Output performance of Bi-Sb-Te based thermoelectric-transistor model on parallel temperature gradient
A novel thermoelectricity-amplified transistor model based on thermoelectric (TE) materials is proposed, which synergistically integrating the Seebeck effect and bipolar junction transistor operation. The design leverages temperature gradient-induced carrier transport in a Bi-Sb-Te PNP heterojunction in lateral configuration under unidirectional thermal excitation. By combining voltage generation from the Seebeck effect (ΔT-driven) with the inherent current amplification of transistors, this self-powered device demonstrates enhanced energy conversion capabilities without requiring external bias. Numerical simulations demonstrated that under a 50 K thermal gradient, the optimized single device configuration achieves 102.14 µW output power (P<sub>out</sub>) with 1.04% energy conversion efficiency (η), showcasing its viability for low-grade heat recovery applications.
Authors
- Wenjun Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1730-4823)
- Bohang Nan
- Lingling Ren
- Guiying Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8191-3933)
- Jie Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5356-0453)
- Shuo Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1440-7541)
- Tao Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9909-6705)
Institutions
- National Institute of Metrology (CN)
- Beijing Information Science & Technology University (CN)
- University of Science and Technology Beijing (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2025-09-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18143-2
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Key Research and Development Program of China
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities