Thermoelectric silicides: A review
Abstract
Traditional research on thermoelectric materials focused on improving the figure-of-merit z T to enhance the energy conversion efficiency. With further growth and commercialization of thermoelectric technology beyond niche applications, other factors such as materials availability, toxicity, cost, recyclability, thermal stability, chemical and mechanical properties, and ease of fabrication become important for making viable technologies. Several silicide alloys were identified that have the potential to fulfill these requirements. These materials are of interest due to their abundancy in earth’s crust (e.g., silicon), non-toxicity, and good physical and chemical properties. In this paper, an overview of the silicide thermoelectrics from traditional alloys to advanced material structures is presented. In addition, some of the most effective approaches as well as fundamental physical concepts for designing and developing efficient thermoelectric materials are presented and future perspectives are discussed.
- Publication:
-
Japanese Journal of Applied Physics
- Pub Date:
- May 2017
- DOI:
- 10.7567/JJAP.56.05DA04
- Bibcode:
- 2017JaJAP..56eDA04N