Assessment of the thermoelectric performance of layered semiconductor SrFCuTe with wide band-gap

The concept of phonon-glass, electron-crystal promotes the development of designing thermoelectric compounds through building functional blocks. Alternately stacking insulating [Sr2F2](2+) layers and conductive [Cu2Te2](2-) layers along the c-axis can construct wide-band-gap semiconductor SrFCuTe with the ZrCuSiAs-type structure. The thermoelectric characterization reveal that this compound has considerably low p-type conductivity and thermal conductivity. Na substitution Sr can significantly improve the electrical transport properties due to the acceptor-doping effect, while it increases the electronic thermal conductivity simultaneously. The synergistic effect makes the thermoelectric figure of merit zT rise about 100% at 773 K. This work demonstrates that wide-band-gap semiconductors undergoing rational performance manipulation, worthy of reassessing for thermoelectric application.

Automated summary

The concept of phonon-glass, electron-crystal has led to the development of a new wide-band-gap semiconductor SrFCuTe with low p-type conductivity and thermal conductivity. Substituting Na for Sr can significantly improve the electrical transport properties but also increase the electronic thermal conductivity. This study demonstrates that rational performance manipulation can greatly enhance the thermoelectric performance of wide-band-gap semiconductors.