Fig. 1: Fabrication of 3D architected thermoelectric generators (TEGs).

a Schematic illustration of the Digital Light Projection (DLP) 3D printing technology used to fabricate the polymer microlattices, which were then partially carbonized to produce tougher partially carbonized (amorphous carbon) microlattices. b Illustration of the thermal evaporation process used to deposit the partially carbonized microlattices with thermoelectric (TE) films of antimony telluride (p-Sb₂Te₃) and bismuth telluride (n-Bi₂Te₃). c Illustration of an assembled 3D architected TEG consisting of alternating p-and n-type microlattice legs connected in series. d Representative unit cell of the thermoelectric microlattice consisting of a core–shell structure with partially carbonized PEGDA as its core and thermoelectric film as the shell to produce the tough, ductile TEGs. e, f Hierarchical structure of the thermoelectric microlattice fabricated, showing critical feature sizes ranging from a few millimeters to several nanometers. g Cross-section of the amorphous carbon beam of the 3D microlattice architected TE legs. h Demonstrates the ductile core and the deposited TE film. i Nanograin structure of the deposited TE films.