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Nanocrystalline silicon compacted by spark-plasma sintering: Microstructure and thermoelectric properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Gabi Schierning ,
Tania Claudio ,
Ralf Theissmann ,
Niklas Stein ,
Nils Petermann ,
Andre Becker ,
Joachim Denker ,
Hartmut Wiggers ,
Raphael T. Hermann  and
Roland Schmechel
Gabi Schierning
Affiliation:
gabi.schierning@uni-due.de
Tania Claudio
Affiliation:
t.claudio.weber@fz-juelich.de, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich, Germany
Ralf Theissmann
Affiliation:
ralf.theissmann@uni-due.de, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
Niklas Stein
Affiliation:
niklas.stein@uni-due.de, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
Nils Petermann
Affiliation:
nils.petermann@uni-due.de, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
Andre Becker
Affiliation:
andre.becker@uni-due.de, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
Joachim Denker
Affiliation:
joachim.denker@gmx.de, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
Hartmut Wiggers
Affiliation:
hartmut.wiggers@uni-due.de, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
Raphael T. Hermann
Affiliation:
r.hermann@fz-juelich.de, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Juelich, Germany
Roland Schmechel
Affiliation:
roland.schmechel@uni-due.de, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany
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Abstract

Nanocrystalline bulk silicon samples were fabricated using silicon nanoparticles from the gas phase, applying a spark-plasma sintering process. The mean diameter of the crystalline grains after sintering was 30 nm and smaller, the density above 97 % of that of crystalline silicon. Transmission electron microscopy showed a homogenous nanostructure. The thermal conductivity of such an n-type sample with a nominal doping level of 5×1020 cm-3 was around 11 Wm-1K-1 at room temperature. With Seebeck-coefficient α = -150 μV/K and specific conductivity σ = 290 S cm-1, the resulting efficiency ZT is approximately 0.02.

Keywords

thermoelectricitytransmission electron microscopy (TEM)sintering

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