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Impact of the scattering physics on the power factor of complex thermoelectric materials
Journal of Applied Physics 126, 155701 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5116793
High Seebeck coefficient in thermally evaporated Sb-In co-alloyed bismuth telluride thin film
Journal of Applied Physics 127, 055103 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5127108
© 2020 Author(s).
Journal of ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/jap
Applied Physics
AFFILIATIONS
1
Department of Systems Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
2
Center for Spintronics Research Network, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531,
Japan
a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: hamaya@ee.es.osaka-u.ac.jp
ABSTRACT
Fe2 TiSi has been expected to be one of the high-performance thermoelectric full-Heusler alloys. Here, we experimentally clarify the
room-temperature Seebeck coefficient (S) and thermal conductivity (κ) for the Fe2 TiSi films. Using a molecular beam epitaxy technique, we
demonstrate the high degree of L21 -ordering and the homogeneous single-phase structure in the Fe2 TiSi films. We find that the intrinsic
conduction carriers of the Fe2 TiSi films are holes and impurity-induced carrier scattering is indicated, derived from weak magnetic
moments due to the presence of D03 -type (Fe , Ti) structural disorder in the Fe2 TiSi film. From reliable measurements for thin films,
the values of S and κ are estimated to be 101 μV/K and 5.6 W/(m K), respectively, at room temperature. This study will open a new way for
full-Heusler alloy thermoelectric materials other than those in Fe2 VAl systems.
moments due to the presence of the D03 -type (Fe , Ti) structural III. RESULTS
disorder in the Fe2 TiSi film. From reliable measurements for thin A. Structural characterizations
films, the values of S and κ are estimated to be 101 μV/K and
5.6 W/(m K), respectively, at room temperature. This study will Figure 1(b) shows the θ–2θ x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern
open a new way for full-Heusler alloy thermoelectric materials for the grown Fe2 TiSi film. The (002) and (004) diffraction peaks
other than those in Fe2 VAl systems. of Fe2 TiSi are clearly observed at 2θ values of 31 and 65 ,
respectively, indicating the formation of (001)-oriented epitaxial
Fe2 TiSi films. The lattice constant estimated from the XRD pattern
II. FILM GROWTH was 0:576 nm, slightly larger than the theoretical value.9 From
the f-scan measurements of the (202) plane for the Fe2 TiSi films
Fe2 TiSi films were grown on MgAl2 O4 (001) substrates by using
(not shown here), we confirmed the in-plane crystal orientation of
an MBE technique with nonstoichiometric deposition.13,17–22
Fe2 TiSi[100](001)//MgAl2 O4 [110](001). The f-scan measurement
Figure 1(a) illustrates the crystal structure for L21 -ordered Fe2 TiSi
of the (111) plane is presented in Fig. 1(c). Sharp diffraction peaks
and spinel-type MgAl2 O4 . Because the mismatch between the lattice
16 with fourfold symmetry are seen, which indicates the formation of
constant of Fe2p TiSi
ffiffiffi (0:5717 nm) and half of the diagonal length L21 -ordered structures in the Fe2 TiSi films. We roughly estimate
of MgAl2 O4 (1/ 2 0:8083 nm = 0.5715 nm) is less than 0.1% and
the degree of B2 and L21 ordering, SB2 and SL21 , for the Fe2 TiSi
there is good atomic arrangement matching, an epitaxial relationship
films from the following equations:23,24
of Fe2 TiSi[100](001)/MgAl2 O4 [110](001) can be expected. After
loading the MgAl2 O4 (001) substrates into the MBE chamber, we sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
performed the heat treatment at 600 C for 1 h with a base pressure I002 =I004 2 I111 =I202
SB2 ¼ R =I R , SL21 ¼ R =I R , (1)
of 107 Pa. From in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction I002 004 3 SB2 I111 202
(RHEED) observations (not shown here), good surface flatness of
the MgAl2 O4 (001) substrate was confirmed. Cooling the substrate where Ihkl and Ihkl R
are the experimental and theoretical peak
temperature down to 350 C, we grew Fe2 TiSi layers with a thickness intensities for the hkl plane. As a result, the values of SB2 and SL21
of 50–150 nm by coevaporating Fe, Ti, and Si using Knudsen cells. are 0:96 + 0:02 and 1:05 + 0:16, respectively, indicating that
During the growth, we intentionally controlled the supply elements, SB2 1:0 and SL21 1:0. These results mean that highly
where the ratio of Fe, Ti, and Si was set to 1.7:1.3:1 for obtaining L21 -ordered Fe2 TiSi films are obtained at a growth temperature of
stoichiometric Fe2 TiSi films. The in situ RHEED image of the 350 C. However, the increased SL21 value more than 1.0 and the
Fe2 TiSi surface exhibited symmetrical streaks (not shown here), decreased SB2 value less than 1.0 generally indicate the presence of
indicating two-dimensional epitaxial growth of the Fe2 TiSi films. D03 -type disordering in full-Heusler alloys.25 In the case of Fe2 TiSi,
we can regard the Fe , Ti disordering as D03 -type disordering.
We further carried out structural characterizations of the
epitaxial Fe2 TiSi films by high-angle annular dark-field scanning
transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and energy
dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Figure 2 shows a typical
HAADF-STEM image with EDX line profiles (a) and EDX
mapping images of each element (b) for the epitaxial Fe2 TiSi film.
FIG. 1. (a) Crystal structures for L21 -ordered Fe2 TiSi and MgAl2 O4 . (b) θ–2θ FIG. 2. (a) HAADF-STEM image with EDX line profiles of the
XRD pattern of Fe2 TiSi/MgAl2 O4 (001). (c) f-scan measurement of the (111) Fe2 TiSi(50 nm)/MgAl2 O4 (001). (b) EDX elemental maps for the same Fe2 TiSi
plane for a grown Fe2 TiSi film. (50 nm)/MgAl2 O4 (001).
Taking into account the above electrical properties, we mea- and the variational pseudo-self-interaction-corrected density-
sured again magnetic properties down to low temperatures. The functional approach28 were used for the exchange–correlation
inset of Fig. 4(a) shows an M–H curve of the Fe2 TiSi film at 10 K. calculations. The k-sampling points were 195. The lattice constant
A finite magnetic moment of 0.14 μB /f.u. can clearly be detected. was fixed to the experimental value of 0.576 nm. Figure 4(a) shows
To discuss the origin of the magnetic moment in the Fe2 TiSi film, the calculated magnetic moment (μB /f.u.) of Fe2 TiSi as a function
we assume the presence of disordering in the Fe2 TiSi Heusler-alloy of the Fe , Ti disordering concentration [Ti concentration at the
structure. As discussed in Subsection III A, we should generally Fe (A,C) sites shown in Fig. 1(a)]. With increasing the concentra-
consider the presence of D03 -type disordering, i.e., Fe , Ti disor- tion of the Fe , Ti disordering, a weak magnetic moment appears
dering, in the Fe2 TiSi film. Using first-principles density-functional and it gradually increases. It should be noted that a magnetic
theory (DFT) calculations with the Akai-KKR package,26 we moment of 0.14 μB /f.u. nearly corresponds to the presence of 6% Fe
theoretically investigated the correlation between the presence of , Ti disordering. Thus, we infer that the finite magnetic moment
the Fe , Ti disordering and magnetic moment for Fe2 TiSi. The in the Fe2 TiSi film originates not from the presence of the off-
package is based on the Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker (KKR) method27 stoichiometry shown in the inset of Fig. 3(a) but from the presence
with a coherent potential approximation (CPA), and the following of the D03 -type Fe , Ti disordering.
conditions were assumed; the Moruzzi–Janak–Williams potential Figure 4(b) displays spin-resolved density of states (DOS) of
Fe2 TiSi with the presence of 6% Fe , Ti disordering (left),
together with the absence of the disordering (right). Note that the
6% Fe , Ti disordering in Fe2 TiSi causes the formation of the
impurity states above the valence band (see red arrow). As a result,
the Fermi level is located across the formed impurity state derived
from the valence band, implying the hole conduction. This feature
is also consistent with the result of Fig. 3(a). From these consider-
ations, the stoichiometric, homogeneous, and single-phase Fe2 TiSi
films grown by MBE have a small amount of D03 -type Fe , Ti
disordering (6%) and the hole conduction due to the disorder-
induced state from the valence band.
C. Thermoelectric properties
We evaluated thermoelectric properties of the stoichiometric,
homogeneous, and single-phase Fe2 TiSi films. The S value of the
Fe2 TiSi films was measured at room temperature by applying a
temperature difference between the film ends. Because the
MgAl2 O4 substrate was an insulator with an extremely large sheet
resistance (.107 Ω/sq), the measured S corresponds to that of the
Fe2 TiSi films, which have a relatively small sheet resistance of
102 Ω/sq. The cross-plane thermal conductivity (κ) values of the
films were measured using the 2ω method,29–31 where the thermor-
eflectance signal was fitted by a one-dimensional heat dissipation
model using the literature value.32 To measure the thermal resis-
tance, Au films were deposited on the film surfaces. Because the sheet
resistance of the Au films (0.1–0:7 Ω/sq) was three orders of magni-
tude smaller than that of the Fe2 TiSi films (.100 Ω/sq), the Joule
heating in the Fe2 TiSi films could be negligible. For the Fe2 TiSi film
in this study, the S value of 101 μV/K is obtained, relatively large
compared to that of the thin-film Fe2 VAl (S ¼ 40 μV/K) reported
previously.13 Although our Fe2 TiSi films have not yet reached the the-
oretically predicted values from 160 to 350 μV/K,9 a high S value
of 101 μV/K has never been reported in undoped full-Heusler alloys.
For obtaining a reliable value of κ, we also measured the film
thickness dependence of the total thermal resistance (Rtotal ), as
shown in Fig. 5. It should be noted that a linear relationship
FIG. 4. (a) Total spin moment as a function of the concentration of Fe , Ti appears clearly. Because Rtotal is a series of a film thermal resistance
disordering [Ti concentration at the Fe (A,C) sites]. The inset shows an M–H (Rfilm ) and an interfacial thermal resistance (Rint ),30 the slope and
curve for a stoichiometric, homogeneous, and single-phase Fe2 TiSi film at 10 K. y-axis intercept of Rtotal correspond to Rfilm per unit thickness of
(b) Spin-resolved density of states (DOS) of Fe2 TiSi with the presence of 6%
Fe , Ti disordering (left) and with the absence of the disordering (right).
the Fe2 TiSi film and Rint (8 109 m2 K/W), respectively. From
the slope, the value of κ is reliably estimated to be 5.6 W/(m K),
18
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS K. Tanikawa, S. Oki, S. Yamada, M. Kawano, M. Miyao, and K. Hamaya,
Thin Solid Films 557, 390 (2014).
This work was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Nos. 19
S. Yamada, K. Tanikawa, S. Oki, M. Kawano, M. Miyao, and K. Hamaya,
16H02333, 18KK0111, 18K13789, and 19H05616) and JST-CREST Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 071601 (2014).
(No. JPMJCR18J1). 20
Y. Fujita, M. Yamada, M. Tsukahara, T. Oka, S. Yamada, T. Kanashima,
K. Sawano, and K. Hamaya, Phys. Rev. Appl. 8, 014007 (2017).
21
K. Kudo, S. Yamada, J. Chikada, Y. Shimanuki, Y. Nakamura, and K. Hamaya,
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