Black aluminum-coated Pt/Pb(Zr0.56Ti0.44)O-3/Pt thin film structures for pyroelectric energy harvesting from a light source
Abstract
A black aluminum (B-Al) film was deposited onto the surface of a stack structure of platinum/Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O-3/platinum (Pt/PZT/Pt) to convert light into a heat variation and the heat variation into a polarization change. A comparison was performed between B-Al/Pt/PZT/Pt and conventional Pt/PZT/Pt structures.
An absorbance higher than 95% was measured for the B-Al layer over a large range of wavelengths varying from 350 nm to 1000 nm. The theoretical model shows that heat diffusion was extremely fast through the layers, and the sample holder played a key role in the variation and stabilization of the system temperature.
A doubled variation of the polarization was observed when the light was applied onto the surface of the stack structure with stable B-Al on the top. This behavior was interpreted by the larger temperature variations induced under the highly absorptive B-Al layers, in good correlation with the theoretical model prediction based on the heat fluxes in the structures.
This result is very promising for possible pyroelectric energy harvesting applications. Published under license by AIP Publishing.