On Intensifying Carrier Impurity Scattering to Enhance Thermoelectric Performance in Cr-Doped CeγCo4Sb12

The beneficial effect of impurity scattering on thermoelectric properties has long been disregarded even though possible improvements in power factor have been suggested by Ioffe more than a half century ago. Here it is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that proper intensification of ionized impurity scattering to charge carriers can benefit the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) by increasing the Seebeck coefficient and decreasing the electronic thermal conductivity. The optimal strength of ionized impurity scattering for maximum ZT depends on the Fermi level and the density of states effective mass. Cr-doping in Ce gamma Co4Sb12 progressively increases the strength of ionized impurity scattering, and significantly improves the Seebeck coefficient, resulting in high power factors of 45 mu W cm(-1)K(-2) with relatively low electrical conductivity. This effect, combined with the increased Ce-filling fraction and thus decreased lattice thermal conductivity by charge compensation of Cr-dopant, gives rise to a maximum ZT of 1.3 at 800 K and a large average ZT of 1.1 between 500 and 850 K, approximate to 30% and approximate to 20% enhancements as compared with those of Cr-free sample, respectively. Furthermore, this study also reveals that carrier scattering parameter can be another fundamental degree of freedom to optimize electrical properties and improve thermal-to-electricity conversion efficiencies of thermoelectric materials.