Enhanced thermoelectric performance of In-substituted GeSb6Te10 with homologous structure

Abstract

We studied the crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of polycrystalline GeInxSb6−xTe10 (x = 0, 0.18, 0.3, and 0.6). Rietveld and Le Bail analyses showed that all compositions crystallized in trigonal structures with a 51-layer period. Substituting In decreased both the lattice and electronic thermal conductivity, as well as markedly increased the Seebeck coefficient. We ascribed this increase to increases in the effective mass of the carriers, likely caused by the formation of additional energy states near the Fermi level. In GeIn0.6Sb5.4Te10, we found a maximum ZT of 0.75 at 710 K, 1.9 times higher than that of GeSb6Te10.