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Nanostructured Silicon-based Composites for High Temperature Thermoelectric Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Sabah Bux ,
Richard B Kaner  and
Jean-Pierre Fleurial
Sabah Bux
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of California at Los Angeles, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Los Angeles, California, United States
Richard B Kaner
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of California at Los Angeles, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Los Angeles, California, United States
Jean-Pierre Fleurial
Affiliation:
[email protected], Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Power and Sensor Systems, Pasadena, California, United States
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Abstract

Recently nanostructured bulk silicon and silicon-germanium have achieved large increases in the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). The ZT enhancement is attributed to a significant reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity while maintaining relatively high carrier mobility. Silicon-based thermoelectric devices are attractive due to their low-toxicity, thermal stability, low density, relative abundance and low cost of production. Although significant enhancements in ZT have been achieved using the nanostructuring route, additional decoupling of the thermal and electric transport terms is still necessary in order for silicon-based materials to be viable for thermoelectric applications such as waste heat recovery or radioisotope thermoelectric generators. It is theorized that additional increases in ZT could be achieved by forming composites with nanostructured inert inclusions to further scatter the heat-carrying phonons. Here we present the impact of insulating and conductive nanoparticle composites on ZT. The nanostructured composites are formed via ball milling and high pressure sintering of the nanoparticles. The thermoelectric properties and microstructure of the silicon-based composites are discussed.

Keywords

thermoelectriccompositenanoscale
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1267: Symposium DD – Thermoelectric Materials 2010-Growth, Properties, Novel Characterization Methods and Applications , 2010 , 1267-DD01-06
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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