Complex Oxide Materials for Potential Thermoelectric Applications

• Published in: MRS bulletin Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 206 - 210
• Main Authors: Koumoto, Kunihito, Terasaki, Ichiro, Funahashi, Ryoji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.03.2006; Materials Research Society; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Contact resistance; Crystal structure; Crystallography; Exact sciences and technology; General equipment and techniques; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Lattices; oxide; Physics; Single crystals; Technical Feature; thermal conductivity; Thermoelectric materials; thermoelectricity; Transducers; thermal conductivity; oxide; thermoelectricity; Oxides; Contact resistance; Electrode material; Thermoelectric properties; Thermoelectric effect; Electron correlations; Monocrystals; Electronic structure; p type semiconductor; Mechanical contacts; Thermal conduction
• ISSN: 0883-7694; 1938-1425
• DOI: 10.1557/mrs2006.46

Layered CoO2 materials are excellent candidates for potential thermoelectric applications. Their single crystals show good p-type thermoelectric properties at temperatures higher than 800K in air.Recently, the mechanism of thermoelectric properties was clarified through a discussion of electronic and crystallographic structure. In order to fabricate thermoelectric modules possessing good power-generation properties, thermoelectric materials and metallic electrodes must be connected with low contact resistance and high mechanical strength.It has been found that good junctions can be formed using Ag paste including p- and n-type oxide powders.The role of spin entropy contributions to thermopower will be presented, in connection with strong electron correlation and triangular lattices.