Nanoscale inclusions in the phonon glass thermoelectric material Zn4Sb3 |
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| Authors: | Ø. Prytz A.E. Gunnæs O.B. Karlsen T.H. Breivik E.S. Toberer G. Jeffrey Snyder |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Physics , University of Oslo , P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, NO–0316 Oslo, Norway oystein.prytz@fys.uio.no;3. Department of Physics , University of Oslo , P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, NO–0316 Oslo, Norway;4. Department of Materials Science , California Institute of Technology , 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA |
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| Abstract: | We have investigated the thermoelectric material Zn4Sb3 using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanoscale inclusions with a diameter of about 10 nm were observed, constituting on the order of 1% by volume of the material. Studies using energy filtered imaging, electron diffraction, and high-angle annular dark-field STEM indicate that the inclusions consist of Zn. These inclusions are expected to scatter the medium and long-wavelength phonons effectively, thus contributing to phonon glass behavior which results in the exceptionally low thermal conductivity for this thermoelectric material. |
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| Keywords: | thermoelectric material phonon glass nanoparticles TEM |
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