# US 2013/0156636 A1 · Semi-heusler/heusler alloys having tailored phase separation

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- Number: US 2013/0156636 A1
- Document ID: US20130156636A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/703,553
- Filed: 2011-04-15
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-11
- Inventors: Martin Koehne; Tanja Graf; Hans Joachim Elmers; Claudia Felser
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156636A1

## CPC

- H10N 10/10: operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects
- C22C 19/07: based on cobalt
- H10N 10/853: comprising arsenic, antimony or bismuth (H10N10/852 takes precedence)
- B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
- B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
- C22C 2200/04: Nanocrystalline
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER

## Abstract

An inorganic, intermetallic compound contains at least two elements per formula unit and consists of at least two phases, at least one phase being semiconducting or semimetallic, these at least two phases are immiscible with each other and are thermodynamically stable, so as to allow the thermal conductivity of semi-Heusler alloys to be reduced while at the same time maintaining the electrical conductivity and the thermoelectric voltage.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-16. (canceled)

### Claim 17

An inorganic, intermetallic compound, comprising:
a compound having at least two elements per formula unit and which is made up of at least two phases, wherein at least one phase is semiconducting or semimetallic.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 17, wherein the at least two phases are not miscible with each other.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 18, wherein the at least two phases are thermodynamically stable.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 19, wherein, because of the separation of the at least two phases, disarranged structures <1 μm are developed.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 17, wherein the inorganic, intermetallic compound has a main phase which includes at least 70% of the overall proportion of the inorganic, intermetallic compound.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 20, wherein the main phase is an intermetallic compound.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 20, wherein the main phase has a cubic symmetry having preferably no structural deviation, possibly a slight structural deviation, structural deviation being understood to mean a distortion of the grid parameters by less than 10%.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 20, wherein the main phase is a member of the semi-Heusler phases.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 20, wherein the main phase has 18 valence electrons.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 20, wherein the main phase has a semiconducting behavior.

### Claim 27 (depends on 20)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 20, wherein the main phase has a metal-semiconductor junction or a metal-semimetal junction.

### Claim 28 (depends on 20)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 20, wherein the main phase has a semimetallic behavior.

### Claim 29 (depends on 17)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 17, wherein the inorganic, intermetallic compound has a subsidiary phase which includes less than 30% of the overall proportion of the inorganic, intermetallic compound.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 28, wherein the subsidiary phase includes metallic inclusions having a disarranged structure.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 29, wherein the subsidiary phase is created during the preparation process.

### Claim 32 (depends on 17)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 17, wherein the inorganic, intermetallic compound is the main component of an alloy.

### Claim 33 (depends on 19)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 19, wherein, because of the separation of the at least two phases, disarranged structures 100 nm are developed.

### Claim 34 (depends on 19)

The inorganic, intermetallic compound of claim 19, wherein, because of the separation of the at least two phases, disarranged structures <30 nm are developed.