Nanostructured Bulk Silicon as an Effective Thermoelectric Material

    Authors

    S. K. Bux; R. G. Blair; P. K. Gogna; H. Lee; G. Chen; M. S. Dresselhaus; R. B. Kaner;J. P. Fleurial

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Adv. Funct. Mater.

    Keywords

    FIGURE-OF-MERIT; THERMAL-CONDUCTIVITY; TRANSPORT-PROPERTIES; CARRIER; MOBILITY; GERMANIUM ALLOYS; HIGH-TEMPERATURE; DEGREES K; PHOSPHORUS; SCATTERING; EFFICIENCY; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Chemistry, Physical; Nanoscience &; Nanotechnology; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary; Physics, Applied; Physics, Condensed Matter

    Abstract

    Thermoelectric power sources have consistently demonstrated their extraordinary reliability and longevity for deep space missions and small unattended terrestrial systems. However, more efficient bulk materials and practical devices are required to improve existing technology and expand into large-scale waste heat recovery applications. Research has long focused on complex compounds that best combine the electrical properties of degenerate semiconductors with the low thermal conductivity of glassy materials. Recently it has been found that nanostructucturing is an effective method to decouple electrical and thermal transport parameters. Dramatic reductions in the lattice thermal conductivity are achieved by nanostructuring bilk silicon with limited degeneration in its electron mobility, leading to an unprecedented increase by a factor of 3.5 in its performance over that of the parent single-crystal material. This makes nanostructured bulk (nano-bulk) Si an effective high temperature thermoelectric material that performs at about 70% the level of state-or-the-art Si(0.8)Ge(0.2) but without the need for expensive and rare Ge.

    Journal Title

    Advanced Functional Materials

    Volume

    19

    Issue/Number

    15

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    2445

    Last Page

    2452

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000269021500012

    ISSN

    1616-301X

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