Thermal shock on thin-film thermocouples (TFTCs) can lead to high thermoelectric electromotive force (TEF) oscillation. However, the physical manifestations of thermal shock remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, infrared short-pulse laser irradiation is employed to simulate the thermal shock at hot junctions of NiCr/NiSi TFTCs. The results reveal that peak TEF values gradually increase as the hot junction width decreases from 10 to 5 mm. Moreover, peak TEF values progressively decrease as the laser-induced thermal shock position shifts from near the NiSi electrode to near the NiCr electrode. COMSOL simulation reveals that the hot junction width restrains thermal diffusion along the width direction, which increases the peak TEF values as the hot junction width decreases from 10 to 5 mm. This study provides preliminary insights into TEF behavior captured in nanosecond-resolution during ultrafast thermal shock events.
Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.