Influence of Thermal Aging Phenomena on Thermoelectric Properties of Al-Substituted ZnO

• Published in: Journal of electronic materials 2012-06, Vol.41 (6), p.1606-1614
• Main Authors: Vogel-Schäuble, Nina, Dujardin, Raphaël, Weidenkaff, Anke, Aguirre, Myriam H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Applied sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry and Materials Science; Concentration (composition); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Conductivity phenomena in semiconductors and insulators; Cycles; Electric potential; Electric properties; Electrical resistivity; Electronic transport in condensed matter; Electronics; Electronics and Microelectronics; Exact sciences and technology; Instrumentation; Materials; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physics; Solid State Physics; Thermal expansion; thermomechanical effects and density; Thermal properties of condensed matter; Thermal properties of crystalline solids; Thermodynamics; Thermoelectric and thermomagnetic effects; Thermoelectricity; Uptakes; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 0361-5235; 1543-186X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11664-011-1851-2

The thermoelectric properties and stability of Al-substituted ZnO as a potential high-temperature n -type material were studied in heating–cooling cycles. Zn 1− x Al x O ( x  = 0.02, 0.06) was prepared by soft chemistry and solid-state reaction synthesis methods. Cycling during the thermoelectric measurement leads to an increase of the electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient values. The reason for this aging phenomenon can be assigned to a change in composition due to oxygen uptake along with modification in the defect concentrations. The aging is enhanced if the cycling is performed in oxygen. ZT value of 0.21 is reached at 1275 K for samples with 2% Al substitution made by soft chemistry synthesis.