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DS: Fachverband Dünne Schichten

DS 59: Thermoelectric Materials, Thin Films, and Nanostructures I (Focused Session -- Organisers: Nielsch, Rastelli, Balke)

DS 59.2: Topical Talk

Freitag, 18. März 2011, 11:30–12:00, GER 37

Nanoscale Thermoelectrics — •Jan D. König — Fraunhofer IPM, Heidenhofstr. 8, 79110 Freiburg, Germany

The variety of TE materials extends from semiconductors via metalloids to ceramic oxides. Decisive factors for the efficiency of the material, in addition to the highest possible Seebeck coefficient, also known as the thermoelectric power, are a high electrical and at the same time a low thermal conductivity. Here physics has imposed laws; because these properties cannot easily be optimized independently of one another. Modern high ZT materials manage to trick nature to a certain degree: they have a fabricated atomic configuration in which the inner structure of the material restricts the mobility of the phonons, and hence its thermal conductivity, (phonon blocking) while not obstructing or even promoting that of the electrons (electron transmitting). Nanotechnologically produced materials are regarded as especially promising. They are manufactured on the basis of already familiar thermoelectric materials by, for example, embedding nanoparticles in a macroscopic matrix. Recent concepts for nanoscale thermoelectric materials will be discussed.