Abstract

Micro-thermoelectric generators (μTEGs) are emerging as promising power sources for low-energy devices, including Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, medical implants, and wearable electronics. Their compactness, reliability, and maintenance-free operation make them highly attractive, since μTEGs exploit solid-state thermoelectric conversion without moving parts and directly harvest waste heat. This study develops a comprehensive modeling framework to analyze the impact of critical design parameters on μTEG performance. Particular emphasis is placed on leg length, as scaling thermoelectric legs to the microscale reduces thermal resistance and enhances power density. Simulation results demonstrate that reducing leg length initially improves both output power and efficiency, though performance declines when parasitic effects dominate at excessively small scales. Additional parameters, including hot-side temperature, leg cross-sectional area, and ceramic plate thickness, are also systematically investigated. The hot-side temperature strongly governs output voltage and conversion efficiency, while leg area influences the trade off between electrical resistance and heat conduction. Similarly, ceramic plate thickness affects thermal spreading resistance, which significantly alters overall device efficiency. These findings provide useful design guidelines for optimizing μTEG structures. By tailoring microscale geometries and carefully managing coupled thermal–electrical pathways, compact and efficient μTEGs can be realized for future self-powered energy application.

Key words: Micro-Thermoelectric Generator, Leg Length, Optimum Leg Length, Micro-Thermoelectric Generator Module.