Achieving Compatible p/n-Type Half-Heusler Compositions in Valence Balanced/Unbalanced Mg_1-VNiSb

In thermoelectric and other inorganic materials research, the significance of half-Heusler (HH) compositions following the 18-electron rule has drawn interest in developing and exploiting the potential of intermetallic compounds. For the fabrication of thermoelectric modules, in addition to high-performance materials, having both p- and n-type materials with compatible thermal expansion coefficients is a prerequisite for module development. In this work, the p-type to n-type transition of valence balanced/unbalanced HH composition of Mg_1-VNiSb was demonstrated by changing the Mg:V chemical ratio. The Seebeck coefficient and power factor of Ti-doped Mg_0.57V_0.33Ti_0.1NiSb are -130 μV K^-1 and 0.4 mW m^-1 K^-2 at 400 K, respectively. In addition, the reduced lattice thermal conductivity (κ_L < 2.5 W m^-1 K^-1 at 300 K) of n-type compositions was reported to be much smaller than κ_L of conventional HH materials. As high thermal conductivity has long been an issue for HH materials, the synthesis of p- and n-type Mg_1-VNiSb compositions with low lattice thermal conductivity is a promising strategy for producing high-performance HH compounds. Achieving both p- and n-type materials from similar parent composition enabled us to fabricate a thermoelectric module with maximum output power P_max ∼ 63 mW with a temperature difference of 390 K. This finding supports the benefit of exploring the huge compositional space of valence balanced/unbalanced quaternary HH compositions for further development of thermoelectric devices.