PbTe-based quantum-dot thermoelectric materials with high ZT

Author

Harman, T.C. ; Taylor, P.J. ; Spears, D.L. ; Walsh, M.P.

Author_Institution

Lincoln Lab., MIT, Lexington, MA, USA

fYear

1999

fDate

Aug. 29 1999-Sept. 2 1999

Firstpage

280

Lastpage

284

Abstract

Following the experimentally observed Seebeck coefficient enhancement in PbTe quantum wells in Pb/sub 1-x/Eu/sub x/Te/PbTe multiple-quantum-well structures which indicated the potential usefulness of low dimensionality, we have investigated the thermoelectric properties of PbSe/sub x/Te/sub 1-x//PbTe quantum-dot superlattices for possible improved thermoelectric materials. We have again found enhancements in Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) relative to bulk values, which occur through the various physics and materials science phenomena associated with the quantum-dot structures. To date, we have obtained ZT values approximately double the best bulk PbTe values, with ZT as high as about 0.9 at 300 K and conservatively estimated values as high as 2.0 at higher temperatures.

Keywords

IV-VI semiconductors; Seebeck effect; lead compounds; semiconductor quantum dots; semiconductor superlattices; thermoelectric power; (PbEu)Te-PbTe; Pb(SeTe)-PbTe; PbTe; PbTe-based quantum-dot thermoelectric materials; Seebeck coefficient enhancement; high ZT; low dimensionality; quantum-dot superlattices; Conducting materials; Electrons; Laboratories; Molecular beam epitaxial growth; Quantum dots; Quantum wells; Reactive power; Superlattices; Thermal conductivity; Thermoelectricity;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Thermoelectrics, 1999. Eighteenth International Conference on

Conference_Location

Baltimore, MD, USA

ISSN

1094-2734

Print_ISBN

0-7803-5451-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ICT.1999.843386

Filename

843386