Rationally Designing High-Performance Bulk Thermoelectric Materials
Northwestern University · Beihang University
Abstract
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…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 88.44
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 254
Authors
3Topics & keywords
- Thermoelectric effect
- Thermoelectric materials
- Figure of merit
- Effective mass (spring–mass system)
- Condensed matter physics
- Doping
- Electron mobility
- Electronic band structure
- Affordable and clean energy