Multipronged heat-exchanger based on femtosecond laser-nano/microstructured Aluminum for thermoelectric heat scavengers

Abstract Femtosecond (fs) laser processing can significantly alter the optical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties of materials. Here, we show that fs-laser processing transforms aluminum (Al) to a highly efficient and multipronged heat exchanger. By optimizing the formed surface nano- and microstructures, we increase the Al emissivity and surface area by 700% and 300%, respectively. Accordingly, we show that fs-laser treated Al (fs-Al) increases the radiative and convective cooling power of fs-Al by 2100% and 300%, respectively, at 200 °C. As a direct application, we use fs-Al as a heat sink for a thermoelectric generator (TEG) and demonstrate a 280% increase in the TEG output power compared to a TEG with an untreated Al heat exchanger at 200 °C. The multipronged enhancement in fs-Al heat exchange properties lead to an increase in the TEG output power over a wide temperature ( T ) range ( T > 50 °C ). Conversely, a simple radiative cooling heat exchanger increases the TEG output power within a limited temperature range ( T > 150 °C ) . We investigate the laser processing parameters necessary to maximize the spectral emissivity and surface area of fs-Al. Fs-Al promises to be a widely used and compact heat exchanger for passive cooling of computers and data centers as well as to increase the efficiency of TEGs incorporated in sensors and handheld electronics.