Thermoelectric properties of AgSbTe2 from first-principles calculations

The structural, electronic, and transport properties of AgSbTe2 are studied by using full-relativistic first-principles electronic structure calculation and semiclassical description of transport parameters. The results indicate that, within various exchange-correlation functionals, the cubic Fd (3) over barm and trigonal R (3) over barm structures of AgSbTe2 are more stable than two other considered structures. The computed Seebeck coefficients at different values of the band gap and carrier concentration are accurately compared with the available experimental data to speculate a band gap of about 0.1-0.35 eV for AgSbTe2 compound, in agreement with our calculated electronic structure within the hybrid HSE (Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof) functional. By calculating the semiclassical Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and electronic part of thermal conductivity, we present the theoretical upper limit of the thermoelectric figure of merit of AgSbTe2 as a function of temperature and carrier concentration. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.