Yb, Sb Co-doped GeTe: Preparation and Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance

doi:10.15541/jim20260108

Abstract

Abstract: The bottleneck of GeTe-based thermoelectric materials lies in the difficulty in synergistically optimizing electrical and thermal transport parameters, which severely limits their thermoelectric performance and practical applications. Therefore, this study introduces Sb doping to enhance their thermoelectric performance, building upon the previous achievement of band convergence through Yb doping. A series of Ge_0.98-_xSb_xYb_0.02Te (x=0-0.06) alloys were prepared via high-energy ball milling and hot-press sintering. It is found that Sb doping not only reduces carrier mobility and electronic thermal conductivity but also triggers the precipitation of Yb-rich micron-scale secondary phases which establish a multiscale phonon-scattering network along with the point defects and lattice distortion induced by Sb. Consequently, a significant suppression of lattice thermal conductivity is achieved, leading to a reduction in total thermal conductivity from 2.13 to 1.55 W·m^-1·K^-1. Combined with an increased effective mass that maintains a high power factor, Ge_0.93Sb_0.05Yb_0.02Te attains a peak ZT value of 2.19 at 800 K. This study achieved a synergistic effect to enhance both carrier mobility and phonon scattering through Sb doping, optimizing the performance of GeTe-based thermoelectric materials and providing theoretical and experimental support for the practical application of such materials.

Key words: GeTe, thermoelectric material, Sb doping, lattice thermal conductivity, carrier mobility, phonon scattering, figure of merit ZT value.

CLC Number:

TB34

DU Haorui, CHANG Jungang, CAI Fanggong, SUI Youpeng, YUAN Yonglin, TANG Yuan, GAO Pei, LEI Xiaobo, KUANG Quan, ZHANG Qinyong. Yb, Sb Co-doped GeTe: Preparation and Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, DOI: 10.15541/jim20260108.

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