Effects of In doping on crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of n-type skutterudites

Zhou Long; Li Han; Su Xian-Li; Tang Xin-Feng

doi:10.7498/aps.59.7219

Abstract

Skutterudite compounds InxCo4Sb12(x=0.1—0.4) have been synthesized by a melt-quench-anneal-spark plasma sintering method. x-ray diffraction (XRD) and filed emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) results show that doping of In results in a nano structured InSb phase distributed in the grain boundaries when the content of In exceeds its filling fraction limit in the skutterudites. Furthermore, the content of InSb increases with increasing In content. Our research indicates that the existence of nanostructured secondary phase InSb increases the power factor, decreases the lattice thermal conductivity, and therefore remarkably improves the thermoelectric properties of the compounds. The highest thermoelectric figure of merit ZT=1.21 is achieved at 800 K in the In0.35Co4Sb12 compound.

Keywords:

Authors and contacts

1.
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Material Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China

References

[1]	Nolas G S, Cohn J L, Slack G A 1998 Phys. Rev. B 58 164
[2]	Chen B X, Xu J H, Uher C 1997 Phys. Rev. B 55 1476
[3]	Luo P F, Tang X F, Li H, Liu T X 2004 Acta Phys. Sin. 53 3234 (in Chinese) [罗派峰、唐新峰、李涵、刘桃香 2004 物理学报 53 3234]
[4]	Li H, Tang X F, Zhao W Y, Zhang Q J 2006 Acta Phys. Sin. 55 6505 (in Chinese) [李涵、唐新峰、赵文俞、张清杰 2006 物理学报 55 6505]
[5]	Mallik R C, Stiewe C, Karoinski G, Hassdorf R, Muller E 2009 J. Electron. Mater. 38 1338
[6]	He T, Chen J Z, Rosenfeld H D, Subramanian M A 2006 Chem. Mater. 18 759
[7]	Shi X, Kong H, Li C P, Uher C, Yang J, Salvador J R, Wang H, Chen L, Zhang W 2008 Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 182101
[8]	Su X L 2009 M. S. Dissertation (Wuhan: Wuhan University of Technology) (in Chinese) [苏贤礼 2009 硕士学位论文 (武汉: 武汉理工大学)]
[9]	Liu E K, Zhu B S, Luo J S 1994 Semiconductor Physics (Beijing: Defense Industrial Press) pp289—290 (in Chinese) [刘恩科、朱秉升、罗晋生 1994 半导体物理学 (北京: 国防工业出版社) 第289—290页]
[10]	Pei Y Z, Chen L D, Zhang W, Shi X, Bai S Q, Mei Z G, Li X Y 2006 Appl. Phys. Lett. 89 221107
[11]	Pei Y Z, Bai S Q, Zhao X Y, Zhang W, Chen L D 2008 Solid State Sci. 10 1422
[12]	Chen L D, Kawahara T, Tang X F, Goto T, Hirai T, Dyck J S, Chen W, Uher C 2001 J. Appl. Phys. 90 1864

Cited By

[1]	Nolas G S, Cohn J L, Slack G A 1998 Phys. Rev. B 58 164
[2]	Chen B X, Xu J H, Uher C 1997 Phys. Rev. B 55 1476
[3]	Luo P F, Tang X F, Li H, Liu T X 2004 Acta Phys. Sin. 53 3234 (in Chinese) [罗派峰、唐新峰、李涵、刘桃香 2004 物理学报 53 3234]
[4]	Li H, Tang X F, Zhao W Y, Zhang Q J 2006 Acta Phys. Sin. 55 6505 (in Chinese) [李涵、唐新峰、赵文俞、张清杰 2006 物理学报 55 6505]
[5]	Mallik R C, Stiewe C, Karoinski G, Hassdorf R, Muller E 2009 J. Electron. Mater. 38 1338
[6]	He T, Chen J Z, Rosenfeld H D, Subramanian M A 2006 Chem. Mater. 18 759
[7]	Shi X, Kong H, Li C P, Uher C, Yang J, Salvador J R, Wang H, Chen L, Zhang W 2008 Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 182101
[8]	Su X L 2009 M. S. Dissertation (Wuhan: Wuhan University of Technology) (in Chinese) [苏贤礼 2009 硕士学位论文 (武汉: 武汉理工大学)]
[9]	Liu E K, Zhu B S, Luo J S 1994 Semiconductor Physics (Beijing: Defense Industrial Press) pp289—290 (in Chinese) [刘恩科、朱秉升、罗晋生 1994 半导体物理学 (北京: 国防工业出版社) 第289—290页]
[10]	Pei Y Z, Chen L D, Zhang W, Shi X, Bai S Q, Mei Z G, Li X Y 2006 Appl. Phys. Lett. 89 221107
[11]	Pei Y Z, Bai S Q, Zhao X Y, Zhang W, Chen L D 2008 Solid State Sci. 10 1422
[12]	Chen L D, Kawahara T, Tang X F, Goto T, Hirai T, Dyck J S, Chen W, Uher C 2001 J. Appl. Phys. 90 1864

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