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Published on: May 17, 2024
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Multicomponent Synergistic Doping Enables High-efficiency n-Type PbTe Thermoelectric Devices.
Haoyuan He1, Jia Song1, Ruinian Liang1
1College of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials Service Safety, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Institute of Deep Underground Sciences and Green Energy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|December 16, 2024
Summary
High-performance n-type lead telluride (PbTe) thermoelectric modules were developed using Ga, Se, and In doping. This strategy enhances the figure of merit (ZT) and conversion efficiency for practical thermoelectric devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- High-performance n-type lead telluride (PbTe) thermoelectric (TE) materials are crucial for practical TE devices.
- Existing p-type IV-VI tellurides offer high figure of merit (ZT), necessitating advancements in n-type counterparts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize carrier density, band structure, and reduce lattice thermal conductivity in n-type PbTe.
- To enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) and conversion efficiency of n-type PbTe.
Main Methods:
- Progressive doping of PbTe with Gallium (Ga), Selenium (Se), and Indium (In).
- Utilizing a Fe-Sn mixture as a diffusion barrier for one-step sintering of TE legs.
- Fabrication and characterization of n-type PbTe TE modules.
Main Results:
- Achieved a peak ZT of 1.6 at 773 K and an average ZT of 1.1 (300-773 K) in Pb0.979Ga0.02In0.001Te0.96Se0.04.
- Demonstrated low interfacial contact resistivity (<3 µΩcm2) using a Fe-Sn diffusion barrier.
- Obtained a remarkable conversion efficiency of 10.9% in an n-type PbTe single-leg TE device.
Conclusions:
- Multicomponent synergetic doping effectively enhances n-type PbTe performance.
- Interface-connection techniques with low-temperature metals offer new pathways for TE device improvement.
- Developed high-performance n-type PbTe TE modules suitable for practical applications.
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