The thermoelectric property measurement system is a Linseis Thin Film Analyser, that allows simultaneous measurements of the electrical conductivity s, the Seebeck coefficient a, and the thermal conductivity k of thin films.
From the measurements of these quantities the figure of merit ZT = s a2 T / k and the efficiency of a thermoelectric converter, in converting a flow of waste heat associated with a temperature gradient into useful electrical power, can be estimated. The measurement is based on depositing the functional material as a thin film onto a micro-fabricated silicon chip equipped with the electrodes and temperature sensors that are needed to perform the thermoelectric measurements.
The system allows measurements as a function of temperature T from about -170 °C to 200 °C and is also equipped with an electromagnet for Hall measurements on metallic samples.
If your research interests require measurements of electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient or thermal conductivity of thin film functional materials and you have any questions on the tool’s capabilities please email the academic lead Professor Henning Sirringhaus (hs220@cam.ac.uk) or the technical contact Dr Hio-Ieng Un (hiu20@cam.ac.uk) in the Department of Physics.