Low-Dimensionalization Enhancing the Thermoelectric Performance of Higher Manganese Silicide

Abstract

Higher manganese silicide (HMS) is a candidate thermoelectric (TE) material at medium temperature due to its non-toxicity, abundance, and competitive price. The focus on improving the TE performance of HMS is to decrease the thermal conductivity. Low-dimensionalization techniques, such as nanocrystallization, embedding quantum dots (QDs) and thin film formation are effective strategies to decrease the lattice thermal conductivity by enhancing the phonon scattering on interfaces. Additionally, the Seebeck coefficients also can be improved due to the energy filtering effect via the interface barrier, and correspondingly increasing the power factor of HMS. The TE performance of HMS can be enhanced due to synergistically optimized electrical and thermal properties.