Thermoelectric materials comprising nanoscale inclusions to enhance seebeck coefficient
US7365265B2 · kind B2 · utility
11Cited by
2References
18Claims
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Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 14, 2005 |
| Grant date | Apr 29, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 14, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/948
Abstract
A thermoelectric material having enhanced Seebeck coefficient is characterized by a microstructure comprising nanoscale Pb inclusions dispersed in matrix substantially composed of PbTe. The excess Pb is obtained either by adding Pb in an amount greater than the stoichiometric amount needed to form PbTe, or by adding an additive effective to getter Te so as to produce the desired excess. The method is generally applicable to enhance thermoelectric properties of compounds of Pb, Sn or Ge, and Te, Se, or S.
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