The Thermoelectric Properties of Bismuth Telluride

Abstract Bismuth telluride is the working material for most Peltier cooling devices and thermoelectric generators. This is because Bi 2 Te 3 (or more precisely its alloys with Sb 2 Te 3 for p‐type and Bi 2 Se 3 for n‐type material) has the highest thermoelectric figure of merit, zT , of any material around room temperature. Since thermoelectric technology will be greatly enhanced by improving Bi 2 Te 3 or finding a superior material, this review aims to identify and quantify the key material properties that make Bi 2 Te 3 such a good thermoelectric. The large zT can be traced to the high band degeneracy, low effective mass, high carrier mobility, and relatively low lattice thermal conductivity, which all…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: DMREF‐1729487
• NU
  Northwestern University
• SS
  Solid-State Solar Thermal Energy Conversion, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Award: DE‐SC0001299
• CF
  Center for Hierarchical Materials Design
• EF
  Energy Frontier Research Centers