Articles
  • Thermoelectric properties of SnzCo4Sb11.2Te0.8 skutterudites
  • Jae-Yong Junga, Soon-Chul Urb and Il-Ho Kimb,*
  • a Nanotechnonogy Laboratory (NTL)/Research Center for Sustainable Eco-Devices and Materials (RIC-ReSEM), Chungju National University, 72 Daehangno, Chungju, Chungbuk 380-702, Korea b Department of Materials Science and Engineering/NTL/RIC-ReSEM, Chungju National University, 72 Daehangno, Chungju, Chungbuk 380-702, Korea
Abstract
SnzCo4Sb11.2Te0.8 skutterudites with various filling fractions (0 ≤ z ≤ 0.4) were synthesized by encapsulated induction melting, and their thermoelectric properties were examined from 300 K to 700 K. A single δ-phase was successfully obtained by subsequent heat treatment at 773 K for 5 days. Sn-filled/Te-doped SnzCo4Sb11.2Te0.8 showed n-type conductivity at all temperatures examined, which suggests that Te atoms act as electron donors by substituting for Sb atoms. The thermal conductivity was reduced by filling and doping due to impurity-phonon scattering, and the dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) was improved. However, the ZT value decreased when the filling level was z ≥ 0.2 due to an increase in electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity.

Keywords: Thermoelectric, Skutterudite, Filling, Doping.

This Article

  • 2009; 10(2): 158-161

    Published on Apr 30, 2009