title: ZnTe Alloying Effect on Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of p-Type PbTe.
abstract: We investigate the effect of ZnTe incorporation on PbTe to enhance thermoelectric performance. We report structural, microscopic, and spectroscopic characterizations, ab initio theoretical calculations, and thermoelectric transport properties of Pb0.985Na0.015Te-x% ZnTe (x = 0, 1, 2, 4). We find that the solid solubility limit of ZnTe in PbTe is less than 1 mol %. The introduction of 2% ZnTe in p-type Pb0.985Na0.015Te reduces the lattice thermal conductivity through the ZnTe precipitates at the microscale. Consequently, a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 1.73 at 700 K is achieved for the spark plasma-sintered Pb0.985Na0.015Te-2% ZnTe, which arises from a decreased lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.69 W m-1K-1at ∼700 K in comparison with Pb0.985Na0.015Te.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyunghan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.|School of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hocheol
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Thin Film Materials Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology , Daejeon 34114, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jino
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Advanced Materials and Devices Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research , Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoparticle Research, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.|School of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Institute of Chemical Processes, Seoul National University , Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6274-3369
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chung
keywords: PbTe; ZnTe; alloying; hole doping; renewable energy; thermoelectric