ALTP heat flux sensor: the compensation of the ordinary Seebeck effect through a new structure

Abstract This technical note highlights the detrimental impact of the ordinary Seebeck effect (SE) on the accuracy of atomic layer thermopile (ALTP) heat flux sensors and presents an innovative structural design and correction approach. ALTP sensors are based on the Transverse Seebeck effect (TSE), linking their output directly to the temperature difference (Δ T z ) across the sensor’s sensitive film layers. Experimental analysis reveals that a temperature gradient (Δ T x ) along the film’s tilt direction, via the SE, introduces a bias voltage, causing a substantial maximum relative error of 56.4% in measurements. To counteract this issue, we introduce a novel structural configuration and correction strategy, effectively reducing the relative error to 4.1%, and thereby significantly enhancing the precision of ALTP heat flux sensors.