Screen printing as a scalable manufacturing approach for thermoelectric devices

Abstract

Thermoelectric technology is widely regarded as a promising solution for next-generation energy harvesting and thermal management. To date, extensive efforts have been devoted to enhancing the intrinsic performance of thermoelectric materials, as well as to optimizing device structures and configurations. However, comparatively less attention has been paid to translating these high-performance materials into scalable industrial applications. This paper highlights screen printing as a critical bridge between laboratory-scale research and industrial manufacturing of thermoelectric devices (TEDs), particularly for wearable electronics. We provide a unique and comprehensive overview of the versatility of screen printing across a broad range of thermoelectric materials and device architectures. Furthermore, a systematic fabrication framework is proposed and discussed, offering practical guidelines for constructing TEDs with diverse structural designs via screen printing. This approach enables application-oriented device engineering and facilitates the realization of targeted performance outcomes in real-world scenarios.

Keywords

Screen printing / thermoelectric / device / Bi₂Te₃ / Ag₂Se

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