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US 6,440,768 B1Granted
Thermoelectric semiconductor material and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeKomatsu Ltd.
InventorsAkio Konishi, Katsushi Fukuda
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AssigneeKomatsu Ltd.
InventorsAkio Konishi, Katsushi Fukuda
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides a novel thermoelectric semiconductor material having excellent thermoelectric property which is not lowered like a conventional PbTe-based or PbSnTe-based semiconductor material even if a strength is improved by sintering. The thermoelectric semiconductor material of the invention is characterized by having chemical formula AB2X4 (where, A is a simple substance or mixture of Pb, Sn and Ge (IV family elements), B is a simple substance or mixture of Bi and Sb (V family elements), and X is a simple substance or mixture of Te and Se (VI family elements). In this case, a spark plasma sintering device is used to apply a pulsed current through the powder material to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder to synthesize the compound AB2X4 having a uniform structure. And, the invention synthesizes a compound, which is to be a thermoelectric semiconductor material, so to have a uniform structure. Using a spark plasma sintering device, a pulsed current is applied to the powder material to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder to synthesize compound PbBi2Te4 having a uniform structure.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula AB2X4, where A is a simple substance or mixture of Pb, Sn and Ge (IV family elements), B is a simple substance or mixture of Bi and Sb (V family elements), and X is-a simple substance or mixture of Te and Se (VI family elements), by applying a pulsed current to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having the A, B and X mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:2:4 to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula Bi1−xSbxTe1 by applying a pulsed current to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having Bi, Sb and Te mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of 1−x:x:1 (where, 0≦x≦1) to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula AyB1−YX1, where A is a simple substance or mixture of Pb, Sn and Ge (IV family elements), B is a simple substance or mixture of Bi and Sb (V family elements), and X is a simple substance or mixture of Te and Se (VI family elements), by applying a pulsed current to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having the A, B and X mixed in a stoichiometric. ratio of y:1−y:1(where, 0≦y≦0.25) to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula AB2X4 as well as forming a sintered body of the compound, where A is a simple substance or mixture of Pb, Sn and Ge (IV family elements), B is a simple substance or mixture of Bi and Sb (V family elements), and X is a simple substance or mixture of Te and Se (VI family elements), by applying a pulsed current and a pressure to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having A, B and X mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:2:4 to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula Bi1−xSbxTe1 as well as forming a sintered body of the compound by applying a pulsed current and a pressure to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having Bi, Sb and Te mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of 1−x:x:1 (where, 0≦x≦1l) to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniforms structure represented by chemical formula AyB1−yX1 as well as forming a sintered body of the compound, where A is a simple substance or mixture of Pb, Sn and Ge (IV family elements), B is a simple substance or mixture of Bi and Sb (V family elements), and X is a simple substance or mixture of Te and Se (VI family elements), by applying a pulsed current and a pressure to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having A, B and X mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of y:1−y:1 (where, 0≦y≦0.25) to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material including a synthesizing step for synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure by applying a pulsed current through a material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having a desired structure to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder, the material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having the desired structure being a mixture of powder of at least two kinds of elements or alloys, and the synthesized compound is a new compound different from the at least two kinds of elements or alloys.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material including a synthesizing step for synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure by applying a pulsed current through a material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having a desired structure to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder, the material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having the desired structure being a mixture of powder of at least two different compounds.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising:
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising:
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising:
A thermoelectric semiconductor material, characterized by having chemical formula Bi1−xSbxTe1−ySey (where, 0≦x≦1 and 0≦y≦1).
A thermoelectric semiconductor material, characterized by having chemical formula Bi2−xSbxTe1−ySey (where, 0≦x≦2 and 0≦y≦1).
A thermoelectric semiconductor material, characterized by having chemical formula (Bi1−xSbx)4(Te1−ySey)5 (where, 0≦x≦1 and 0≦y≦1).
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula Bi1−xSbxTe1−ySey by applying a pulsed current to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having Bi, Sb, Te and Se mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of 1−x:x:1−y:y (where, 0≦x≦1 and 0≦y≦1) to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula Bi2−xSbxTe1−ySey by applying a pulsed current to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having Bi, Sb, Te and Se mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of 2−x:x:1−y:y (where, 0≦x≦2 and 0≦y≦1) to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
A method of producing a thermoelectric semiconductor material, comprising synthesizing a compound having a uniform structure represented by chemical formula (Bi1−xSbx)4(Te1−ySey)5 by applying a pulsed current to material powder for the thermoelectric semiconductor material having Bi, Sb, Te and Se mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of 4(1−x):4x:5(1−y):5y (where, 0≦x≦1 and 0≦y≦1) to cause an electrical discharge among particles of the powder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.