Abstract
Ag(2)Se-based materials with promising room-temperature thermoelectric performance and excellent mechanical properties have been known for decades. However, the fabrication of the Ag(2)Se-based devices toward the practical application of electronic cooling has seldom been reported. Herein, the synthesis of Ag(2)Se material with a diameter of 25.4 mm was achieved. The homogeneous elemental distribution and similar thermoelectric properties demonstrate the high uniformity of the Ag(2)Se sample. In addition, ~90 Ag/Ag(2)Se/Ag legs can be obtained from a single Ag(2)Se plate, and the interfacial contact resistivity of the Ag/Ag(2)Se varies from 0.8 to 3.1 μΩ cm(2). Four thermoelectric devices based on n-type Ag(2)Se and p-type (Bi, Sb)(2)Te(3) have been fabricated, and they achieve a cooling temperature difference of ~56 K at the hot-side temperature of 300 K, demonstrating the great potential of Ag(2)Se material for cooling applications.