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A2: Medium temperature materials

Development of a direct synthesis of ZnSb

Anders B. Blichfeld*†, Simon Johnsen* & Bo B. Iversen*
*Center for Materials Crystallography, Department of Chemistry and iNANO, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark†PhD-stipendiate partly founded by SINO Danish Center for Research and Education

Most of the research in Zn-Sb thermoelectric materials have be focused on the Zn4Sb3,[1] but lately there has been arise in the interest in the simpler ZnSb phase.[2] A zT as high as 1.15 has been reported on addition of Ag.[3] A fast and reliable way of making Zn4Sb3, using a Spark Plasma Sintering system has been developed by Iversen et al.[4] In the present work this method has been utilized for producing large ZnSb pellets, which shortens the production time dramatically.

A series of 1 inch pellets of starting material Zn:Sb = 1:1 have been produced, where ramping time, maximum temperature and sintering/reaction time were varied. The pellets were investigated with X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Potential Seebeck Microprobe (PSM) to identify the products. The homogeneity of the targets is very dependent on the maximum temperature and the sintering/reaction time. The effect of Zn-migration, similar to the migration seen in Zn4Sb3 made by SPS, is observed for some of the targets.[5] A homogenous ZnSb target is achieved.

 

References

[1]          Iversen, B.B., Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2010. 20(48): p. 10778-10787.

[2]          Fedorov, M.I., et al., Journal of Electronic Materials, 2014: p. 1-6.

[3]          Xiong, D.-B., N.L. Okamoto, and H. Inui, Scripta Materialia, 2013. 69(5): p. 397-400.

[4]          Iversen, B.B., M. Christensen, and H. Yin, Method for producing a thermoelectric solid element. 2013, WO Patent 2,013,010,547.

[5]          Yin, H., et al., Applied Physics Letters, 2012. 101(4).