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Bi2Te3 thermoelectric thin films were deposited on the flexible polyimide substrates by RF magnetron co-sputtering of a Bi and a Te targets. The influence of the substrate temperature and RF power on the microstructure, chemical composition, and the thermoelectric properties of the sputtered films was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and in-plane resistivity/Seebeck coefficient measurement. It was shown that the thermoelectric properties of the films depend sensitively on the Bi/Te chemical composition ratio and the substrate temperature, and the layered structure was clearly observed from the cross section of the (00L)-oriented, nearly stoichiometric Bi2Te3 films when the substrate temperature is higher than 250 °C. As-deposited Bi2Te3 films deposited at 300 °C show the highest power factor of 0.97 mW/K(2)m and the Seebeck coefficient of -193 μV/K at 32 °C, which also have (00L) preferred orientation and the layered structure. The durability of the Bi2Te3 films on polyimide against repeated bending was also tested by monitoring the film resistance, and it was concluded that the Bi2Te3 films are applicable reliably on the curved surfaces with the radius of curvature larger than 5 mm.

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The segregation (distribution) of nickel and the composition of its constituents influence the low thermal expansion characteristics (Invar effect) in Fe-30 wt.% Ni-12.5 wt.% Co-xC Invar alloy. The change of coefficient of the thermal expansion and magnetic properties were studied as an aspect of carbon addition causing the segregation of Ni in primary austenite of as-cast Fe-30 wt.% Ni-12.5 wt.% Co Invar alloy. The coefficient of thermal expansion of Fe-30 wt.% Ni-12.5 wt.% Co-xC Invar alloy showed its lowest value at 0.08 wt.% carbon, increased with increasing carbon content in the range of 0.08-1.0 wt.%C, kept constant at 1.0-2.0 wt.%C and decreased at carbon higher than 2.0 wt.%. The effective distribution of the coefficient of nickel in as-cast Fe-30 wt.% Ni-12.5 wt.% Co-xC Invar alloy increased with increasing carbon content. The volume fraction of the γ phase of Fe-30 wt.% Ni-12.5 wt.% Co-xC alloy increased with increasing carbon content. The microstructure of Fe-30 wt.% Ni-12.5 wt.% Co-xC alloy changed with the carbon content was independent of the coefficient of thermal expansion. The Curie temperature changed linearly with the carbon content and was similar to the change of the coefficient of thermal expansion. Moreover, the coefficient of thermal expansion decreased when the ratio of saturation magnetization to Curie temperature (σ s /T c ) increased, decreasing the Curie temperature and showed a specific relationship with the magnetic properties of the Fe-30 wt.% Ni-12.5 wt.% Co-xC Invar alloy.

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