High Thermoelectric Figure of Merit of Ag8SnS6 Component Prepared by Electrodeposition Technique
TAHER Ghrib1**, AMAL Lafy Al-Otaibi1, MUNIRAH Abdullah Almessiere1, IBTISSEM Ben Assaker2, RADHOUANE Chtourou2
1Laboratory of Physical Alloys, Science Faculty of Dammam, University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia 2Laboratoire Photovolta?que, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l'Energie Technopole borj cedria, Bp 95, hammam lif 2050, Tunisie
Abstract：A new thermoelectric material Ag8SnS6, with ultra?low thermal conductivity in thin film shape, is prepared on indium tin oxide coated glass (ITO) substrates using a chemical process via the electrodeposition technique. The structural, thermal and electrical properties are studied and presented in detail, which demonstrate that the material is of semiconductor type, orthorhombic structure, with a band gap in the order of 1.56 eV and a free carrier concentration of 1.46×1017 cm?3. The thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal conduction mode, Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity are determined using the photo-thermal deflection technique combined with the Boltzmann transport theory and Cahill's model, showing that the Ag8SnS6 material has a low thermal conductivity of 3.8 Wm?1K?1, high electrical conductivity of 2.4×105 Sm?1, Seebeck coefficient of -180 μVK?1 and a power factor of 6.9 mWK?2m?1, implying that it is more efficient than those obtained in recently experimental investigations for thermoelectric devices.
2015, Vol. 32 
