Abstract
The electrical and thermal transport properties of Ni-doped PbSe (PbSe:Nix; 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.06) have been studied. Further, the complex crystal chemistry of Pb-substitutional/tetrahedral interstitial site occupancy of Ni has been studied to understand the influence of divalent dopants on the thermoelectric transport properties of PbSe. Ni incorporation in PbSe introduces Ni impurity bands located near the valence band and also induces bandgap narrowing (BGN) by shifting the Fermi level deep into the valance band. This affects the charge carrier transport to decrease the resistivity and to maintain high Seebeck coefficient of ∼230 μV/K. Again, the disorder created by dopant atoms leads to anharmonic lattice vibrations responsible to the lower lattice thermal conductivity in PbSe:Nix as compared to that of the pristine PbSe. The concurrently increased electrical conductivity and decreased thermal conductivity enhance the thermoelectric performance of PbSe:Ni0.04 by increasing its power factor and figure of merit to 142% and 180% of the corresponding values for the pristine PbSe.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.