Revealing the Defect-Dominated Electron Scattering in Mg3Sb2-Based Thermoelectric Materials
Jucai Jia,
Yan Zhou,
Xiaoxi Chen,
Wenhua Xue,
Hulei Yu,
Jing Li,
Shizhen Zhi,
Chen Chen,
Jian Wang,
Shuaihang Hou,
Xingjun Liu,
Yumei Wang,
Feng Cao,
Yue Chen,
Jun Mao,
Qian Zhang
Affiliations
Jucai Jia
School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Yan Zhou
Center for Device Thermography and Reliability (CDTR), H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
Xiaoxi Chen
Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
Wenhua Xue
School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China; Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190 Beijing, China
Hulei Yu
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
Jing Li
Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
Shizhen Zhi
School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Chen Chen
School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Jian Wang
School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Shuaihang Hou
School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Xingjun Liu
School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Yumei Wang
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190 Beijing, China
Feng Cao
School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
Yue Chen
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
Jun Mao
School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Qian Zhang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute of Materials Genome & Big Data, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
The thermoelectric parameters are essentially governed by electron and phonon transport. Since the carrier scattering mechanism plays a decisive role in electron transport, it is of great significance for the electrical properties of thermoelectric materials. As a typical example, the defect-dominated carrier scattering mechanism can significantly impact the room-temperature electron mobility of n-type Mg3Sb2-based materials. However, the origin of such a defect scattering mechanism is still controversial. Herein, the existence of the Mg vacancies and Mg interstitials has been identified by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. The relationship among the point defects, chemical compositions, and synthesis conditions in Mg3Sb2-based materials has been revealed. By further introducing the point defects without affecting the grain size via neutron irradiation, the thermally activated electrical conductivity can be reproduced. Our results demonstrate that the point defects scattering of electrons is important in the n-type Mg3Sb2-based materials.
