Thermoelectric properties of p-type Ag{sub 1−x}(Pb{sub 1−y}Sn{sub y}){sub m}Sb{sub 1−z}Te{sub m+2}

Journal Article · Sat Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Solid State Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSSC.2016.03.018· OSTI ID:22658054

Ahn, Kyunghan ^[1]; Kong, Huijun; Uher, Ctirad ^[2]

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1. Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)

The thermoelectric properties of Ag{sub 1−x}(Pb{sub 1−y}Sn{sub y}){sub m}Sb{sub 1−z}Te{sub m+2} (4≤m≤16, −0.1≤x≤0.3, 1/3≤y≤2/3, 0.2≤z≤0.4; Lead Antimony Silver Tellurium Tin, LASTT-m) compositions were investigated in the temperature range of 300 to ~670 K. All samples crystallize in the average NaCl-type structure without any noticeable second phase and exhibit very narrow bandgaps of <0.1 eV. We studied a range of m values, silver concentrations (x), Pb/Sn ratios (y), and antimony concentrations (z) to determine their effects on the thermoelectric properties. The samples were investigated as melt grown polycrystalline ingots. Varying the Ag contents, the Pb/Sn ratios, and the Sb contents off-stoichiometry allowed us to control the electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and the thermal conductivity. The electrical conductivity tends to decrease with decreasing m values. The highest ZT of ~1.1 was achieved at ~660 K for Ag{sub 0.9}Pb{sub 5}Sn{sub 5}Sb{sub 0.8}Te{sub 12} mainly due to the very low lattice thermal conductivity of ~0.4 W/(m K) around 660 K. Also, samples with charge-balanced stoichiometries, Ag(Pb{sub 1−y}Sn{sub y}){sub m}SbTe{sub m+2}, were studied and found to exhibit a lower power factor and higher lattice thermal conductivity than the Ag{sub 1−x}(Pb{sub 1−y}Sn{sub y}){sub m}Sb{sub 1−z}Te{sub m+2} compositions. - Graphical abstract: The Ag{sub 1−x}(Pb{sub 1−y}Sn{sub y}){sub m}Sb{sub 1−z}Te{sub m+2} system defines a complex and flexible class of tunable thermoelectric class of materials with high performance.

• OSTI ID: 22658054
• Journal Information: Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Solid State Chemistry Journal Issue: Part 2 Vol. 242; ISSN 0022-4596; ISSN JSSCBI
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
LEAD COMPOUNDS
POWER FACTOR
SILVER COMPOUNDS
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES
THERMOELECTRICITY
TIN COMPOUNDS