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Low lattice thermal conductivity by alloying SnTe with AgSbTe2 and CaTe/MnTe
- Source :
- Applied Physics Letters. 115:073903
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- AIP Publishing, 2019.
-
Abstract
- SnTe-AgSbTe2 alloys have shown promising thermoelectric performance due to phonon-vacancy scattering, while SnTe alloyed with high-solubility monotellurides such as CaTe/MnTe has also shown enhanced thermoelectric performance owing to band convergence. However, to what level the combined effect on thermoelectrics by alloying SnTe with AgSbTe2 and CaTe/MnTe exists, especially for the quantitative relationship between the vacancy concentration and lattice thermal conductivity, still remains a mystery. Here, a spontaneous strategy has shown that combining AgSbTe2 with CaTe/MnTe in SnTe alloys can lead to an inherent valence band convergence and improved electronic performance. In particular, a low lattice thermal conductivity (∼0.4 W/m K), which approaches the amorphous limit of SnTe, is achieved in (Sn0.95Ca0.05Te)0.75(AgSbTe2)0.125 with 3% excess of Sn. The Debye-Callaway model provides a good clarification of underlying physics for the reduced lattice thermal conductivity as well as quantifies the contribution of vacancy scattering. The present finding demonstrates the excellent potential for advancing the thermoelectric performance by SnTe-based alloys.
- Subjects :
- 010302 applied physics
Materials science
Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)
Condensed matter physics
Scattering
02 engineering and technology
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Thermoelectric materials
01 natural sciences
Amorphous solid
Lattice thermal conductivity
Vacancy defect
0103 physical sciences
Thermoelectric effect
Valence band
0210 nano-technology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10773118 and 00036951
- Volume :
- 115
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Applied Physics Letters
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........db3a14e2f8fed2302d4420c6ccc4e128