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Stabilizing the Optimal Carrier Concentration in Al/Sb-Codoped GeTe for High Thermoelectric Performance
Xinyu Wang1, Wenhua Xue1,2, Zongwei Zhang1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 20, 2021
Summary
Al and Sb codoping in Germanium Telluride (GeTe) enhances thermoelectric properties. This strategy suppresses hole concentration and reduces thermal conductivity, achieving a peak figure of merit (zT) of ~2.0.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Germanium Telluride (GeTe) is a significant thermoelectric material with considerable research interest.
- Pristine GeTe suffers from high hole concentration due to intrinsic Germanium vacancies, limiting its thermoelectric performance.
- Antimony (Sb) doping effectively reduces hole concentration and improves thermoelectric properties in GeTe.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of Aluminum (Al) doping and Al&Sb codoping on the thermoelectric properties of GeTe.
- To explore the potential of Al as a dopant, despite its known tendency to increase hole concentration and thermal conductivity in GeTe.
- To optimize GeTe-based materials for enhanced thermoelectric performance through strategic codoping.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of Al doping and Al&Sb codoping effects on GeTe.
- Analysis of thermoelectric properties including hole concentration and lattice thermal conductivity.
- Material characterization of Al0.01Sb0.1Ge0.89Te.
Main Results:
- Al doping alone increases hole concentration and lattice thermal conductivity in GeTe.
- Al&Sb codoping effectively suppresses hole concentration and reduces lattice thermal conductivity.
- A peak thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) of approximately 2.0 at 773 K was achieved in Al&Sb-codoped GeTe (Al0.01Sb0.1Ge0.89Te).
Conclusions:
- Al&Sb codoping presents a viable strategy to overcome the limitations of individual doping methods in GeTe.
- The synergistic effect of Al and Sb codoping significantly enhances the thermoelectric performance of GeTe.
- Achieving a zT of ~2.0 demonstrates the potential of this optimized GeTe material for thermoelectric applications.
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