Heat dissipation is one of the most serious problems in modern integrated electronics with the con-tinuously decreasing devices size.Large portion of the consumed power is inevitably dissipated in the form of waste heat which not only restricts the device energy-efficiency performance itself,but also leads to severe environment problems and energy crisis.Thermoelectric Seebeck effect is a green energy-recycling method,while thermoelectric Peltier effect can be employed for heat management by actively cooling overheated devices,where passive cooling by heat conduction is not sufficiently enough.However,the technological applications of thermoelectricity are limited so far by their very low con-version efficiencies and lack of deep understanding of thermoelectricity in microscopic levels.Probing and managing the thermoelectricity is therefore fundamentally important particularly in nanoscale.In this short review,we will first briefly introduce the microscopic techniques for studying nanoscale ther-moelectricity,focusing mainly on scanning thermal microscopy(SThM).SThM is a powerful tool for mapping the lattice heat with nanometer spatial resolution and hence detecting the nanoscale thermal transport and dissipation processes.Then we will review recent experiments utilizing these tech-niques to investigate thermoelectricity in various nanomaterial systems including both(two-material)heterojunctions and(single-material)homojunctions with tailored Seebeck coefficients,and also spin Seebeck and Peltier effects in magnetic materials.Next,we will provide a perspective on the promising applications of our recently developed Scanning Noise Microscope(SNoiM)for directly probing the non-equilibrium transporting hot charges(instead of lattice heat)in thermoelectric devices.SNoiM together with SThM are expected to be able to provide more complete and comprehensive understand-ing to the microscopic mechanisms in thermoelectrics.Finally,we make a conclusion and outlook on the future development of microscopic studies in thermoelectrics.

Xue Gong;Ruijie Qian;Huanyi Xue;Weikang Lu;Zhenghua An

State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics,Department of Physics,Fudan University,Shanghai 200433,China;Institute for Nanoelectronic Devices and Quantum Computing,Fudan University,Shanghai 200433,China;Shanghai Qi Zhi Institute,41th Floor,AI Tower,No.701 Yunjin Road,Xuhui District,Shanghai 200232,China

物理学前沿

[1]Xue Gong;Ruijie Qian;Huanyi Xue;Weikang Lu;Zhenghua An-.Progress of microscopic thermoelectric effects studied by micro-and nano-thermometric techniques)[J].物理学前沿,2022(02):146-163

tinuously,overheated,moelectricity,SThM,homojunctions,SNoiM

Progress,microscopic,effects,studied,by,thermometric,techniques,Heat,dissipation,one,most,serious,problems,modern,integrated,electronics,decreasing,devices,size,Large,portion,consumed,inevitably,dissipated,waste,which,not,only,restricts,energy,efficiency,performance,itself,but,also,leads,severe,environment,crisis,Thermoelectric,Seebeck,green,recycling,method,while,Peltier,employed,management,actively,cooling,where,passive,conduction,sufficiently,enough,However,technological,applications,thermoelectricity,are,limited,far,their,very,low,version,efficiencies,lack,deep,understanding,levels,Probing,managing,therefore,fundamentally,important,particularly,nanoscale,In,this,short,review,will,first,briefly,introduce,studying,focusing,mainly,scanning,thermal,microscopy,powerful,tool,mapping,lattice,nanometer,spatial,resolution,hence,detecting,processes,Then,experiments,utilizing,these,investigate,various,nanomaterial,systems,including,both,two,heterojunctions,single,tailored,coefficients,spin,magnetic,materials,Next,provide,perspective,promising,our,recently,developed,Scanning,Noise,Microscope,directly,probing,equilibrium,transporting,hot,charges,instead,together,expected,able,more,complete,comprehensive,mechanisms,thermoelectrics,Finally,make,conclusion,outlook,future,development,studies

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