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Transport Properties of Thermoelectric Nanocomposites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Lilia M Woods ,
Adian Popescu ,
Joshua Martin  and
George S. Nolas
Lilia M Woods
Affiliation:
lwoods@cas.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Physics Department, Tampa, Florida, United States
Adian Popescu
Affiliation:
apopesc2@mail.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Physics Department, Tampa, Florida, United States
Joshua Martin
Affiliation:
jmartin@mail.usf.edu, University of South Florida, Physics Department, Tampa, Florida, United States
George S. Nolas
Affiliation:
gnolas@usf.edu, United States
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Abstract

We present a theoretical model for carrier conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of thermoelectric materials composed of nanogranular regions. The model is used to successfully describe experimental data for chalcogenide PbTe nanocomposites. We also present similar calculations for skutterudite CoSb3 nanocomposites. The carrier scattering mechanism is considered explicitly and it is determined that it is a key factor in the thermoelectric transport process. The grain interfaces are described as potential barriers. We investigate theoretically the role of the barrier heights, widths, and distances between the barriers to obtain an optimum regime for the composites thermoelectric characetristics.

Keywords

grain boundariesthermoelectricitydiffusion
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1166: Symposium N – Materials and Devices for Thermal-to-Electric Energy Conversion , 2009 , 1166-N05-08
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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