Elastic (acrylate/polydimethylsiloxane) substrate-to-coating interlayers for improving the mechanical resilience of thermoelectric films on poly(ethylene terephthalate) during roll-to-roll manufacture and in service operation

Strain-induced failure is a major concern in wearable electronics. Herein, ~ 90-nm thick bismuth telluride film fabricated on 125-μm polyethylene terephthalate as the basis for flexible thermoelectric generator. To simulate induced mechanical strains during operation and roll-to-roll manufacture, both tensile buckling are studied. improve resilience, two types of substrate-to-coating interlayers with varying thicknesses investigated: 0.4–7.7 μm-thick Poly-tripropyleneglycol diacrylate (acrylate) 2.5–16.8 Poly-dimethyl siloxane (PDMS). The performance coating influenced through stress, applied polymer substrate, being transferred to coating. Samples exposed testing recover once load released, mitigating against change morphology performance, contrast those measured in-situ under strain. Both shown assist maintaining fewer cracks formed semiconductor. A thicker interlayer better mitigate impact deformation substrate. Furthermore, fatigue-bending tests, grown PDMS shows cyclical fatigue performance.