G., Lee, H., Lan, Y., Wang, X., Zhu, G., Wang, D., Gould, R.W., Cuff, D.C., Tang, M.Y., Dresselhaus, M.S., Chen, G., and Ren, Z.: Enhanced thermoelectric figure-of-merit in nanostructured p-type silicon germanium bulk alloys. Nano Lett. 8, 46704674 (2008).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Appel, O., Zilber, T., Kalabukhov, S., Beerib, O., and Gelbstein, Y.: Morphological effects on the thermoelectric properties of Ti0.3Zr0.35Hf0.35NiSn alloys following phase separation. J. Mater. Chem. 3, 1165311659 (2015).Google Scholar
Sumithra, S., Takas, N.J., Misra, D.K., Nolting, W.M., Poudeu, P.F.P., and Stokes, K.L.: Enhancement in thermoelectric figure of merit in nanostructured Bi2Te3 with semimetal nanoinclusions. Adv. Energy Mater. 1, 11411147 (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gelbstein, Y.: Phase morphology effects on the thermoelectric properties of Pb0.25Sn0.25Ge0.5Te. Acta Mater. 61, 14991507 (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, H., Shi, X., Xu, F., Zhang, L., Zhang, W., Chen, L., Li, Q., Uher, C., Day, T., and Jeffrey Snyder, G.: Copper ion liquid-like thermoelectrics. Nat. Mater. 11, 422425 (2012).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jiang, B., Qiu, P., Chen, H., Zhang, Q., Zhao, K., Ren, D., Shi, X., and Chen, L.: An argyrodite-type Ag9GaSe6 liquid-like material with ultralow thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric performance. Chem. Commun. 53, 1165811661 (2017).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhao, X.Y., Shi, X., Chen, L.D., Zhang, W.Q., Zhang, W.B., and Pei, Y.Z.: Synthesis and thermoelectric properties of Sr-filled skutterudite SryCo4Sb12. J. Appl. Phys. 99, 053711 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tang, X., Chen, L., Goto, T., and Hirai, T.: Effects of Ce filling fraction and Fe content on the thermoelectric properties of Co-rich CeyFexCo4−xSb12. J. Mater. Res. 16, 837843 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gu, M., Xia, X., Huang, X., Bai, S., Li, X., and Chen, L.: Study on the interfacial stability of p-type Ti/CeyFexCo4−xSb12 thermoelectric joints at high temperature. J. Alloys Compd. 671, 238244 (2016).CrossRefGoogle Scholar