Thermoelectric material, method for preparing the same, and thermoelectric module including the same

• US 9,153,763 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Dong Hyeok, Lee, Sung Ho, Yang, Ju Hwan, Hur, Kang Heon
• Primary Examiner(s): LEONG, SUSAN DANG
• Application Number:
  US13/450,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20130068270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 136/200, 136/203, 136/205, 136/206, 136/224, 136/238, 136/240
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/852 comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/857 comprising compositions changing continuously or discontinuously inside the material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24975 No layer or component greater than 5 mils thick

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a thermoelectric material having a plate type layered structure where each layer has a thickness of 30 nm or less, a method for preparing the same, and a thermoelectric module using the same.

According to the present invention, as for a thermoelectric material having a nanometer-sized layered structure, crystallinity of each layer is excellent, electric conductivity of electron is improved, and phonon diffraction is induced at a grain interface between layers, and thus, a thermoelectric module having excellent thermoelectric properties can be provided.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric material comprising nano-particles, each nano-particle comprising a plurality of plate type layers where each layer has a thickness of 30 nm or less and grain shape of the particles forms a layered structure.

2. The thermoelectric material according to claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric material comprises A₂B₃, wherein A is at least one element selected from Bi and Sb, and B is at least one element selected from Se and Te.

3. The thermoelectric material according to claim 1, wherein each layer of the plate type layered structure is aligned in a C-axial direction.

4. A method for preparing the thermoelectric material according to claim 1, comprising:

sealing a raw material in vacuum condition;

dissolving the sealed material; and

rapidly cooling the dissolved material at a temperature of 0°

C. or lower.

5. The thermoelectric material according to claim 4, wherein the sealing of the raw material is performed at a vacuum degree of 1.0×

10<sup>−

3</sup> to 1.0×

10<sup>−

6</sup> torr.

6. The thermoelectric material according to claim 4, wherein the dissolving of the sealed material is performed at a temperature of 600 to 700°

C.

7. The thermoelectric material according to claim 4, wherein the rapidly cooling is performed for 1 to 20 seconds.

8. A thermoelectric module comprising the thermoelectric material according to claim 1.