Herein we cover the key concepts in the field of thermoelectric materials research, present the current understanding, and show the latest developments. Current research is aimed at increasing the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) by maximizing the power factor and/or minimizing the thermal conductivity. Attempts at maximizing the power factor include the development of new materials, optimization of existing materials by doping, and the exploration of nanoscale materials. The minimization of the thermal conductivity can come through solid-solution alloying, use of materials with intrinsically low thermal conductivity, and nanostructuring. Herein we describe the most promising bulk materials with emphasis on results from the last decade. Single-phase bulk materials are discussed in terms of chemistry, crystal structure, physical properties, and optimization of thermoelectric performance. The new opportunities for enhanced performance bulk nanostructured composite materials are examined and a look into the not so distant future is attempted.

New and Old Concepts in Thermoelectric Materials

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is emerging as a viable candidate for certain classes of power electronics, solar blind UV photodetectors, solar cells, and sensors with capabilities beyond existing technologies due to its large bandgap. It is usually reported that there are five different polymorphs of Ga2O3, namely, the monoclinic (β-Ga2O3), rhombohedral (α), defective spinel (γ), cubic (δ), or orthorhombic (e) structures. Of these, the β-polymorph is the stable form under normal conditions and has been the most widely studied and utilized. Since melt growth techniques can be used to grow bulk crystals of β-GaO3, the cost of producing larger area, uniform substrates is potentially lower compared to the vapor growth techniques used to manufacture bulk crystals of GaN and SiC. The performance of technologically important high voltage rectifiers and enhancement-mode Metal-Oxide Field Effect Transistors benefit from the larger critical electric field of β-Ga2O3 relative to either SiC or GaN. However, the absence of clear demonstrations of p-type doping in Ga2O3, which may be a fundamental issue resulting from the band structure, makes it very difficult to simultaneously achieve low turn-on voltages and ultra-high breakdown. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in the growth, processing, and device performance of the most widely studied polymorph, β-Ga2O3. The role of defects and impurities on the transport and optical properties of bulk, epitaxial, and nanostructures material, the difficulty in p-type doping, and the development of processing techniques like etching, contact formation, dielectrics for gate formation, and passivation are discussed. Areas where continued development is needed to fully exploit the properties of Ga2O3 are identified.

A review of Ga2O3 materials, processing, and devices

There has been a renaissance of interest in exploring highly efficient thermoelectric materials as a possible route to address the worldwide energy generation, utilization, and management. This review describes the recent advances in designing high-performance bulk thermoelectric materials. We begin with the fundamental stratagem of achieving the greatest thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of a given material by carrier concentration engineering, including Fermi level regulation and optimum carrier density stabilization. We proceed to discuss ways of maximizing ZT at a constant doping level, such as increase of band degeneracy (crystal structure symmetry, band convergence), enhancement of band effective mass (resonant levels, band flattening), improvement of carrier mobility (modulation doping, texturing), and decrease of lattice thermal conductivity (synergistic alloying, second-phase nanostructuring, mesostructuring, and all-length-scale hierarchical architectures). We then highlight the decoupling of th...

Rationally Designing High-Performance Bulk Thermoelectric Materials

The field of thermoelectrics has progressed enormously and is now growing steadily because of recently demonstrated advances and strong global demand for cost-effective, pollution-free forms of energy conversion. Rapid growth and exciting innovative breakthroughs in the field over the last 10-15 years have occurred in large part due to a new fundamental focus on nanostructured materials. As a result of the greatly increased research activity in this field, a substantial amount of new data--especially related to materials--have been generated. Although this has led to stronger insight and understanding of thermoelectric principles, it has also resulted in misconceptions and misunderstanding about some fundamental issues. This article sets out to summarize and clarify the current understanding in this field; explain the underpinnings of breakthroughs reported in the past decade; and provide a critical review of various concepts and experimental results related to nanostructured thermoelectrics. We believe recent achievements in the field augur great possibilities for thermoelectric power generation and cooling, and discuss future paths forward that build on these exciting nanostructuring concepts.

Nanostructured Thermoelectrics: Big Efficiency Gains from Small Features

This review discusses recent developments and current research in bulk thermoelectric materials in which nanostructuring is a key aspect affecting thermoelectric performance. Systems based on PbTe, AgPbmSbTe2+m, NaPbmSbTe2+m, Bi2Te3, and Si are given particular emphasis. To date the dramatic enhancements in figure of merit in bulk nanostructured materials come from very large reductions in lattice thermal conductivity rather than improvement in power factors. A discussion of future possible strategies is aimed at enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit of these materials.

Nanostructured Thermoelectrics: The New Paradigm?†

The Czochralski method was used to grow a 46-mm-long crystal of the Ba8Ga16Ge30 clathrate, which was cut into disks that were evaluated for thermoelectric performance. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical and thermal conductivities all showed evidence of a transition from extrinsic to intrinsic behavior in the range of 600–900K. The corresponding figure of merit (ZT) was found to be a record high of 1.35 at 900K and with an extrapolated maximum of 1.63 at 1100K. This makes the Ba8Ga16Ge30 clathrate an exceptionally strong candidate for medium and high-temperature thermoelectric applications.

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Large thermoelectric figure of merit at high temperature in Czochralski-grown clathrate Ba8Ga16Ge30

β-Ga2O3 contains two crystallographically different Ga atoms in the asymmetric unit, one with tetrahedral and the other with octahedral coordination geometry. The Ga-O distances are in the range 1.833 (1)–1.863 (2) A within the tetrahedra, but are longer within the octahedra [1.935 (2)–2.074 (1) A]. The O atoms have a distorted cubic close packing. The crystal structure of β-gallium oxide has been determined previously by Geller [J. Chem. Phys. (1960). 33, 676–684].

A reinvestigation of β-gallium oxide

Excitonic and recombination processes in CaWO4 and CdWO4 scintillators under synchrotron irradiation

A room-temperature structural model of titanium pyrophos­phate, TiP2O7, has been determined from synchrotron X-ray data. The structure consists of TiO6 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra sharing corners in a three-dimensional network. The PO4 tetrahedra form P2O7 groups connecting the TiO6 octahedra. The 3 × 3 × 3 superstructure differs substantially from the parent AB2O7 structure. The P—O—P bonding angles of the pyrophosphate group are between 141.21 (12) and 144.51 (13)° for those groups not located on the threefold axis. The individual TiO6 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra are somewhat distorted.

A TiP2O7 superstructure

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Göran Svensson

Papers

Large thermoelectric figure of merit at high temperature in Czochralski-grown clathrate Ba8Ga16Ge30

A reinvestigation of β-gallium oxide

Excitonic and recombination processes in CaWO4 and CdWO4 scintillators under synchrotron irradiation

A TiP2O7 superstructure

On the Crystal Structure of Dithiophosphorus Compounds. The Crystal Structure of Pb[S2P(C2H5)2]2 at 293 K and Cd2[S2P(C2H5)2]4 at 173 K