Abstract
Single-crystal SnSe has been found to exhibit exceptional thermoelectric performance, but the efficiency of polycrystalline samples is still far from satisfactory. In this work, with an intention to effectively suppress heat conduction and minimally affect hole transport, we alloyed p-type polycrystalline SnSe with PbSe. Single-phase Sn1−xPbxSe solid solutions were formed up to x ≈ 0.12. The lattice thermal conductivity was reduced from 1.4 to 0.85 W m−1 K−1 by 12 at. % PbSe alloying due to strain and mass fluctuations. Interestingly, the Seebeck coefficient and carrier concentration were nearly unchanged by Pb substitution, indicating a constant effective mass and an undisrupted valence band maximum. A peak figure of merit (ZT) of 0.85 at 800 K was obtained in the x = 0 sample, and relatively high performance was also achieved in solid solutions. A concise model was developed involving multiple carrier scattering mechanisms, capturing the dependence of the mobility on composition and temperature.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 053901 |
| Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
| Volume | 110 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 30 2017 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
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Thermoelectric transport properties of polycrystalline SnSe alloyed with PbSe. / Wei, Tian Ran; Tan, Gangjian; Wu, Chao Feng; Chang, Cheng; Zhao, Li Dong; Li, Jing Feng; Snyder, G. Jeffrey; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.
In: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 110, No. 5, 053901, 30.01.2017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Thermoelectric transport properties of polycrystalline SnSe alloyed with PbSe
AU - Wei, Tian Ran
AU - Tan, Gangjian
AU - Wu, Chao Feng
AU - Chang, Cheng
AU - Zhao, Li Dong
AU - Li, Jing Feng
AU - Snyder, G. Jeffrey
AU - Kanatzidis, Mercouri G
PY - 2017/1/30
Y1 - 2017/1/30
N2 - Single-crystal SnSe has been found to exhibit exceptional thermoelectric performance, but the efficiency of polycrystalline samples is still far from satisfactory. In this work, with an intention to effectively suppress heat conduction and minimally affect hole transport, we alloyed p-type polycrystalline SnSe with PbSe. Single-phase Sn1−xPbxSe solid solutions were formed up to x ≈ 0.12. The lattice thermal conductivity was reduced from 1.4 to 0.85 W m−1 K−1 by 12 at. % PbSe alloying due to strain and mass fluctuations. Interestingly, the Seebeck coefficient and carrier concentration were nearly unchanged by Pb substitution, indicating a constant effective mass and an undisrupted valence band maximum. A peak figure of merit (ZT) of 0.85 at 800 K was obtained in the x = 0 sample, and relatively high performance was also achieved in solid solutions. A concise model was developed involving multiple carrier scattering mechanisms, capturing the dependence of the mobility on composition and temperature.
AB - Single-crystal SnSe has been found to exhibit exceptional thermoelectric performance, but the efficiency of polycrystalline samples is still far from satisfactory. In this work, with an intention to effectively suppress heat conduction and minimally affect hole transport, we alloyed p-type polycrystalline SnSe with PbSe. Single-phase Sn1−xPbxSe solid solutions were formed up to x ≈ 0.12. The lattice thermal conductivity was reduced from 1.4 to 0.85 W m−1 K−1 by 12 at. % PbSe alloying due to strain and mass fluctuations. Interestingly, the Seebeck coefficient and carrier concentration were nearly unchanged by Pb substitution, indicating a constant effective mass and an undisrupted valence band maximum. A peak figure of merit (ZT) of 0.85 at 800 K was obtained in the x = 0 sample, and relatively high performance was also achieved in solid solutions. A concise model was developed involving multiple carrier scattering mechanisms, capturing the dependence of the mobility on composition and temperature.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85011715881&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1063/1.4975603
DO - 10.1063/1.4975603
M3 - Article
VL - 110
JO - Applied Physics Letters
JF - Applied Physics Letters
SN - 0003-6951
IS - 5
M1 - 053901
ER -