Gigantic Phonon-Scattering Cross Section To Enhance Thermoelectric Performance in Bulk Crystals.

In thermoelectric energy conversions, thermal conductivity reduction is essential for enhancing thermoelectric performance while maintaining a high power factor. Herein, we propose an approach based on coated-grain structures to effectively reduce the thermal conductivity to a much greater degree when compared to that done by conventional nanodot nanocomposite. By incorporating CdTe coated layers on the surface of SnTe grains, the thermal conductivity is as low as 1.16 W/m-K at 929 K, resulting in a thermoelectric figure of merit, i.e., zT, of 1.90. According to our developed theory, phonons scatter coherently due to the phase lag between phonons passing through and around the coated grain. Such scattering is induced by the acoustic impedance mismatch between the coated layer and the grain, resulting in a gigantic phonon-scattering cross section. The phonon-scattering cross section of the coated grains is several orders of magnitude larger than that of the nanodots with the same impurity concentration. The power factor was also slightly increased by the energy filtering effect at the coated surface and additional minority carrier blocking by the heterointerfaces. This scheme can be utilized for various bulk crystals, meaning a broad range of materials can be considered for thermoelectric applications.

Extension of the T-bridge method for measuring the thermal conductivity of two-dimensional materials.

In this paper, the T-bridge method is extended to measure the thermal properties of two-dimensional nanomaterials. We present an analysis of the measureable positions, width, and thermal resistance of two-dimensional materials. For verification purposes, the thermal conductivity of a SiO2 nanoribbon was measured. To enhance the thermal contact between the nanoribbon and the heater in the setup, the nanoribbon was dipped into either isopropanol or water in order to promote a sticking force. Also, focused ion beam deposition was used to deposit the nanoribbon onto the contact. The thermal conductivities of all three cases were identical, showing that water dipping could be used to enhance the thermal contact. Due to the simple structure of this method and the analysis provided herein, the T-bridge method can be widely used for measuring the thermal conductivity of two-dimensional materials.