METHODS FOR HIGH FIGURE-OF-MERIT IN NANOSTRUCTURED THERMOELECTRIC MATERIALS

摘要

Thermoelectric materials with high figures of merit, ZT values, are disclosed In many instances, such materials include nano-sized domains (e g, nanocrystalhne), which are hypothesized to help increase the ZT value of the material (e g, by increasing phonon scattering due to interfaces at grain boundaries or grain/inclusion boundaries) The ZT value of such materials can be greater than about 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.8, 2 and even higher Such materials can be manufactured from a thermoelectric starting material by generating nanoparticles therefrom, or mechanically alloyed nanoparticles from elements which can be subsequently consolidated (e g, via direct current induced hot press) into a new bulk material Non-limiting examples of starting materials include bismuth, lead, and/or silicon-based materials, which can be alloyed, elemental, and/or doped Various compositions and methods relating to aspects of nanostructured theromoelectpc materials (e g, modulation doping) are further disclosed.