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Thermoelectric properties of Mn-doped ZnSbs fabricated without sintering process

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Abstract

ZnSb, a promising thermoelectric material, has traditionally been fabricated using a high-temperature sintering process. In the present study, we developed a compaction technology that eliminates the need for sintering, aiming to establish a more efficient fabrication for the ZnSb-based bulks. The thermoelectric properties of Mn-doped ZnSb samples (Zn1-xMnxSb, x = 0, 0.0025, 0.0050, 0.0075, 0.010) fabricated by the compaction technology were evaluated through their electronic and thermal transport properties over a temperature range of 50 to 200 °C. Both pristine ZnSb and Mn-doped ZnSbs exhibited p-type conduction behavior. The electrical conductivity of ZnSb was significantly enhanced by doping of 0.75 at% Mn at Zn-site mainly due to the improved carrier mobility, which leads to large power factor enhancement to 0.089 mW/mK2 for 0.75 at% Mn-doped ZnSb. Consequently, more than 300% enhancement in the dimensionless figure-of-merit (zT) with a peak zT value of 0.08 was achieved in 0.75 at% Mn-doped ZnSb at 473 K.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korean government. (Ministry of Science and ICT(MSIT)) (No. 2022M3H4A1A04076667, No. RS-2023-00236572). The Department of Materials Science and Engineering was supported through the Research-Focused Department Promotion & Interdisciplinary Convergence Research Project as a part of the Support Program for University Development for Dankook University in 2023.

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  1. Zheng Dao Jin and Ji Hee Pi have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea

    Zheng Dao Jin & Hee Jung Park

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea

    Ji Hee Pi & Kyu Hyoung Lee

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, 02504, Republic of Korea

    Okmin Park & Sang-il Kim

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  1. Zheng Dao Jin
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Correspondence to Sang-il Kim or Hee Jung Park.

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Jin, Z.D., Pi, J.H., Park, O. et al. Thermoelectric properties of Mn-doped ZnSbs fabricated without sintering process. J. Korean Ceram. Soc. 61, 492–499 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43207-024-00377-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43207-024-00377-x

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