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Review of thermoelectric characterization techniques suitable for SiGe multilayer structures

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Abstract

Thermoelectric materials have great potential for a range of energy harvesting applications, while the thin film approach is promising for the realization of integrated thermoelectric micro-devices. Silicon-germanium heterostructures are interesting candidates for on-chip cooling or energy harvesting, guaranteeing reliable manufacturing and integrability with silicon technology. Material research is nowadays focused on the engineering of nanostructured materials with improved thermoelectric performances. Therefore, the development of efficient methods for the characterizazion of the thermoelectric properties at the micro- and nano-scale is fundamental. We report here microfabrication based methods for the in-plane and cross-plane thermoelectric characterization of silicon-germanium multilayer heterostructures monolithically integrated on silicon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio MDM, CNR-IMM — Unità di Agrate Brianza, Via Olivetti 2, 20864, Agrate Brianza, Italy

    Stefano Cecchi

  2. Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano — Polo Territoriale di Como, L-NESS, Via Anzani 42, 22100, Como, Italy

    Stefano Cecchi

  3. School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Rankine Building, Oakfield Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK

    Lourdes Ferre Llin & Antonio Samarelli

  4. Institute of Semiconductor and Solid State Physics, Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstr. 69, 4020, Linz, Austria

    Tanja Etzelstorfer

Authors
  1. Stefano Cecchi
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  2. Lourdes Ferre Llin
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  3. Tanja Etzelstorfer
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  4. Antonio Samarelli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stefano Cecchi.

Additional information

Contribution to the Topical Issue “Silicon and Silicon-related Materials for Thermoelectricity”, edited by Dario Narducci.

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Cecchi, S., Llin, L.F., Etzelstorfer, T. et al. Review of thermoelectric characterization techniques suitable for SiGe multilayer structures. Eur. Phys. J. B 88, 70 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2015-50672-x

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