Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T08:38:32.605Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Extremely Low Thermal Conductivity Substances as Novel Thermoelectric Materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Shinsuke Yamanaka
Affiliation:
Ken Kurosaki
Affiliation:
Atsuko Kosuga
Affiliation:
Keita Goto
Affiliation:
Hiroaki Muta
Affiliation:
Get access

Abstract

We have prepared polycrystalline bulk samples of various thallium compounds and measured their thermoelectric properties. The most remarkable point of the thermoelectric properties of the thallium compounds is the extremely low thermal conductivity. The state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials such as Bi2Te3 and TAGS materials indicate relatively low the thermal conductivity, around 1.5 W/m/K. However, the thermal conductivity of the thallium compounds is below 0.5 W/m/K; especially that of silver thallium tellurides is around 0.25 W/m/K at room temperature. This extremely low thermal conductivity leads a great advantage for an enhancement of the thermoelectric performance. In this paper, we report on the properties of some thallium compounds selected for study as novel thermoelectric materials. One of these compounds seems to have a thermoelectric figure of merit comparable to those of state-of-the-art materials.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Sharp, J. W., Sales, B. C., Mandrus, D., Chakoumakos, B. C., Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 3794 (1999).Google Scholar
2. Wolfing, B., Kloc, C., Teubner, J., Bucher, E., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 4350 (2001).Google Scholar
3. Sales, B. C., Chakoumakos, B. C., Mandrus, D., Phys. Rev. B 61, 2475 (2000).Google Scholar
4. Kurosaki, K., Kosuga, A., Muta, H., Uno, M., Yamanaka, S., Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 061919 (2005).Google Scholar
5. Kurosaki, K., Kosuga, A., Muta, H., Yamanaka, S., Mater. Trans. 46, 1502 (2005).Google Scholar
6. Goto, K., Kurosaki, K., Kosuga, A., Muta, H., Yamanaka, S., Proceedings ICT '05, 175 (2005).Google Scholar
7. Kurosaki, K., Uneda, H., Muta, H., Yamanaka, S., J. Alloys Compd. 376, 43 (2004).Google Scholar
8. Kurosaki, K., Goto, K., Kosuga, A., Muta, H., Yamanaka, S., Proceedings of MRS 2005 Fall Meeting, to be published.Google Scholar
9. Kurosaki, K., Kosuga, A., Yamanaka, S., J. Alloys Compd. 351, 279 (2003).Google Scholar
10. Kosuga, A., Kurosaki, K., Muta, H., Yamanaka, S., J. Appl. Phys. submitted.Google Scholar
11. Yamanaka, S., Kosuga, A., Kurosaki, K., J. Alloys Compd. 352, 275 (2003).Google Scholar
12. CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics, edited by Rowe, D. M. (CRC Press, New York, 1995).Google Scholar
13. Caillat, T., Fleurial, J. -P., Borshchevsky, A., J. Phys. Chem. Solids 58, 1119 (1997).Google Scholar
14. Nolas, G. S., Cohn, J. L., Slack, G. A., Schujman, S. B., Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 178 (1998).Google Scholar