Thermoelectric devices based on materials with filled skutterudite structures

A thermoelectric device, comprising:

• a first substrate at a first temperature;
• a second substrate at a second, different temperature;
• at least one piece of a p-type thermoelectric material disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate, having a first end surface in thermal contact with said first substrate and a second end surface in thermal contact with said second substrate;
• at least one piece of a n-type thermoelectric material disposed between said first substrate and said second substrate relative to said p-type thermoelectric material, having a first end surface in thermal contact with said first substrate and a second end surface in thermal contact with said second substrate;
• an electrically conducting element, disposed to electrically connect said first surface of said p-type thermoelectric material with said first surface of said n-type thermoelectric material to provide a first electrical conduit therebetween;
• and
• an electrical circuit, having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal connecting to said second surface of said p-type thermoelectric material, said second terminal connecting to said second surface of said n-type thermoelectric material, said electrical circuit operating to provide a second electrical conduit between said p-type thermoelectric material and said n-type thermoelectric material, wherein said p-type thermoelectric material, said electrically conducting element, said n-type thermoelectric material, and said electrical circuit form an electrical loop to have an electrical current therein,
• wherein at least one of said p-type thermoelectric material and said n-type thermoelectric material comprises:
• atoms of a first non-metal element from the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth columns of the periodic table including pnicogen elements and chalcogen elements;
• atoms of a first transition metal element;
• atoms of a first metallic element including a first rare-earth element;
• atoms of a second non-metal element selected from the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth columns of the periodic table;
• atoms of a second transition metal element;
• and
• atoms of a second metallic element including a second rare-earth element,
• wherein said atoms are disposed relative to one another to form a skutterudite structure which is semimetallic or semiconducting and has a nominal composition of:
• Rf(1−r){overscore (R)}frT4−x{overscore (T)}xPn12−y{overscore (Pn)}y,
• for 0≦f≦1, 0≦r≦1, 0≦x≦4, and 0≦y≦12
• wherein T and T respectively represent said first and second transition metal elements, Pn and {overscore (Pn)} respectively represent said first and second non-metal elements, R and R respectively represent said first and second metallic elements.