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Microstructure and thermoelectric properties of un-doped Mg2Si1−xSnx single crystals prepared by high temperature gradient directional solidification

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Abstract

Un-doped single crystals of Mg2Si1−xSnx (x = 0.55, 0.65 and 0.75) were successfully prepared by high temperature gradient directional solidification (HGDS). In the Mg2Si0.45Sn0.55 crystal, Mg2Si precipitates were observed in the solidified microstructure, and no precipitates in the single crystals of Mg2Si0.35Sn0.65 and Mg2Si0.25Sn0.75. By measuring the electronic transport properties of these three single crystals, the Mg2Si0.35Sn0.65 has a largest PF value, about 2.5 times more than that of the nanocrystalline prepared by solid-state reaction methods. The corresponding ZT values of Mg2Si0.35Sn0.65 single crystal are greatly improved. It indicates that, the Mg2Si1−xSnx crystals prepared by HGDS can not only have a uniform microstructure, but also optimize the TE performance of the crystal. In addition, the first-principles calculation has been conducted to examine the intrinsic properties of Mg2Si1−xSnx single crystals, and the calculated data agree well with the experimental results.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Research Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Number 51774239]; the Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing in NWPU [Grant Number SKLSP201644]; the Fund of the state Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing in NWPU [Grant Number 133-QP-2015].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710072, People’s Republic of China

    Xin Li, Shuangming Li, Bin Yang & Hong Zhong

  2. College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, People’s Republic of China

    Songke Feng

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  1. Xin Li
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  2. Shuangming Li
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  3. Bin Yang
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  4. Songke Feng
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  5. Hong Zhong
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Correspondence to Shuangming Li.

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Li, X., Li, S., Yang, B. et al. Microstructure and thermoelectric properties of un-doped Mg2Si1−xSnx single crystals prepared by high temperature gradient directional solidification. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 29, 6245–6253 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-8601-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-8601-7

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