Effect of small scattering centers on the thermoelectric properties of p-type SiGe alloysTheory predicts that the addition of ultra-fine, inert, phonon-scattering centers to thermoelectric materials will reduce their thermal conductivity. To investigate this prediction, ultrafine particulates (20 to 120 A) of silicon nitride have been added to boron-doped, p-type, 80/20 SiGe. All of the SiGe samples produced from ultrafine powder have lower thermal conductivities than standard SiGe, but high-temperature heat treatment increases the thermal conductivity back to the value for standard SiGe. However, the SiGe samples with silicon nitride, inert, phonon-scattering centers retained the lower thermal conductivity after several heat treatments. A reduction of approximately 25 percent in thermal conductivity has been achieved in these samples. The magnitude of the reduction agrees with theoretical predictions.
Document ID
19920068068
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Beaty, John S. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Rolfe, Jonathan L. (Thermo Electron Technologies Corp. Waltham, MA, United States)
Vandersande, Jan W. (JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1991
Subject Category
Solid-State Physics
Meeting Information
Meeting: IECEC ''91: Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference