Thin-film thermoelectric generators conformable to curved surfaces, and methods of using and fabricating the same

A thin-film thermoelectric generator (TEG) comprising:

• a flexible base film substrate having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
• thermoelectric (TE) elements located on the base film substrate, the TE elements arranged in columns oriented along the longitudinal direction of the base film substrate and rows oriented along the transverse direction of the base film substrate;
• line grooves located between at least portion of the rows of the TE elements and extending across the base film substrate in the transverse direction;
• an inter layer separating the TE elements;
• bottom side contacts coupling adjacent pairs of the TE elements within the
• columns across the line grooves on a bottom side of the inter layer between the base film substrate and the TE elements;
• and
• top side contacts coupling adjacent pairs of the TE elements within the rows between the line grooves on a top side of the inter layer opposite the bottom side thereof;
• wherein the TE elements are configured to convert thermal energy into electrical energy;
• wherein the base film substrate and the line grooves in combination provide for the thin-film TEG to bend and conform to a curved surface.