Material Design Considerations Based on Thermoelectric Quality Factor

  • Heng Wang
  • Yanzhong Pei
  • Aaron D. LaLonde
  • G. Jeffery Snyder
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Springer Series in Materials Science book series (SSMATERIALS, volume 182)

Abstract

In this chapter several aspects of the electronic and phonon structure are considered for the design and engineering of advanced thermoelectric materials. For a given compound, its thermoelectric figure of merit, zT, is fully exploited only when the free carrier density is optimized. Achieving higher zT beyond this requires the improvement in the material quality factor B. Using experimental data on lead chalcogenides as well as examples of other good thermoelectric materials, we demonstrate how the fundamental material parameters: effective mass, band anisotropy, deformation potential, and band degeneracy, among others, impact the thermoelectric properties and lead to desirable thermoelectric materials. As the quality factor B is introduced under the assumption of acoustic phonon (deformation potential) scattering, a brief discussion about carrier scattering mechanisms is also included. This simple model with the use of an effective deformation potential coefficient fits the experimental properties of real materials with complex structures and multi-valley Fermi surfaces remarkably well—which is fortunate as these are features likely found in advanced thermoelectric materials.

Keywords

Optical Phonon Thermoelectric Material Acoustic Phonon Deformation Potential Lead Chalcogenide 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Heng Wang
    • 1
  • Yanzhong Pei
    • 1
  • Aaron D. LaLonde
    • 1
  • G. Jeffery Snyder
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Materials ScienceCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUS

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