Thermoelectric material, thermoelectric element and module including the same, and method of preparing the thermoelectric material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9269882-B2
Application number	US-201313925931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2013
Priority date	Nov 16, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A thermoelectric material including a 3-dimensional nanostructure, wherein the 3-dimensional nanostructure includes a 2-dimensional nanostructure connected to a 1-dimensional nanostructure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermoelectric material comprising:
a 3-dimensional nanostructure, wherein the 3-dimensional nanostructure comprises a plurality of 2-dimensional nanostructures connected to a 1-dimensional nanostructure, wherein adjacent 2-dimensional nanostructures of the plurality of 2-dimensional nanostructures are spaced apart from each other on the 1-dimensional nanostructure, and
wherein the 1-dimensional nanostructure is exposed between the adjacent 2-dimensional nanostructures.

2. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 1-dimensional nanostructure is in the form of a nanowire.

3. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 2-dimensional nanostructures are in the form of nanoplates.

4. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 2-dimensional nanostructures have a shape of at least one selected from a circle, an oval, a hexagon, a rectangle, a pentagon, a triangle, a bar shape, and a needle shape.

5. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 1-dimensional nanostructure penetrates a surface of the 2-dimensional nanostructures.

6. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 1-dimensional nanostructure penetrates a plurality of the 2-dimensional nanostructures, which are disposed at a selected interval.

7. The thermoelectric material of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of 2-dimensional nanostructures are oriented in a first direction.

8. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the 2-dimensional nanostructure comprises a twist such that a direction perpendicular to a plane of the 2-dimensional nanostructure varies with a distance from the 1-dimensional nanostructure.

9. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 1-dimensional nanostructure and the 2-dimensional nanostructures form a single unitary body.

10. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 3-dimensional nanostructure comprises a semiconductor comprising at least one element selected from Group III to Group VI of the Periodic Table of the Elements.

11. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 3-dimensional nanostructure comprises a chalcogenide compound.

12. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein the 3-dimensional nanostructure comprises at least one compound selected from Formulas 1 to 2 below:
Bi 2-x Te y , wherein 0≦x<2, 0<y≦3, and  Formula 1

Bi 2-x Se y , wherein 0≦x<2, 0<y≦3.  Formula 2

13. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 comprising a nanobulk material comprising the 3-dimensional nanostructure.

14. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 further comprising at least one nanostructure having a form selected from nanoplates, nanodisks, nanosheets, nanowires, nanofibers, nanobelts, nanotubes, nanocrystals, and nanopowders.

15. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 further comprising a bulk thermoelectric material matrix that is chemically inactive to the 3-dimensional nanostructure.

16. The thermoelectric material of claim 15 , wherein the 3-dimensional nanostructure is disposed at a crystal interface or within a crystal structure of the bulk crystalline thermoelectric material matrix.

17. A thermoelectric element comprising the thermoelectric material of claim 1 .

18. A thermoelectric module comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode; and
the thermoelectric element of claim 17 interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode.

19. The thermoelectric module of claim 18 , wherein the module is used in a thermoelectric apparatus selected from a thermoelectric generator, a thermoelectric cooler, and a thermoelectric sensor.

20. A method of preparing a thermoelectric material comprising:
forming a seed by stirring a solution comprising a thermoelectric material precursor at a temperature of 100° C. or greater; and
forming of a 3-dimensional nanostructure by adding a reducing agent to the solution comprising the seed to prepare the thermoelectric material, wherein the 3-dimensional nanostructure comprises a plurality of 2-dimensional nanostructures connected to a 1-dimensional nanostructure, wherein adjacent 2-dimensional nanostructures of the plurality of 2-dimensional nanostructures are spaced apart from each other on the 1-dimensional nanostructure, and
wherein the 1-dimensional nanostructure is exposed between the adjacent 2-dimensional nanostructures.

21. The thermoelectric material of claim 1 , wherein a surface of each of the 2-dimensional nanostructures each independently forms an angle of about 45 to about 90 degrees with a direction of an axis of the 1-dimensional nanostructure.

22. The thermoelectric material of claim 21 , wherein the 2-dimensional nanostructures each independently have a thickness of about 10 nanometers to about 300 nanometers.

23. The thermoelectric material claim 22 , wherein a diameter of the 1-dimensional nanostructure has a difference between a maximum diameter and a minimum diameter of less than about 50 percent along a direction of a longitudinal axis of the 1-dimensional nanostructure.

24. The thermoelectric material of claim 22 , wherein the 2-dimensional nanostructures each independently have a surface area of about 3 square nanometers to about 1000 square nanometers.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Univ Yonsei Iacf

Inventors

• Roh Jong-Wook
• Cho Jung-Young
• Shin Weon-Ho
• Yang Dae-Jin
• Lee Kyu-Hyoung
• Jeong Un-Yong

Classifications

• G01K7/028 Primary

  using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon · CPC title

• H01L35/34

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• H01L35/32 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title