Citation: Shuan-Kui LI, Wei-Ming ZHU, Yin-Guo XIAO, Feng PAN. Improving the Performance of Thermoelectric Materials by Atomic Layer Deposition-based Grain Boundary Engineering①[J]. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, ;2020, 39(5): 831-837. doi: 10.14102/j.cnki.0254–5861.2011–2867 shu

Improving the Performance of Thermoelectric Materials by Atomic Layer Deposition-based Grain Boundary Engineering①

School of Advanced Materials, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China

Corresponding author: Yin-Guo XIAO, y.xiao@pku.edu.cn Feng PAN, panfeng@pkusz.edu.cn
Received Date: 30 April 2020
Accepted Date: 8 May 2020

Fund Project: the National Natural Science Foundation of China 21905007Guangdong Key Lab Project 2017B0303010130Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant JCYJ20150629144612861Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant JCYJ20150827155136104

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Thermoelectric materials can directly achieve the conversion between heat and electricity, providing a clean and reliable way to alleviate energy crisis. However, the wide use of thermoelectric materials is subjected to their low energy conversion efficiency. Grain boundary engineering is considered as an effective strategy to improve thermoelectric performance, particularly for the most polycrystalline thermoelectric materials in bulk state. Recently, the precise controlling over the microstructure and composition of grain boundary at atomic scale has been achieved by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology, which has been confirmed in various thermoelectric materials, such as Bi₂Te_2.7Se_0.3, Bi_0.4Sb_1.6Te₃, and ZrNiSn. Importantly, it is demonstrated that the decoupling between three key thermoelectric parameters, i.e. Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, can be realized by ALD-based grain boundary engineering. Moreover, these key parameters can be optimized simultaneously toward the desired direction, which is extremely important for improving the thermoelectric performance. In this review, the relevant progress on the grain boundary engineering by ALD-based strategy is reviewed and some prospects are proposed.
- grain boundary engineering,
- atomic layer deposition,
- thermoelectric materials
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