Enhancement in thermoelectric properties of Te-embedded Bi2Te3 by preferential phonon scattering in heterostructure interface

Hyejin Choi; Kwangsik Jeong; Jimin Chae; Hanbum Park; Juheyuck Baeck; Tae Hyeon Kim; Jae Yong Song; Jaehun Park; Kwang Ho Jeong; Mann Ho Cho

doi:10.1016/j.nanoen.2018.03.009

Enhancement in thermoelectric properties of Te-embedded Bi₂Te₃ by preferential phonon scattering in heterostructure interface

Hyejin Choi, Kwangsik Jeong, Jimin Chae, Hanbum Park, Juheyuck Baeck, Tae Hyeon Kim, Jae Yong Song, Jaehun Park, Kwang Ho Jeong, Mann Ho Cho

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

78 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of the nano-structural effects that cause reduction in thermal conductivity represents important challenges for the development of thermoelectric materials with an improved figure of merit ZT. Bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃)-based thermoelectric materials exhibit very low levels of thermal conductivity. In this study, a Te crystal-embedded Bi₂Te₃ (Te–Bi₂Te₃) thin film was formed by establishing a specific annealing temperature for a Te-rich Bi/Te multilayered structure. Modulations in structure and composition were observed at the boundaries between the two phases of Te and Bi₂Te₃. Furthermore, the samples contained regularly shaped nanometer-scale Bi₂Te₃ single grains. Therefore, we obtained a dramatic ZT value of 2.27 (+ 0.04, − 0.08) at 375 K from the Te–Bi₂Te₃ thin film. Finally, we confirmed that interface phonon scattering between the Te–Bi₂Te₃ boundaries plays an important role in inter-grain phonon transport, which results in a reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	374-384
Number of pages	11
Journal	Nano Energy
Volume	47
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2018.03.009
Publication status	Published - 2018 May

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. 2015R1A2A1A01007560 )

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Materials Science(all)
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nanoen.2018.03.009

Cite this

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title = "Enhancement in thermoelectric properties of Te-embedded Bi2Te3 by preferential phonon scattering in heterostructure interface",

abstract = "A comprehensive understanding of the nano-structural effects that cause reduction in thermal conductivity represents important challenges for the development of thermoelectric materials with an improved figure of merit ZT. Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based thermoelectric materials exhibit very low levels of thermal conductivity. In this study, a Te crystal-embedded Bi2Te3 (Te–Bi2Te3) thin film was formed by establishing a specific annealing temperature for a Te-rich Bi/Te multilayered structure. Modulations in structure and composition were observed at the boundaries between the two phases of Te and Bi2Te3. Furthermore, the samples contained regularly shaped nanometer-scale Bi2Te3 single grains. Therefore, we obtained a dramatic ZT value of 2.27 (+ 0.04, − 0.08) at 375 K from the Te–Bi2Te3 thin film. Finally, we confirmed that interface phonon scattering between the Te–Bi2Te3 boundaries plays an important role in inter-grain phonon transport, which results in a reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity.",

author = "Hyejin Choi and Kwangsik Jeong and Jimin Chae and Hanbum Park and Juheyuck Baeck and Kim, {Tae Hyeon} and Song, {Jae Yong} and Jaehun Park and Jeong, {Kwang Ho} and Cho, {Mann Ho}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. 2015R1A2A1A01007560 ) Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2018",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.nanoen.2018.03.009",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

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T1 - Enhancement in thermoelectric properties of Te-embedded Bi2Te3 by preferential phonon scattering in heterostructure interface

AU - Choi, Hyejin

AU - Jeong, Kwangsik

AU - Chae, Jimin

AU - Park, Hanbum

AU - Baeck, Juheyuck

AU - Kim, Tae Hyeon

AU - Song, Jae Yong

AU - Park, Jaehun

AU - Jeong, Kwang Ho

AU - Cho, Mann Ho

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. 2015R1A2A1A01007560 ) Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2018/5

Y1 - 2018/5

N2 - A comprehensive understanding of the nano-structural effects that cause reduction in thermal conductivity represents important challenges for the development of thermoelectric materials with an improved figure of merit ZT. Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based thermoelectric materials exhibit very low levels of thermal conductivity. In this study, a Te crystal-embedded Bi2Te3 (Te–Bi2Te3) thin film was formed by establishing a specific annealing temperature for a Te-rich Bi/Te multilayered structure. Modulations in structure and composition were observed at the boundaries between the two phases of Te and Bi2Te3. Furthermore, the samples contained regularly shaped nanometer-scale Bi2Te3 single grains. Therefore, we obtained a dramatic ZT value of 2.27 (+ 0.04, − 0.08) at 375 K from the Te–Bi2Te3 thin film. Finally, we confirmed that interface phonon scattering between the Te–Bi2Te3 boundaries plays an important role in inter-grain phonon transport, which results in a reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity.

AB - A comprehensive understanding of the nano-structural effects that cause reduction in thermal conductivity represents important challenges for the development of thermoelectric materials with an improved figure of merit ZT. Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based thermoelectric materials exhibit very low levels of thermal conductivity. In this study, a Te crystal-embedded Bi2Te3 (Te–Bi2Te3) thin film was formed by establishing a specific annealing temperature for a Te-rich Bi/Te multilayered structure. Modulations in structure and composition were observed at the boundaries between the two phases of Te and Bi2Te3. Furthermore, the samples contained regularly shaped nanometer-scale Bi2Te3 single grains. Therefore, we obtained a dramatic ZT value of 2.27 (+ 0.04, − 0.08) at 375 K from the Te–Bi2Te3 thin film. Finally, we confirmed that interface phonon scattering between the Te–Bi2Te3 boundaries plays an important role in inter-grain phonon transport, which results in a reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity.

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