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Advances in Versatile GeTe Thermoelectrics from Materials to Devices
Min Hong1, Meng Li2, Yuan Wang3
1Center for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, Queensland, 4300, Australia.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|November 11, 2022
Summary
Germanium telluride (GeTe) thermoelectrics achieve high efficiency for power generation and cooling. This review covers GeTe fundamentals, fabrication, and strategies for enhancing thermoelectric performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- Germanium telluride (GeTe) based materials are crucial for thermoelectric applications, offering high figure of merit (>2.0) and efficiency (>10%).
- A comprehensive understanding from fundamental properties to device applications is essential for advancing GeTe thermoelectrics.
- Recent advancements necessitate a timely review of the state-of-the-art GeTe materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of Germanium telluride (GeTe) materials, covering fundamental properties, fabrication, performance enhancement strategies, and device applications.
- To analyze the fundamental aspects of GeTe, including phase transitions, carrier concentration, and band structures.
- To summarize recent progress and propose future research directions for GeTe-based thermoelectrics.
Main Methods:
- Fundamental analysis of GeTe properties, including atomic orbitals, chemical bonding, and lattice defects.
- Summarization of fabrication methods with an emphasis on large-scale production.
- Review of strategies for enhancing electronic transport (energy filtering, resonance doping, band convergence, Rashba splitting) and phonon scattering (nanoprecipitates, vacancies, superlattices).
Main Results:
- GeTe exhibits intrinsic high carrier concentration and multiple band edges, influenced by phase transitions and defects.
- Effective strategies for enhancing electronic transport and phonon scattering have been identified and reviewed.
- Device assembly and performance data highlight the practical potential of GeTe thermoelectrics.
Conclusions:
- GeTe is a promising thermoelectric material with significant potential for power generation and refrigeration.
- Further research into fundamental properties and advanced engineering strategies can optimize GeTe performance.
- The review provides insights for developing broader thermoelectric materials and applications.
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