Highly Efficient Ge-Rich Ge x Pb1-x Te Thermoelectric Alloys

The search for alternative energy sources is presently at the forefront of applied research. In this context, thermoelectricity for direct energy conversion from thermal to electrical energy plays an important role. This paper is concerned with the development of highly efficient p-type Ge (x) Pb1-x Te alloys for thermoelectric applications, using spark plasma sintering. The carrier concentration of GeTe was varied by alloying of PbTe and/or by Bi2Te3 doping. Very high ZT values up to similar to 1.8 at 500A degrees C were obtained by doping Pb0.13Ge0.87Te with 3 mol% Bi2Te3.