Thermoelectric Properties of Sb₂Te₃ Ink Fabricated by Screen-Printing Technique

Sb₂Te₃-based thermoelectric (TE) ink was synthesized by mixing different Sb₂Te₃ microsizes with a ChaM-based solution. A thick-film TE was fabricated via a screen-printing technique on SiO₂/Si-wafer substrates. The thickness of the film was controlled at 200 µm, the film was dried on hotplates at 433 K for 30 min, and the film was annealed at 523 K under vacuum for 30 min. The crystal structure, morphology, chemical composition, Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and ZT were evaluated for the annealed film samples. The small powder size of Sb₂Te₃ was found to be in good condition, and a maximum ZT value of 1.04 was obtained at 468 K, which is more than three times that of the large size at the same temperature.