Thermoelectric Thin Films and Devices for Energy Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Thermal energy is one of the most abundant forms of energy, but is the most challenging energy to be converted into a useful form such as electrical energy. Due to the huge range in temperatures of thermal energy, various energy conversion technologies can be adapted in this conversion. Among them, thermoelectric technologies have attracted much interest due to their usefulness in a wide temperature range, scalability from micro devices with micro-watt output power to container-sized system with a kilowatt output. Thermoelectric conversion includes power generation and refrigeration involving heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC).

Even though thermoelectric principles have been known for about two hundred years, and representative materials, such as the Bi₂Te₃ compounds, were developed in the mid-twentieth century, a new era for this technology is opening due to dramatic improvements in thermoelectric materials. In addition, with global demand for recovering waste heat to electricity and great interest in energy harvesting, thermoelectric devices and system technologies have been rapidly developed. New functionalities such as flexibility have been added to thermoelectric devices so that the applications and markets for thermoelectric modules are also expanding.

Through this Special Issue, we invite investigators to contribute original articles as well as review articles that will contribute to efforts to develop thermoelectric thin films and devices for energy applications, including power generation, refrigeration, and energy harvesting.

In particular, the topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Thermoelectric thin films;
• Thermoelectric devices;
• Thermoelectric energy harvesting technologies;
• Thermoelectric materials, diffusion barriers, and filler metals for soldering and brazing.

Prof. Dr. Min-Wook Oh
Guest Editor

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