Application of ZnO Nanoparticles in Sn99Ag0.3 Cu0.7-Based Composite Solder Alloys

The properties of Sn99Ag0.3Cu0.7 (SACX0307) solder alloy reinforced with ZnO nanoparticles were investigated. The primary ZnO particle sizes were 50, 100, and 200 nm. They were added to a solder paste at a ratio of 1.0 wt %. The wettability, the void formation, the mechanical strength, and the thermoelectric parameters of the composite solder alloys/joints were investigated. Furthermore, microstructural evaluations were performed using scanning electron and ion microscopy. ZnO nanoparticles decreased the composite solder alloys’ wettability, which yielded increased void formation. Nonetheless, the shear strength and the thermoelectric parameters of the composite solder alloy were the same as those of the SACX0307 reference. This could be explained by the refinement effects of ZnO ceramics both on the Sn grains and on the Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 intermetallic grains. This could compensate for the adverse impact of lower wettability. After improving the wettability, using more active fluxes, ZnO composite solder alloys are promising for high-power applications.

Features for the design of a specialized information-measuring system for the study of thermoelectric properties of semiconductors

Methods for studying thermoelectric parameters of semiconductors that are optimal for the implementation of software and hardware have been analyzed and selected. It is based on the Harman method and its modifications, adapted for pulse measurements, which are convenient to implement on a modern element base. An important advantage of these methods is the absence of the need for accurate measurements of heat fluxes, which greatly simplifies and reduces the time for conducting experimental research. The required operating ranges for the voltage 10 µV–1 V, for the current 10 µA–300 mA and the element base performance at the processing level of 40–200 million samples per second have been determined. Structural and electrical circuits, as well as software for a specialized computer system for studying thermoelectric parameters of both bulk and thin-film thermoelectric materials, and express analysis of the operational characteristics of finished modules have been developed. It has been shown that the proposed scheme copes well with the task. And the use of FPGA and 32-bit microcontrollers provide sufficient processing speed up to 200 MSPS and the necessary synchronization modes for the implementation of the Harman pulse method even when studying films of nanometer thickness. Experimental studies of both bulk thermoelectric modules based on Bi2Te3 and thin-film thermoelectric material based on PbTe have been carried out. The effectiveness of the developed tools and techniques has been shown, which made it possible to more than halve the time for sample preparation and experiment. Based on the presented models, all the main thermoelectric and operational parameters have been determined, in particular, electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, thermoelectric figure of merit. As a result of the development of specialized computer tools, it was possible to reduce the labor intensity of the process of measuring the main electrical and operational parameters of semiconductor thermoelectric materials and energy conversion modules based on them, as well as to automate the process of defects identification of thermoelectric modules. The labor intensity of the research process has decreased not only due to the automation of the measurement process, but also due to an optimized technique that allows research on a sample of one configuration, since the manufacture and preparation of samples are the most laborious

Electrical Conductivity and Thermoelectrical Parameters of Argyrodite-Type Cu7 – xPS6 – xIx Mixed Crystals

Cu7−xPS6−xIx mixed crystals were grown by the direct crystallization from a melt. The electrical conductivity is measured in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 300 kHz and in the temperature interval 293–383 K. The frequency, temperature, and compositional dependences of the electrical conductivity for Cu7−xPS6−xIx mixed crystals are studied. The measurements of thermoelectric parameters of Cu7−xPS6−xIx mixed crystals are carried out in the temperature interval 293–383 K. The compositional behaviors of the electrical conductivity, activation energy, Seebeck coefficient, and power factor are investigated. The interrelation between the structural, electrical, and thermoelectrical properties is analyzed.

Rationally optimized carrier effective mass and carrier density lead to high average ZT value in n-type PbSe

Among these intricately coupled thermoelectric parameters, the carrier effective mass (m*) and carrier density (n) are two key parameters to determine the electrical transport properties. To enhance the broad-temperature thermoelectric...

Si-Ge whiskers for thermoelectric sensors design

The paper deals with studies of thermoelectric properties for Si1-xGex (x=0.01-0.05) whiskers doped with boron during their growth by CVD method. Temperature dependences of the resistance and the Seebeck coefficient for Si1-xGex whiskers were measured in the temperature range 275–550 K. A method for determination of thermoelectric parameters of the whisker was proposed with use of the whisker joints, which allows us to define a ratio of Seebeck coefficient to thermal conductivity a/k. Taking into account the obtained values of Seebeck coefficient, the whisker conductance and estimated values of thermal conductivity, parameter ZT was calculated for the whiskers and consists of 0.15 for T=200oC. The obtained value of ZT is in good coincidence with literature data for hop pressed Si-Ge nanocomposites. The humidity sensor was designed base on Si-Ge whiskers.