The single-crystal multinary compound Cu2ZnSnS4 as an environmentally friendly high-performance thermoelectric material
Abstract
We investigated the thermoelectric properties of high-quality p-type Cu2ZnSnS4 single crystals. This material showed two advantages: low thermal conductivity because of lattice scattering caused by the easily formed Cu/Zn disordered structure, and high conductivity because of high doping from changes to the composition. All samples showed a thermal conductivity of 3.0 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K, and the Cu-poor sample showed a conductivity of 7.5 S/cm at 300 K because of the high density of shallow-acceptor Cu vacancies. The figure of merit of the Cu-poor Cu2ZnSnS4 reached 0.2 at 400 K, which is 1.4-45 times higher than those of related compounds.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics Express
- Pub Date:
- May 2018
- DOI:
- 10.7567/APEX.11.051203
- Bibcode:
- 2018APExp..11e1203N