Thermoelectric Properties of Mo3Sb5.4Te1.6 and Ni0.06Mo3Sb5.4Te1.6.

Authors :: Huqin Zhang
Jian He
Bo Zhang
Zhe Su
Tritt, Terry M.
Soheilnia, Navid
Kleinke, Holger
Source :: Journal of Electronic Materials; Jul2007, Vol. 36 Issue 7, p727-731, 5p, 1 Diagram, 3 Graphs
Publication Year :: 2007
Abstract: Mo<subscript>3</subscript>Sb<subscript>7</subscript>, crystallizing in the Ir<subscript>3</subscript>Ge<subscript>7</subscript> type structure, has poor thermoelectric (TE) properties due to its metallic behavior. However, by a partial Sb-Te exchange, it becomes semiconducting without noticeable structure changes and so achieves a significant enhancement in the thermopower with the composition of Mo<subscript>3</subscript>Sb<subscript>5</subscript>Te<subscript>2</subscript>. Meanwhile, large cubic voids in the Mo<subscript>3</subscript>Sb<subscript>5</subscript>Te<subscript>2</subscript> crystal structure provide the possibility of filling the voids with small cations to decrease the thermal conductivity by the so-called rattling effect. As part of the effort to verify this idea, we report herein the growth as well as measurements of the thermal and electrical transport properties of Mo<subscript>3</subscript>Sb<subscript>5.4</subscript>Te<subscript>1.6</subscript> and Ni<subscript>0.06</subscript>Mo<subscript>3</subscript>Sb<subscript>5.4</subscript>Te<subscript>1.6</subscript>. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]