# US 9,437,796 B2 · Rare earth-doped materials with enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,796 B2 - Document ID: US9437796B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/725,156 - Filed: 2012-12-21 - Published: 2013-07-25 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-16 - Assignees: Research Triangle Institute; U.S. Department of Energy - Applicants: Research Triangle Institute - Inventors: Rama Venkatasubramanian; Bruce Allen Cook; Evgenii M. Levin; Joel Lee Harringa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437796B2 ## CPC - H10N 10/852: comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur - C22C 1/02: by melting {(C22C1/1036 takes precedence)} - C22C 28/00: Alloys based on a metal not provided for in groups C22C5/00 - C22C27/00 - H01F 1/401: {diluted} - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES ## Abstract A thermoelectric material and a thermoelectric converter using this material. The thermoelectric material has a first component including a semiconductor material and a second component including a rare earth material included in the first component to thereby increase a figure of merit of a composite of the semiconductor material and the rare earth material relative to a figure of merit of the semiconductor material. The thermoelectric converter has a p-type thermoelectric material and a n-type thermoelectric material. At least one of the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material includes a rare earth material in at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thermoelectric material comprising: a first component including a semiconductor material; and a second component including rare earth material magnetic precipitates included in the first component; and said first component and said second component having respectively diamagnetic and paramagnetic magnetic susceptibilities to thereby increase a figure of merit of a composite of the semiconductor thermoelectric material and the rare earth material precipitates elative to a figure of merit of the semiconductor material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thermoelectric material of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material comprises a GeTe alloy, and said GeTe alloy includes the rare earth material precipitates. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The thermoelectric material of claim 2, where the rare earth material precipitates includes at least one of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, or an alloy thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The thermoelectric material of claim 2, where the rare earth material precipitates comprises a concentration of 0.1% to 25%. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The thermoelectric material of claim 2, where the GeTe alloy includes at least one of Ag and Sb. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The thermoelectric material of Claim 2, where the GeTe alloy comprises (GeTe)y(AgSbTe2)1-y. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The thermoelectric material of claim 2, where the GeTe alloy comprises Ag6.52Sb6.52Ge36.96Te49.00Ce1.00. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The thermoelectric material of claim 2, where the GeTe alloy comprises Ag6.52Sb6.52Ge36.96Te49.00Yb1.00. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The thermoelectric material of claim 2, where the GeTe alloy comprises Ag6.52Sb6.52Ge36.96Te49.00Gd1.00. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The thermoelectric material of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material comprises a PbTe alloy, and said PbTe alloy includes the rare earth material precipitates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The thermoelectric material of claim 10, where the rare earth material precipitates includes at least one of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, or an alloy thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The thermoelectric material of claim 10, where the rare earth material precipitates comprises a concentration of 0.1% to 25%. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The thermoelectric material of claim 10, where the PbTe alloy includes at least one of Ag and Sb. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The thermoelectric material of claim 10, where the PbTe alloy comprises (PbTe)y(AgSbTe2)1-y. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The thermoelectric material of claim 10, where the PbTe alloy comprises Ag6.52Sb6.52Pb36.96Te49.00Ce1.00. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The thermoelectric material of claim 10, where the PbTe alloy comprises Ag6.52Sb6.52Pb36.96Te49.00Yb1.00. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The thermoelectric material of claim 10, where the PbTe alloy comprises Ag6.52Sb6.52Pb36.96Te49.00Gd1.00. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A thermoelectric converter comprising the thermoelectric material of claim 1 including: a p-type thermoelectric material and a n-type thermoelectric material, at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material including a rare earth material in at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein the rare earth material scatters electrical carriers in at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material comprises a GeTe alloy. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material comprises a PbTe alloy. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material operate as thermoelectrics in a temperature range of 300K to 1300K. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein the p-type thermoelectric material and the n-type thermoelectric material operate as thermoelectrics in a temperature range of 100K to 300K. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein the rare earth material and nanostructured elements in at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material reduce a lattice thermal conductivity of at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material by phonon scattering in the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein the rare earth material produces scattering of electrical carriers in at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material and increases a density of states for the carriers by quantum confinement. ### Claim 26 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein the rare earth material produces scattering of electrical carriers in at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material to provide resonant states for the carriers in the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material to increase a Seebeck coefficient of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material. ### Claim 27 (depends on 18) The converter of claim 18, wherein the rare earth material and nanostructured elements in at least one of the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material reduce to reduce at least one of lattice thermal conductivity, quantum confinement, and resonant states in the p-type thermoelectric material or the n-type thermoelectric material. ### Claim 28 A method for enhancing a ZT figure of merit in a semiconductor material, comprising: providing in the semiconductor material rare earth material precipitates which scatters electrical carriers in the semiconductor material, said semiconductor material with the rare earth material precipitates having diamagnetic and paramagnetic magnetic susceptibilities. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein providing comprises: providing at least one of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, or an alloy thereof as the rare earth material precipitates.