The rapid growth of wearable electronics, health monitoring, and the Internet of Things has created a tremendous demand for flexible semiconductors and gadgets. Thermoelectric (TE) semiconductors that enable direct conversion between heat and electricity have been utilized as power generators, but their intrinsic brittleness inhibits the application for powering flexible/wearable electronics. The plastic inorganic semiconductors discovered in recent years offer a different option for flexible TE technologies when these materials combine good plasticity and high TE performance at room temperature. In this Perspective, we discuss how room-temperature plasticity affects the manufacturing process and real-world uses in flexible electronics, the trade-off between plasticity and thermoelectric performance, and the underlying deformation mechanisms. Further outlook on the discovery of viable plastic inorganic semiconductors is proposed.

中文翻译：

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具有室温可塑性的无机热电半导体


可穿戴电子产品、健康监测和物联网的快速增长产生了对柔性半导体和小工具的巨大需求。能够在热能和电能之间直接转换的热电 （TE） 半导体已被用作发电机，但其固有的脆性阻碍了为柔性/可穿戴电子产品供电的应用。近年来发现的塑料无机半导体为柔性 TE 技术提供了不同的选择，当这些材料在室温下结合了良好的塑性和高 TE 性能时。在这个视角中，我们讨论了室温塑性如何影响柔性电子产品的制造过程和实际用途、塑性和热电性能之间的权衡以及潜在的变形机制。对发现可行的塑料无机半导体提出了进一步的展望。