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Journal ArticleDOI

Improved Thermoelectric Power Factor in Metal-Based Superlattices

Daryoosh Vashaee, +1 more
- 11 Mar 2004 - 
- Vol. 92, Iss: 10, pp 106103-106103
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TLDR
It is shown that metal-based superlattices with tall barriers can achieve a large effective thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT > 5 at room temperature), a key parameter to achieving high performance is the nonconservation of lateral momentum during the thermionic emission process.
Abstract
In this paper we present a detailed theory of electron and thermoelectric transport perpendicular to heterostructure superlattices. This nonlinear transport regime above barriers is also called heterostructure thermionic emission. We show that metal-based superlattices with tall barriers can achieve a large effective thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT > 5 at room temperature). A key parameter to achieving high performance is the nonconservation of lateral momentum during the thermionic emission process. Conservation of lateral momentum is a consequence of translational symmetry in the plane of the superlattice. We also discuss the use of nonplanar barriers and embedded quantum dot structures to achieve high thermoelectric conversion efficiency.

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Citations
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Constructing n-Type Ag2Se/CNTs Composites Toward Synergistically Enhanced Thermoelectric and Mechanical Performance

TL;DR: In this paper, a series of Ag2Se/Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposites are controllably constructed through in situ solution synthesis combined with fast sintering.
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Peltier effect in metallic junctions with CPP structure

TL;DR: In this article, the Peltier coefficient of the CPP structure was estimated by using the current where the Joule heating and the peltier cooling compensates, and the expected cooling power of CPP-Co/Cr elements was about 100 /spl mu/W, which results in relatively large areal cooling power.
Book ChapterDOI

From Thermal Rectifiers to Thermoelectric Devices

TL;DR: In this article, thermal rectification and thermoelectric energy conversion from the perspective of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and dynamical systems theory are discussed, and the authors illustrate ways to control the phononic heat flow and design thermal diodes.
Journal ArticleDOI

Reduction of thermal conductivity of bulk nanostructured bismuth telluride composites embedded with silicon nano-inclusions

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors demonstrate that the addition of silicon nano-inclusions to the nanostructured compound combined with a systematic thermal treatment beneficially reduces the thermal conductivity to less than 1.0 W/mK over the entire temperature range of 300 K to 525 K.
Journal ArticleDOI

New insights into the growth mechanism of hierarchical architectures of PbTe synthesized through a triethanolamine-assisted solvothermal method and their shape-dependent electrical transport properties

TL;DR: In this paper, a triethanolamine (TEA)-assisted solvothermal method was devised to synthesize PbTe hierarchical nanostructures on a large scale with various shapes, including octapodal dendrites with a spiral step hollow cubic center, hopper structures, and nanowires with branched nanorods, by tuning the amount of KOH and the volume ratio of the solvent.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Thin-film thermoelectric devices with high room-temperature figures of merit

TL;DR: Th thin-film thermoelectric materials are reported that demonstrate a significant enhancement in ZT at 300 K, compared to state-of-the-art bulk Bi2Te3 alloys, and the combination of performance, power density and speed achieved in these materials will lead to diverse technological applications.
Journal ArticleDOI

Quantum dot superlattice thermoelectric materials and devices.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that improved cooling values relative to the conventional bulk (Bi,Sb)2(Se,Te)3thermoelectric materials using a n-type film in a one-leg thermoelectrics device test setup, which cooled the cold junction 43.7 K below the room temperature hot junction temperature of 299.8 K.
Journal ArticleDOI

Heterostructure integrated thermionic coolers

TL;DR: In this paper, a single-stage room temperature cooling of high power electronic and optoelectronic devices is achieved by selective emission of hot electrons over a barrier layer from the cathode to the anode.
Journal ArticleDOI

Multilayer Thermionic Refrigeration

TL;DR: In this paper, a new method of refrigeration is proposed by thermionic emission of electrons over Schottky barriers between metals and semiconductors, which can have only a small temperature difference.
Journal ArticleDOI

Electronic and thermoelectric transport in semiconductor and metallic superlattices

TL;DR: In this article, a detailed theory of nonisothermal electron transport perpendicular to multilayer superlattice structures is presented, and the currentvoltage and cooling power density are calculated using Fermi-Dirac statistics, density-of-states for a finite quantum well and the quantum mechanical reflection coefficient.
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