Compound semiconductors and their applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561959-B2
Application number	US-201414442085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is a new compound semiconductor material which may be used for thermoelectric material or the like, and its applications. The compound semiconductor may be represented by Chemical Formula 1 below: Chemical Formula 1 Bi 1-x M x Cu 1-w T w O a-y Q1 y Te b Se z where, in Chemical Formula 1, M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Cs, K, Na, Cd, Hg, Sn, Pb, Mn, Ga, In, Tl, As and Sb, Q1 is at least one selected from the group consisting of S, Se, As and Sb, T is at least one selected from the group consisting of transition metal elements, 0≦x<1, 0<w<1, 0.2<a<1.5, 0≦y<1.5, 0≦b<1.5 and 0≦z<1.5.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A compound semiconductor comprising a material represented by Chemical Formula 1 below:
Bi 1-x M x Cu 1-w T w O a-y Q1 y Te b Se z   Chemical Formula 1

where, in Chemical Formula 1, M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Cs, K, Na, Cd, Hg, Sn, Pb, Mn, Ga, In, Tl, As and Sb, Q1 is at least one selected from the group consisting of S, Se, As and Sb, T is at least one selected from the group consisting of transition metal elements and partially substitutes for Cu sites, 0≦x<1, 0<w<1, 0.2<a<1.5, 0≦y<1.5, 0≦b<1.5 and 0≦z<1.5.

2. The compound semiconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, T is at least one selected from the group consisting of Co, Ag, Zn, Ni, Fe and Cr.

3. The compound semiconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, w satisfies the condition of 0<w<0.05.

4. The compound semiconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, x, y and z satisfy the conditions of x=0, y=0 and z=0, respectively.

5. The compound semiconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein Chemical Formula 1 is represented by BiCu 1-w Co w OTe.

6. The compound semiconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, M is Pb, and y, b and z satisfy the conditions of y=0, b=0 and z=1, respectively.

7. The compound semiconductor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the compound semiconductor has a power factor of 5.0 μW/cmK 2 or above under a temperature condition of 300K to 800K.

8. A method for manufacturing a compound semiconductor defined in claim 1 , the method comprising:
forming a mixture by mixing powder of Bi 2 O 3 , Bi and Cu, powder of at least one selected from the group consisting of Te, S, Se, As, Sb and oxides thereof, and powder of at least one selected from the group consisting of transition metal elements and oxides thereof, and optionally further mixing powder of at least one selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, Cs, K, Na, Cd, Hg, Sn, Pb, Mn, Ga, In, Tl, As, Sb and oxides thereof; and
pressure-sintering the mixture.

9. The method for manufacturing a compound semiconductor according to claim 8 ,
wherein the transition metal elements include Co, Ag, Zn, Ni, Fe and Cr.

10. The method for manufacturing a compound semiconductor according to claim 8 , before the pressure sintering step, further comprising:
thermally treating the mixture.

11. The method for manufacturing a compound semiconductor according to claim 10 ,
wherein the thermal treatment step is performed by means of solid-state reaction.

12. The method for manufacturing a compound semiconductor according to claim 8 ,
wherein the pressure sintering step is performed by means of spark plasma sintering or hot pressing.

13. A thermoelectric conversion device, which includes the compound semiconductor defined in claim 1 .

14. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 13 ,
wherein the compound semiconductor is included as a P-type thermoelectric conversion material.

15. A solar cell, which includes the compound semiconductor defined in claim 1 .

16. A bulk-type thermoelectric material, which includes the compound semiconductor defined in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon O-Jong
• Kim Tae-Hoon
• Park Cheol-Hee
• Ko Kyung-Moon
• Chung Chan-Yeup

Classifications

• C01P2006/40

  Electric properties · CPC title

• H01L35/18

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/16

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0272

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/34

  Electricity · mapped topic