• Journal of Inorganic Materials
  • Vol. 39, Issue 8, 903 (2024)
Xin MIAO1, Shiqiang YAN1, Jindou WEI1, Chao WU1..., Wenhao FAN2 and Shaoping CHEN1,*|Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • 11. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
  • 22. College of Physics, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
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    DOI: 10.15541/jim20240057 Cite this Article
    Xin MIAO, Shiqiang YAN, Jindou WEI, Chao WU, Wenhao FAN, Shaoping CHEN. Interface Layer of Te-based Thermoelectric Device: Abnormal Growth and Interface Stability[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2024, 39(8): 903 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Though Te has excellent figure of merit (ZT), the severe element diffusion and reaction at the Te/metallic-electrodes interface render high contact resistivity (ρc) and low device conversion efficiency (η). Therefore, it is critical to develop suitable barrier layers for optimizing the bonding between Te and metallic electrodes. In this work, an appropriate barrier layer, NiTe2-m (NixTe (x=0.500~0.908)), was screened based on gradient structure. No reaction layers and defects at the interface of Ni0.5Te/Te0.985Sb0.015/Ni0.5Te were detected before and after aging at 473 K. Low ρc (less than 10 μΩ·cm2) and high η (about 75% of the theoretical value under a temperature difference of 180 K (hot end: 473 K)) were achieved and maintained stable during aging, showing excellent thermal stability of the interface. When x>0.500, the thickness of the interface reaction layer decreased with x increasing, showing the retarding effect dominating the growth behavior of interface reaction layer not from the usual thermodynamic factors, such as interface reaction energy and composition gradient, but from the “atom vacancy” on formation of the reaction layer.
    Xin MIAO, Shiqiang YAN, Jindou WEI, Chao WU, Wenhao FAN, Shaoping CHEN. Interface Layer of Te-based Thermoelectric Device: Abnormal Growth and Interface Stability[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2024, 39(8): 903
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