Recent advances of electrodeposition of Bi₂Te₃ and its thermoelectric applications in miniaturized power generation and cooling

Thermoelectric (TE) technology enables direct conversion between thermal and electrical energies and thus has been regarded as an alternative for energy harvesting and refrigeration. Bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) is the most widely used TE material at room temperature due to its high figure of merit (∼1). Since the first publication on the electrodeposition of Bi₂Te₃ films in 1994, a large number of publications has emerged in the last two decades, owing to its advantages such as simple and safe preparation, high deposition rate, convenient micromachining, good compatibility to semiconductor microfabrication techniques and so on. This article reviews the recent research progress in the electrodeposition of Bi₂Te₃ and its application in TE devices. Additionally, an outlook towards the future development of this area has also been discussed.