Lattice Plainification Leads to High Thermoelectric Performance of P-Type PbSe Crystals

Thermoelectrics has applications in power generation and refrigeration. Since only commercial Bi2Te3 has a low abundance Te, PbSe gets attention. This work enhances the near-room temperature performance of p-type PbSe through enhancing carrier mobility via lattice plainification. Composition controlled and Cu-doped p-type PbSe crystals are grown through physical vapor deposition. Results exhibit an enhanced carrier mobility approximate to 2578 cm2 V-1 s-1 for Pb0.996Cu0.0004Se. Microstructure characterization and density functional theory calculations verify the introduced Cu atoms filled Pb vacancies, realizing lattice plainification and enhancing the carrier mobility. The Pb0.996Cu0.0004Se sample achieves a power factor approximate to 42 mu W cm-1 K-2 and a ZT approximate to 0.7 at 300 K. The average ZT of it reaches approximate to 0.9 (300-573 K), resulting in a single-leg power generation efficiency of 7.1% at temperature difference of 270 K, comparable to that of p-type commercial Bi2Te3. A 7-pairs device paired the p-type Pb0.996Cu0.0004Se with the n-type commercial Bi2Te3 shows a maximum cooling temperature difference approximate to 42 K with the hot side at 300 K, approximate to 65% of that of the commercial Bi2Te3 device. This work highlights the potential of p-type PbSe for power generation and refrigeration near room temperature and hope to inspire researchers on replacing commercial Bi2Te3. This work enhances the near-room temperature performance of p-type PbSe crystals by enhancing carrier mobility via lattice plainification, leading to promising power generation and thermoelectric cooling performance in p-type Pb0.996Cu0.0004Se-based devices. This work highlights the potential of p-type PbSe for power generation and refrigeration near room temperature and will motivate more research on developing new thermoelectric coolers. image