Impact of metal/semiconductor contact layout on the performance of an integrated silicon cavity-free micro thermoelectric generator

The development of nanotechnology has had a significant impact on thermoelectric generators (TEGs), which are expected to play a vital role in meeting sustainable energy requirements. In an integrated micro-thermoelectric device, any change in peripheral parts such as metal/semiconductor contacts may affect thermoelectric (TE) power generation. In this study, we evaluated the TE performance of silicon-based micro-TEGs by varying the metal/Silicon contact arrays on the hot and cold side pads to investigate the effect of the contact array in TE devices. The results show that the device's performance has been influenced by a variation of temperature gradient that happened through the silicon-nanowires due to the alternation of contact arrays. • Optimizing metal/Si contact layout enhances TE power in micro-TEGs. • Cold-side contact array configuration significantly boosts power output. • Negative heat current through the cold side contact increases the ∆T across the Si-NWs. • Experimental and simulation results align in demonstrating TE performance gains. • Design insights guide scalable, CMOS-compatible micro-TEG applications.