| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermoelectric material suppressed in reduction of electric conductivity &sgr;, while phonon scattering particles are dispersed.SOLUTION: Phonon scattering particles 20 coated with a coat 21 are dispersed in a base material 10. A material forming the coat 21 has a dielectric constant lower than that of the base material 10. The coat 21 preferably has a ratio (band gap of the coating/band gap of the base material) of 2 or less, and a melting point difference with the base material 10 of 400°C or below. Further, the coat 21 is preferably made of a semiconductor similar to that of the base material 10. The film thickness of the coat 21 is 1-3 times an electron wavelength travelling in a thermoelectric material. Thereby, the travelling direction of an electron wave can be refracted so as to avoid the phonon scattering particles at the interface of the coat. |
