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Related Concept Videos

Semiconductors01:22

Semiconductors

There is variation in the electrical conductivity of materials - metals, semiconductors, and insulators that are showcased with the help of the energy band diagrams.
Metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), or lead (Pb) have low resistivity and feature conduction bands that are either not fully occupied or overlap with the valence band, making a bandgap non-existent. This allows electrons in the highest energy levels of the valence band to easily transition to the conduction band upon gaining...
Types of Semiconductors01:20

Types of Semiconductors

Intrinsic semiconductors are highly pure materials with no impurities. At absolute zero, these semiconductors behave as perfect insulators because all the valence electrons are bound, and the conduction band is empty, disallowing electrical conduction. The Fermi level is a concept used to describe the probability of occupancy of energy levels by electrons at thermal equilibrium. In intrinsic semiconductors, the Fermi level is positioned at the midpoint of the energy gap at absolute zero. When...
Thermodynamic Potentials01:26

Thermodynamic Potentials

Thermodynamic potentials are state functions that are extremely useful in analyzing a thermodynamic system. They have dimensions of energy. The four important thermodynamic potentials are internal energy, enthalpy, Helmholtz free energy, and Gibbs free energy. These thermodynamic potentials can be expressed using two of the following variables: pressure, volume, temperature, and entropy. These two variables are expressed as the rate of change of the thermodynamic potential with respect to other...
Energy Bands in Solids01:01

Energy Bands in Solids

Isolated atoms have discrete energy levels that are well described by the Bohr model. And, it quantifies the energy of an electron in a hydrogen atom as En. Higher quantum numbers 'n' yield less negative, closer electron energy levels.
 Band Formation:
When atoms are brought close together, as in a solid, these discrete energy levels begin to split due to the overlap of electron orbitals from adjacent atoms. This split occurs because of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that no two...
Fermi Level01:18

Fermi Level

The Fermi-Dirac function is represented by an S-shaped curve indicating the probability of an energy state being occupied by an electron at a given temperature. The Fermi level is the energy level at which there is a fifty percent chance of finding an electron, and it is positioned between the lower-energy valence band and the higher-energy conduction band.
At absolute zero temperature, electrons fill all energy states up to the Fermi level, leaving upper states empty. As the temperature rises,...
Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions01:27

Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

Biasing metal-semiconductor junctions involves applying a voltage across the junction. Specifically, the metal is connected to a voltage source, while the semiconductor is grounded. This technique is essential for controlling the direction and magnitude of current flow in electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and photovoltaic cells.
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Fabrication of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 Thermoelectric Thin Films using Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Technique
04:22

Fabrication of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 Thermoelectric Thin Films using Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Technique

Published on: May 17, 2024

Realizing Excellent Thermoelectric Performance in Band-Converged GeTe-based Materials by Entropy and Vacancy

Yajun Wang1,2, Xusheng Liu3, Chengran Luo4

  • 1University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.

Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|July 13, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Entropy engineering optimizes thermoelectric materials by tuning electronic and thermal properties. This strategy achieved a high figure of merit (zT) of 2.62, enhancing thermoelectric power generation efficiency.

Keywords:
band convergencehigh‐entropy alloysmodule interfacesmulticomponentthermoelectric device

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Demonstrating the Simplicity and In Situ Temperature Monitoring of the Mechanochemical Synthesis of Metal Chalcogenides Suitable for Thermoelectrics
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Demonstrating the Simplicity and In Situ Temperature Monitoring of the Mechanochemical Synthesis of Metal Chalcogenides Suitable for Thermoelectrics

Published on: August 30, 2024

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Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Fabrication of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 Thermoelectric Thin Films using Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Technique
04:22

Fabrication of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 Thermoelectric Thin Films using Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Technique

Published on: May 17, 2024

Demonstrating the Simplicity and In Situ Temperature Monitoring of the Mechanochemical Synthesis of Metal Chalcogenides Suitable for Thermoelectrics
04:09

Demonstrating the Simplicity and In Situ Temperature Monitoring of the Mechanochemical Synthesis of Metal Chalcogenides Suitable for Thermoelectrics

Published on: August 30, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Solid State Physics
  • Thermoelectrics

Background:

  • Thermoelectric materials convert heat to electricity, but optimizing performance requires decoupling electrical and thermal transport.
  • Entropy engineering offers a pathway to enhance thermoelectric properties by manipulating material structure and properties.
  • GeTe-based materials are promising for thermoelectrics but require further optimization for higher efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the co-tuning of entropy and vacancies in GeTe-based materials for improved thermoelectric performance.
  • To decouple electrical and thermal transport properties through strategic doping and structural modifications.
  • To achieve high thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) and conversion efficiency over a wide temperature range.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized entropy and vacancy engineering in GeTe-based materials.
  • Doped interstitial Cu atoms to reduce Ge vacancies and enhance carrier mobility.
  • Introduced Sb at Ge sites to stabilize crystal structure, promote band convergence, and increase Seebeck coefficient.

Main Results:

  • Achieved a peak zT value of 2.62 at 700 K in GeTe-based materials.
  • Successfully reduced intrinsic Ge vacancies and increased carrier mobility via Cu doping.
  • Enhanced Seebeck coefficient and power factor through Sb doping, leading to a high average zT of 1.8.
  • Realized a 13% experimental conversion efficiency in a fabricated segmented thermoelectric module.

Conclusions:

  • The entropy and vacancy co-tuning strategy effectively optimizes thermoelectric performance in GeTe-based materials.
  • This approach enables simultaneous enhancement of electrical properties and suppression of thermal conductivity.
  • The findings provide a promising route for developing high-performance thermoelectric power generation systems.