Title: Methods of synthesizing thermoelectric materials

Abstract

Methods for synthesis of thermoelectric materials are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of fabricating a thermoelectric material includes generating a plurality of nanoparticles from a starting material comprising one or more chalcogens and one or more transition metals; and consolidating the nanoparticles under elevated pressure and temperature, wherein the nanoparticles are heated and cooled at a controlled rate.

Inventors:

Ren, Zhifeng; Chen, Shuo; Liu, Wei-Shu; Wang, Hengzhi; Wang, Hui; Yu, Bo; Chen, Gang

Issue Date:

2016-04-05

Research Org.:

The Trustees of Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA (United States) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1245410

Patent Number(s):

9306145

Application Number:

13/788,932

Assignee:

The Trustees of Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

C - CHEMISTRY C04 - CEMENTS C04B - LIME, MAGNESIA

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01P - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

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C - CHEMISTRY C04 - CEMENTS C04B - LIME, MAGNESIA

C04B2235/6565 - Cooling rate
C04B2235/404 - Refractory metals
C04B35/645 - Pressure sintering
C04B2235/786 - Micrometer sized grains, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01P - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

C01P2004/61 - Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer

C - CHEMISTRY C04 - CEMENTS C04B - LIME, MAGNESIA

C04B2235/9607 - Thermal properties, e.g. thermal expansion coefficient
C04B2235/79 - Non-stoichiometric products, e.g. perovskites
C04B2235/40 - Metallic constituents or additives not added as binding phase
C04B35/62615 - {High energy or reactive ball milling}

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01B - NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS

C01B19/007 - {Tellurides or selenides of metals

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L35/34 - Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01P - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

C01P2004/03 - obtained by SEM

C - CHEMISTRY C04 - CEMENTS C04B - LIME, MAGNESIA

C04B2235/405 - Iron group metals
C04B2235/77 - Density
C04B2235/407 - Copper

H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

H01L35/26 - using compositions changing continuously or discontinuously inside the material

C - CHEMISTRY C04 - CEMENTS C04B - LIME, MAGNESIA

C04B2235/656 - characterised by specific heating conditions during heat treatment
C04B2235/6562 - Heating rate

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01P - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

C01P2002/77 - by unit-cell parameters, atom positions or structure diagrams

C - CHEMISTRY C04 - CEMENTS C04B - LIME, MAGNESIA

C04B35/547 - based on sulfides or selenides {or tellurides}

C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01P - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

C01P2004/04 - obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM
C01P2006/40 - Electric properties
C01P2002/72 - by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram

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DOE Contract Number:  

SC0001299

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 2013 Mar 07

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY