Abstract
The recent energy demands affected by the dilution of conventional energy resources and the growing awareness of environmental considerations had motivated many researchers to seek for novel renewable energy conversion methods. Thermoelectric direct conversion of thermal into electrical energies is such a method, in which common compositions include IV-VI semiconducting compounds (e.g., PbTe and SnTe) and their alloys. For approaching practical thermoelectric devices, the current research is focused on electronic optimization of off-stoichiometric p-type PbxSn1−xTe alloys by tuning of Bi2Te3 doping and/or SnTe alloying levels, while avoiding the less mechanically favorable Na dopant. It was shown that upon such doping/alloying, higher ZTs, compared to those of previously reported undoped Pb0.5Sn0.5Te alloy, were obtained at temperatures lower than 210–340 °C, depending of the exact doping/alloying level. It was demonstrated that upon optimal grading of the carrier concentration, a maximal thermoelectric efficiency enhancement of ∼38%, compared to that of an undoped material, is expected.
Highlights
PbTe and SnTe are narrow band gap semiconductors, with energy gap, Eg, values of 0.217 and 0.360 eV, respectively, at 77 K
The recent energy demands affected by the dilution of conventional energy resources and the growing awareness of environmental considerations had motivated many researchers to seek for novel renewable energy conversion methods
Since no single thermoelectric composition enables maximization of ZT over the wide temperature ranges required in practical applications, due to the strong temperature dependence of the transport properties, generating functionally graded materials (FGMs) based on stacking of several segments, each with an optimal carrier concentration at its local temperature range, is a reasonable option for enhancement of the average ZT over the entire operating temperature range
Summary
Thermoelectric direct conversion of thermal into electrical energies is such a method, in which common compositions include IV-VI semiconducting compounds (e.g., PbTe and SnTe) and their alloys. For approaching practical thermoelectric devices, the current research is focused on electronic optimization of off-stoichiometric p-type PbxSn1ÀxTe alloys by tuning of Bi2Te3 doping and/or SnTe alloying levels, while avoiding the less mechanically favorable Na dopant. It was demonstrated that upon optimal grading of the carrier concentration, a maximal thermoelectric efficiency enhancement of $38%, compared to that of an undoped material, is expected.
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