Sn—Sb—Ni ternary compound and method for forming the same

摘要

The invention discloses a novel method to prepare the Ni(Sn, Sb)3 skutterudite compound. Skutterudite compounds are thermoelectric materials, which can transform heat into electric energy. Besides, the Ni(Sn, Sb)3 compound is also an anode material of Li ion battery. The solid state diffusion method is used to prepare the Ni(Sn1-x, Sbx)3 compound. Compared to traditional physical or chemical processes, the method disclosed in the invention is simpler and operates at a lower temperature. By the method according to the invention, the composition of the Ni(Sn, Sb)3 compound can be adjusted to fulfill variety requirements for different applications. It is noteworthy that the invention can prepare ternary compounds. In comparison with the frequently used binary compounds such as Ni3Sn4 or Cu6Sn5, the invention can produce materials with better performance.

主权项

1. A method for forming a Sn—Sb—Ni ternary compound, comprising:
providing a solder alloy having a Sn-xSb-yNi composition wherein x is an atomic percentage of Sb, which ranges from 43.5 to 64.5, y is an atomic percentage of Ni, which is 0.5, and the balance is Sn; performing a joining process to join the solder alloy on a pure nickel layer and to form a couple, which is Sn-xSb-yNi/Ni; and performing a solid state diffusion process on the couple to form the Sn—Sb—Ni ternary compound.