Thermoelectric energy harvester fabricated by Stepper

In this paper, a micromachined thermoelectric energy harvester with 61,mu m high thermocouples is fabricated by Stepper technology. Micromachined thermocouples are considered a cost-effective breakthrough solution for energy harvesters working at low thermal gradients and weak heat flows, typical for e.g. human body as well as machine-related waste heat. The thermoelectric generators will be used for autonomous wireless sensor nodes in a body area Network. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.